The Snake Stone: A Novel
by Jason Goodwin
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Book Summary Information
Author: Jason GoodwinEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-09-30
ISBN: 0312428022
Number of pages: 320
Publisher: Picador
Book Reviews of The Snake Stone: A Novel
Book Review: "God gave the land to the Turks, and to the Greeks he gave the sea."
Summary: 4 Stars
Eunuch detective Yashim Togalu makes his second appearance since The Janissary Tree in 1830s Istanbul. It is now two years after his first convoluted adventure, Yashim about to embark on yet another bizarre series of events where murder obfuscates a secret at the heart of the novel. A man of modest appetite, a connoisseur of humanity, the gregarious eunuch has many friends in the international landscape that is Istanbul. While Sultan Mahmud II lies dying in his elaborate palace on the Bosporus, Yashim goes about his business, cultivating the many friendships that allow him access to the innermost secrets of a diverse population. But when a series of violent murders occurs, Yashim is drawn into the vortex of the crimes, much closer to the action than makes him comfortable.
The first murder is of a book merchant at the bazaar, the corpse discovered the morning after the crime, his body the object of an obscure ritual that brings up the name, Hetira, albeit only in whispers. Soon after, Yashim's friend, George, is found beaten, near death. But most disturbing is the presence of a foreigner, Maximilien Lefevre, a supposed archeologist, who arrives late one night at Yashim's rooms, begging a place to stay where he will not be discovered by those following him. Truly catholic in his sensibilities, it is Yashim's habit to help those in distress, preferring the simple explanation for the man's fear while ignoring the danger looming in an increasingly restless city. When the skittish Frenchman is killed, his mutilated body discarded near the French embassy, Yashim must sift through the events of recent days, uncovering the dark deeds that jeopardize his own safety. The colorful, vital streets of Istanbul are suddenly teeming with menace, everyone's motives suspect, the cause of the killings evading a diligent Yashim.
Peopled with the unusual characters of this exotic locale, Goodwin has a particular gift for detail, whether in Yashim's friends and acquaintances, including the sultan's mother, the Valide, and the engaging widow of the mysterious Frenchman, not to mention the poet Byron, and a valuable book. Each chapter contains hidden gems of historical fact, the heady brew of Istanbul, Greeks, Turks, Christians, Jews and the ornate patchwork of their homes in the old city, their native foods and their private associations in a place that mixes criminals with learned men of property. Plunging into this tempestuous society, Goodwin's eunuch detective is our guide, slipping in and out of palace and twisting alleyway with ease, his thoughts constantly working through details like prayer beads. Yashim is an enterprising, sympathetic character who embraces this city of many faces with charm and intelligence. Like The Janissary Tree, this novel is an exotic adventure, a shadowy society of the Byzantine Empire lurking behind the siren call of an ancient city filled with secrets. Luan Gaines/ 2008.
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