Seems I got my taste for reading back. Finished this one up in a day - I loved when I have mornings off! This novel is part of a (9 or 10 book and counting) murder mystery series that takes place in Turkey - mostly Istanbul. I have read one previously and really enjoyed reading a modern book about the country that I am living in.
Amazon.com description of the book says "A naked teenage girl is found dead near the beautiful Byzantine Yoros Castle in Turkey. She has stabbed herself through the heart but there is evidence of bizarre sexual practice. In another part of Istanbul, a young boy seems to have committed suicide in similar circumstances. What dark rituals could have compelled them to fatal self-abuse? Inspectors Çetin İkmen and Mehmet Süleyman follow an Internet trail that leads them to an underworld of Goth nightclubs and Satanic worship. But even those murky shadows hide more than they reveal and the answers to an ever increasing number of suspicious deaths is more shocking and terrible than they could ever have imagined."
There was a great mixture of supernatural and mystery in this book. I loved how you never really knew what was "magic" and what wasn't. There is a lot of magical elements to this series because the main character, Çetin İkmen's mother had been an Albanian "witch" and he believes in many supernatural things. The city of Istanbul has such a diverse culture and many different religious practices. Mystic beliefs are a part of some peoples lives.
The novel talks about the Yezidi religion, which is a religious minority in Iraq. I looked it up on the Internet after reading this book because I didn't know anything about it. It seems that the religion takes from many different ones such as Sufism, Christianity, Islam and Mesopotamian religious traditions. It is really interesting. I suggest if you read this book you take the time to look up some of the things you do not know. I did and it made the book more enjoyable. The book is graphic - in mostly violent sex. So you need a strong stomach for some parts.
I also did not know that sorcery has been prohibited in Turkey. I find that really interesting. Its fun to live in such a cool place!
Rating - 3
No comments:
Post a Comment