When Emine Aksu, the wife of an Istanbul Guru goes missing, Inspector Cetine Ikman is called in to investigate. We find out that Emine was part of the free-love era of the happy, hippy sixties. She is now middle-aged, but has never fully let go of those carefree times. So is she perhaps missing because she has rekindled a relationship from her past? Her husband thinks not.
Inspector Mehmet Suleyman, meanwhile, is investigating another case, a female skeleton has been found by the art deco kamondo stairs in Karakey. As the story moves from one case to the other and both detectives find themselves delving into the city’s past, we the reader, find ourselves wondering if these two incidents are linked?
The reminiscing back in time to the days of free-love and beatniks and hippies and flower power in the late sixties adds enormously to the interest of this story. It was a period in history that Nadel draws you too, and makes you wish you had been there. Her knowledge of the journey through Turkey to the kabuts of Istanbul is also fascinating, and made me want to go and discover it for myself. Nadel’s characters are, as always, are colourful and clearly drawn, and her knack of weaving strong and believable plots is enviable. I personally love all her books, and although I didn’t think this was one of her best, I would certainly recommend it.
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Linda Regan