An Evil Eye

By Jason Goodwin, FSG, 304 pages, $29.95

The fourth novel in the marvellous Investigator Yashim series is the best of a great bunch. Goodwin’s grand evocation of the glories of the Ottoman Empire takes us into the heart of Istanbul in 1839. Admiral Fevzi Ahmet, Yashim’s old leader and mentor, has defected to the Egyptians. Why would one of the Sultan’s most honoured men show him such disrespect? The Sultan wants Yashim to investigate, but the search leads Yashim to the closed world of the Sultan’s harem, where it appears the secret of the Admiral’s betrayal lies. A great addition to a superb series with an unforgettable investigator.

And from the Literary Review:

‘It’s always a pleasure to visit Istanbul in the 1840s with Jason Goodwin and his sensitive, civilised detective Yashim … Both interesting and highly entertaining.’