Stripped bare of its literary mystique the plot is more or less as described above but this is rather more than your average historical mystery. Expect haunting descriptions of a mystic land, an examination of the role of women at the time in both Turkey and England as well as a compelling background (and foreground) of a place at a time of political upheaval. East meets West here, and two very different cultures are meeting head on. The Middle East of the Arabian Nights meets Victoria’s empire, ancient and modern in ferment. It’s heady stuff, and I loved the way the story was told from a number of viewpoints a la Wilkie Collins. We have Sybil’s letters to her doctor sister; a view of what Kamil is up to from a third person perspective, and the diary of Jaanan, the daughter of estranged but wealthy parents who found the first body. We are in literary territory here so don’t expect breathless adventure (although some of this can also be found). Instead be prepared for something more akin to a slow cruise down the Bosphorus rather than speedboat ride that most crime novels at least aspire to. One to savor.