The Kiss Murder [Mass Market Paperback]

Mehmet Murat Somer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 30, 2008

The Number One Ladies' Detective Agencymeets Pedro Almodovar in this outrageous new series featuring an ultraglamorous sleuth

Bestsellers in Mehmet Murat Somer's home country of Turkey and set to take the world by storm, the arrival of the Hop-Çiki-Yaya mysteries is cause for excitement (and lip gloss!) here in the United States. A male computer technician by day and a transvestite hostess of Istanbul's most notorious nightclub by night, the unnamed heroine of The Kiss Murder is the most charming and hilarious sleuth to debut in recent memory. When Buse, one of the "girls"at her club, fears someone is after private letters from a former lover, she comes to her boss for help. The next day Buse is dead and our girl must find the murderers before they find her. Fortunately, she is well armed with beauty, wit, the wardrobe of Audrey Hepburn, and expert Thai kickboxing skills. With a page-turning plot and an irresistibly charming protagonist, The Kiss Murder is sure to attract mystery lovers and nightlife mavens alike.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Istanbul provides an intriguing backdrop for Somer's highly entertaining and occasionally over-the-top tale, the first in a six-volume series to be made available in the U.S., in which a namelesstransvestite nightclub owner turns detective after the murder of one of the clubs drag queens, a crime linked to a blackmail scheme involving letters and photos received from a powerful and conservative businessman. While the clubs performers fear their secret lives being made public and are outcasts to their families, the protagonist, who by night dresses like that boyish beauty Audrey Hepburn, fears no one. When the blackmailers target the nightclub owner, she turns for help to contacts in the gay and transvestite community, plus a gossipy bouncer and an adoring cab driver who fancies himself the Istanbul version of Brad Pitt. Melding broad humor with a sensitive look at gay life in Turkey, Somer has fashioned a complex protagonist whos likable, intelligent, arrogant and, above all, a survivor. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"The Turkish Delight books are fun, they''re funny, and they''re an unexpectedly poignant glimpse into a world most of us don''t know. And they''re still good mysteries."
-Charlaine Harris, author of the Sookie Stackhouse mystery series

"If you''re tired of mysteries featuring granny sleuths and ex-cops- turned detectives, you won''t find a more refreshing alternative than Mehmet Murat Somer''s...Turkish Delight series. Packed with flirtation and humor, this one is not to be missed."
-USAToday

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics); First Edition. 1 in number line edition (December 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0143114727
• ISBN-13: 978-0143114727
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,331,627 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Witty, Original, Heroine/Hero (they're one and the same), August 5, 2009

By 

Mrs. Baumann - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Kiss Murder (Mass Market Paperback)

Plot Summary: He's a computer security expert by day, and she's a glamorous Audrey Hepburn look-alike by night, and they are one and the same person. Our hero/heroine is a transvestite who leads a double-life in Istanbul until one of her `girls' named Buse confesses to a dark secret; Buse has photographs and letters that could ruin one of the most powerful men in the city. Our gal doesn't take it too seriously until Buse turns up dead, and she takes it upon herself to track down the papers that someone is willing to kill for.

If variety is the spice of life, then this book tastes like a big bite of something exotic. I found it to be quirky, unique, and endlessly interesting. I don't agree with the `hilarious' assessment I've seen bandied about, but this novel has an irreverent wit that's very appealing. By making the heroine a transvestite (man by day, woman by night), Mr. Somer has created a singular protagonist who is equal parts clever, compassionate, and curious like a cat. He/she is a wonderful creation, and my only regret is that we never know his/her name, but since the story is told in the first person, it's never an issue, strangely enough.

Neither the book, nor Amazon, let on that this is actually the second book in a six part series (grrrrr), so I jumped in at book two, through no fault of my own. I'm happy to say that I was completely ignorant of this fact until I started doing some online research in order to write this review, so obviously, book two provides a perfect introduction. The name of the series is intriguing, Hop-Çiki-Yaya, and it should be noted that these books are translated from Turkish. I learned on the Murder By The Book Mystery Blog that this is pronounced "Hope-Cheeky-Yah-Yah" and it refers to either `screaming queens' and/or a cheerleader chant for high school girls. Thanks for doing that research, MBTB!

I always thought women had it tough, but I think being a transvestite in a predominantly Muslim city trumps my petty concerns. It's fascinating to read about this small fringe culture and witness how its members survive and even thrive. Our heroine might cringe to hear me say this, but she must have the biggest set of balls to live so far outside the conventions. I'm always hungering to read stories about strong, super-powered heroines, and I think I've just found a new one.

Here's the reading order:
The Prophet Murders: A Hop-Ciki-Yaya Thriller (Hop-Ciki-Yaya)
The Kiss Murder
The Gigolo Murder

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bridget's review, June 1, 2009

By 

bridget3420 "Bridget Hopper" (KY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Kiss Murder (Mass Market Paperback)

The Kiss Murder is about club owning drag queen resembling Audrey Hepburn, who uses her inner detective skills to find out who has murdered her transvestite friend, Buse. The night before Buse's murder she told the drag queen that she was scared and someone was after her. Audrey's look a like sets out to find the murderer but soon finds that this is no easy task. What she uncovers is a shocker. WIll she be able to connect the dots and find out who the killer is or will she end up dead as well?

This was a very fun, quick paced read. I will definitely be picking up the next book "The Gigilo Murders" which comes out in September.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful, Turkish or otherwise, December 9, 2009

By 

barbarylane6 (Texas) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Kiss Murder (Paperback)

If there ever were a scenario that should be an over-the-top campfest, well, here you go: an Audrey Hepburn nostalgic drag queen sleuth! You can only imagine the winks to come. And yet, while appropriately campy (it delivers all the sass the cover makes you expect), it is refreshingly human and layered and subtly poignant. In between delicious dialogue and fabulous hats, these complex characters find time to show you more than caricatures and its these moments that make you laugh even louder 2 pgs later because you are invested in the people. HUGE RECOMMENDATION!!! Please read this in a public place and enjoy infecting the world with laughter.