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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Eunuch with balls !, 1 Aug 2007
This is the second in the series of novels featuring the eunuch Yashmin - the first being the equally good introduction "The Jannissary Tree". Set in the mid 1800's in Turkey at the height of the Ottaman Empire this is a detective novel with a slight quirky nature. Anyone who likes Boris Akunin will, I am sure, take just as kindly to this hero as they have done to Erast Fandorin or Sister Pelugia. Jason Goodwin carefully weaves colourful portraits of Istanbul, life within a Sultans palace, political intrigue and historical drama into the storyline (as well as some good cooking tips!) and, as with all good detective novels, the ending has a surprise or two in store. A very enjoyable book and one I thoroughly recommend.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Turkish impotentate returns!, 15 Dec 2007
Jason Goodwin's second book "The Snake Stone" sees the return of the Turkish, crime-solving eunuch Yashim Togalu. I'm pleased to report that Goodwin's second book was as fun to read as his first, The Janissary Tree: A Novel".
As befits a mystery set in Istanbul the plot of "The Snake Stone" is moderately Byzantine but not so complex that the reader gets lost. Yashim is approached by a French archeologist (of the plundering sort) who tells Yashim a story about some priceless antiquities. Shortly thereafter the man is found dead and since Yashim is the last man to see him alive he finds himself faced with the prospect of being a suspect in the murder. Yashim has no choice but to try to unravel the mystery.
Two aspects of the book deserve special praise. As noted, the plot revolves around the possible discovery of priceless antiquities and this is a perfect device for a book set in a city such as Istanbul one of the world's historic cross-roads. The plot gives Goodwin a great opportunity to `explore' Istanbul's rich and diverse history both archeologically and socially. Goodwin studied Byzantine history at Cambridge and has written books on the history of the Ottoman Empire (Lords of the Horizons: A History of the Ottoman Empire and his writing evidences that knowledge. Goodwin puts his knowledge to good use as he paints a very readable picture of Istanbul that captures (for me at least) the sights, sounds, and smells of Istanbul's streets and alleys while also conveying a sense of the political and social backdrop that drove the characters in the book. Anytime a writer gives you the sense that you can almost get a visceral feel for the sights and sounds of a city that writer has done a good job.
Second, Goodwin has done an excellent job in developing the character of Yashim. Yashim is now, in the second book, a fully formed and very endearing character. The minor recurring characters are equally engaging. Last, Yashim isn't the first detective to be a gourmet cook but I have to say the descriptions of Yashim's recipes were very enticing.
In my review of "The Janissary Tree" I mentioned that Goodwin's Yashim reminded me of Boris Akunin's Erast Fandorin novels (late 19th-century Russia such as The Winter Queen: A Novel (Erast Fandorin Mysteries)) and Arturo Perez-Reverte's Captain Alatriste stories such as Captain Alatriste (17th-century Spain). They all take the standard detective or mystery story and transport the reader to a different time and place. "The Snake Stone" confirms my original impression that Goodwin's books belong in that good company. "The Snake Stone" was an excellent story and anyone who likes a good detective story with a bit of an exotic twist should enjoy it.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
another breath of fresh oriental air, 27 May 2008
Well, what can I say? Having read 'The Janissary Tree' a while ago and having found it a very enjoyable novel, I'm glad to say this second novel featuring Yashim is as good if not better. Yashim is an unlikely kind of detective, not so much because he is eunuch (although I'll grant there's probably precious few other eunuch detectives out there) but because his approach is so very subtle and stealthy. There's nothing hard-boiled about Yashim, he blends in with his surroundings, observes in silence the comings and goings, and then lets his formidable intelligence do the rest. This is not to say that every case is a breeze for Yashim, on the contrary. In 'The snake stone' as in 'The Janissary tree' he has to deal with formidable opponents who do not shy away from physical violence and the occasional gruesome murder.
Add to this the unusual setting of Istanbul in the 1830s (I was there a couple of years ago and oddly enough the descriptions given in this book instantly reminded me of the 21st century atmosphere of that city, no doubt much has changed but much has remained the same also), the colourful characters (the Polish ambassador Palewski!) and the subtle language in which this whole tale is told and what you end up with is a delightful detective novel, and one which I can heartily recommend.
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