Customer Reviews

The Kiss Murder

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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

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.

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.

The last thing I would expect a book set in Istanbul to feature is a transvestite subculture, but that's exactly what you have in this Hop-Çiki-Yaya series. The nameless main character is quite interesting... he knows exactly what he is, and isn't apologetic about it. He plays up his masculine and feminine sides equally well. The story here isn't about the murder as much as it's about the blackmail, and the main character's drive to find out what is going on, mostly for his own curiosity. I didn't love the story, but I did enjoy it and would probably read more. I found the writing to be somewhat stilted and choppy, but I don't know if that's how the writing is or if it's an aftereffect of translation.

We've all heard those politicians in 'religious' countries claiming there are no gays there. Time to cross Turkey off that list. Judging from this book, Istanbul has a feisty gay subculture. Also, think there's no such thing as gay humor? If you read this you'll be disabused of that notion forthwith. This is practically a compendium of gayest humor on planet earth. The narrative is light, it certainly won't change your life, but fun? Totally.

So murder mysteries are my favorite genre. I'm also a drag queen to boot. When I picked this up in a store, I thought this sounded like my cup of tea! The beginning is realistic enough and got me hooked for a bit -but afterwards, I completely lost interest and I'll tell you why. Now just so you know - I DID read the whole book.

The biggest disappointment, and I think mystery readers can agree with me whether they've read it or not, is that you aren't surprised at the outcome. There was no real big plot twist. It was about halfway through when it was clear 'whodunnit' and more importantly - I didn't care. This had a lot to do with the fact that I didn't care about the victim either.

The only character you're remotely drawn to is the drag heroine, who -let's face it- is a drag queen I've rarely ever seen.

If you want a murder mystery that mixes a little bit of campy fun with a gay-theme, then I strongly recommend Rick Copp's "The Actor's Guide to Murder". [...]

The Kiss Murder (2008) is narrated by a nameless male computer technician by day and a transvestite nightclub hostess by night, in Istanbul, Turkey. Though mainly concerned with maintaining her flawless Audrey Hepburn-like appearance, our narrator is drawn into an investigation of the murder of a fellow drag queen, who kept secret pictures and letters documenting her affair with a powerful man. Luckily our self-absorbed narrator is also a master of Thai-kickboxing, since the search for the secret cache stirs up all kinds of trouble. The unique viewpoint provides a fascinating look at modern Turkish life (should the drag queens pray with the men or the women at the funeral?) spiced with our narrator's self-confident wit.
http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/S_Authors/Somer_Mehmet-Murat.html

After reading about 2/3 of this book, I decided to quit; the novelty of a story told by a drag queen had worn off. Some reviewers found it hilarious, but I only found it slightly amusing. The story goes on too long with seemingly endless conversations that go nowhere. The fact that it takes place is an Istanbul subculture is interesting, but there isn't much that's very Turkish about the story.

I chose this book based on the fact that a friend was reading it. Not that she recommended it, mind you, but just because she was reading it. I should have waited for her review. I found it shallow and boring. Maybe I just couldn't relate to the characters (few could!) but I just couldn't justify wasting my reading time on it. It may appeal to your prurient curiosity about the lives of transgender and transvestite folks, but this story does not have much more to offer. When I read a novel, I want to be immersed in and deeply care for its main characters. While reading this book, I found myself not caring a whit about what happens to these folks. But that's a personal and individual perspective. What I care about may be quite different from what you care about. Just don't say I didn't warn you.