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The Janissary Tree ('Yashim the Eunuch' Mystery) [Paperback]

Jason Goodwin
4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
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Book Description

7 Jun 2007 'Yashim the Eunuch' Mystery

A concubine is strangled in the Sultan's palace harem, and a young cadet is found butchered in the streets of Istanbul. Delving deep into the city's crooked alleyways, and deeper still into its tumultuous past, the eunuch Yashim discovers that some people will go to any lengths to preserve the traditions of the Ottoman Empire.

Brilliantly evoking Istanbul in the 1830s, The Janissary Tree is a bloody, witty and fast-paced literary thriller with a spectacular cast.


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Product details

  • Paperback: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Faber and Faber; New Ed edition (7 Jun 2007)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0571229247
  • ISBN-13: 978-0571229246
  • Product Dimensions: 12.6 x 19.7 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 97,211 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

Review

The richly detailed evocation of the period, which gives The
Janissary Tree such an authentic feel, is combined with a playful humour
and a hero unconventional enough to rival Boris Akunin's Erast Fandorin. -- The Times, June 2 2007

This congenial murder mystery, blending historical scholarship and
deft characterisation, is upmarket crime fiction with a smile on its face. -- Sunday Telegraph, June 3 2007

Book Description

A rich, atmospheric and exciting historical thriller set in nineteenth-century Istanbul.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
58 of 58 people found the following review helpful
By Leonard Fleisig TOP 1000 REVIEWER VINE™ VOICE
Format:Hardcover
Isaiah 56:3

Investigator Yashim, the hero of Jason Goodwin's first novel, "The Janissary Tree" may be a Turkish eunuch but it is not at all likely that anyone reading this book will think of him as a "dry tree". In fact, if Yashim's steamy encounter with the beautiful but lonely wife of the Russian ambassador to Turkey halfway through the book is any indication, this is one heck of a unique eunuch.

I would love to have been present when Goodwin pitched the idea of a novel (and the first in a proposed series) about a crime-solving eunuch in Istanbul to his agent or publisher. Fortunately, someone had the good sense to green light this project as Goodwin has crafted a highly-entertaining book.

The Janissary Tree is set in Istanbul in 1836. Ten years earlier the Janissaries, the Sultan's version of the Roman Empire's Praetorian Guards, had been crushed by the "New Guard", the Sultan's standing army. Like the Praetorian Guards the Janissaries had evolved from a protective legion to one that terrorized the populace and the Sultan. Now, ten years later, the mysterious disappearance of four members of the New Guard and the murder of one of the Sultan's harem heralds the possible return of the Janissaries. The return of the Janissaries threatens to destroy the Sultanate and the relative calm of Istanbul. Enter Investigator Yashim. He is given ten days to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Yashim is soon engulfed in murder and intrigue. Bodies begin to appear in bizarre places as Yashim and his friends (including a somewhat decadent Polish Ambassador who has no country to represent and a transsexual dancer) try to get to the bottom of this alleged revolt.

Goodwin is very good at keeping the plot boiling (in more ways than one). Goodwin, who studied Byzantine history at Cambridge and who has written books on the history of the Ottoman Empire, has ample knowledge of the time and the place and has put this knowledge to good use. Although I haven't been to Istanbul in almost thirty years, Goodwin seems to convey a real sense of how the city must have looked, felt, and even smelled more than 180 years or so ago.

The Janissary Tree reminded me of Boris Akunin's Erast Fandorin novels (late 19th-century Russia) and Arturo Perez-Reverte's Captain Alatriste stories (17th-century Spain). They all take the standard detective or mystery story and transport the reader to a different time and place. As with both Akunin and Perez-Reverte's novels, Jason Goodwin's "The Janissary Tree" is an entertaining and diverting read.

L. Fleisig
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30 of 31 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant intrigue - fantastic backdrop 27 Jun 2006
Format:Hardcover
I loved Jason Goodwin's The Janissary Tree because it is a genuine, classical detective story, but set in an extraordinarily well-researched and depicted 1830s Istanbul. The backdrop - both physical and historical - is crucial to the intrigue, playing a full part in the action. The characters - especially Yashim the eunuch and the Polish ambassador - are sympathetic. The final pages contain two beautifully revealed twists.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Turkish Delight 29 Aug 2007
Format:Paperback
Let me start by saying this is a jolly good read - and a great book to take on holiday to a Turkish beach, especially if you are off on a trip to Istanbul as part of your visit.

I read it within three days of starting it - I was quickly dragged into the story and the pace builds up to a nice `want to know' ending.

If you are 'into' the Historical detective story, this is almost as good as it gets. Plenty of historically accurate detail - the sort of `everyday detail' needed to spice up the story - food, clothing, buildings.

And the essential characters are there: The not quite accepted by anyone `detective'; the manipulative bad-guy; an exotic beautiful temptress; and a tart-with-a-heart with a difference (one of my favourite characters I have to say).

What this is is firmly `escapist' - but with a slightly educational twist - I did get a sense of what Istanbul must have been like, and a sense of the origins of the modern Turkish dilemma between secularism and tradition. If at times the writing felt too worthy, it only lasted a short time and we were soon back chasing fire-raisers through the seedy streets.

This is not Orhan Pamuk - but it isn't meant to be.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Take a trip to 1830s Istanbul
Jason Goodwin does two key things in this book. Firstly, he transports you completely to 1830s Istanbul with a variety of scene and precision of detail that you might expect from a... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Richard Buxton
5.0 out of 5 stars Real history, with syle and substance
This book's structure suits its magnificent, 1836 Istanbul, substance: "an endless circuit, snake swallowing snake. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Milo di Thernan
4.0 out of 5 stars A cut above
For me the perfect combination. Original detective hero and a perfect setting. Although I am unable to time travel, Istanbul is a place that now I have inhabited in print I know... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Adam Ross
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Good story, excellent depiction of the Istanbul of the period, quite well written and generally a good read. I will definitely buy more of this series.
Published 5 months ago by Sidney M Perera
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting historical detective novel
Really enjoyed this one. Interesting twist to have a eunuch as the main character - learnt a lot about passion (or not!), longing & acceptance of one's lot. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Big D
3.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as I was hoping
I fifnished this book, but it was a bit of a struggle. I enjoyed the background but a lot needed more explanation, and I found the plot less than gripping. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Annierose
4.0 out of 5 stars Action/Sleuth Eunuch tries to save Empire
"Action" and "Eunuch" are two words you wouldn't normally expect to associate with each other but Jason Goodwin manages to pull it off in his character Yashim in this excellent... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Lee Hanley
4.0 out of 5 stars Nice evocation of time and place
I read this during a cruise which stopped at Istanbul (which I have visited previously for a short stay) and I must say this novel nicely captures the sense of time and place. Read more
Published 19 months ago by hiljean
3.0 out of 5 stars Overall enjoyable but plot lets it down a touch
I enjoyed the book overall and would recommend it as a light-hearted historical romp. Yashim is a good character and Goodwin is very good at bringing to life a sketch of 19th... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Peter Sandham
5.0 out of 5 stars Superb
I superb start to a superb series. If you enjoyed this then don't hesitate to read the other three novels.
Published 22 months ago by Mr. James Edwards
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