Friday, March 20, 2009

The Janissary Tree


By Jason Goodwin.

This murder mystery is set amongst the rich and fascinating setting of Nineteenth century Istanbul. A concubine from the Sultan's harem has been killed and it is the task of Yashim, a eunuch to discover the killer. He is also charged with discovering the murderer of a cadet in the New Guard.

Yashim is an entertaining and unique protagonist. As a eunuch, he has unrestricted entry to places most would not be allowed upon pain of death. I enjoyed his particular quirks, and learned way more about eunuchs than I ever wanted to. I found it a slightly meandering book, but the pleasure of the journey with Yashim made it well worth the read.

2 comments:

Kerrie said...

Vanda, this month's "goodreading" magazine has a review on page 38 of OVERKILL which gives it 4 stars and Highly Recommended.
http://www.goodreadingmagazine.com.au/
Unfortunately the online version doesn't let you read the current mag for free.
You might be able to get a copy from a news agent or book shop $9.50NZ

Kerrie said...

Let me know if you would like me to send you a copy. The Smith finances can run to that :-)