A Chemical Prison

Two years ago, the first book in this series, Belshazzar's Daughter, was one of the best books I read. I've taken entirely too long to get back to this series, and I picked up The Ottoman Cage with a great deal of anticipation. I enjoyed watching the wily Inspector Ikmen at work, but at times it felt as though there was too much going on for one book.

The book felt too long and moved as slowly as molasses in January throughout the murder investigation. It revealed itself much too slowly, undoubtedly due more to modern attitudes in Turkey toward the Armenian genocide than to its ties to the customs of the old Ottoman Empire. The murderer's identity was very clear to me early on, and as the investigation dragged on, I found myself becoming show more impatient.

There is also a lot of Ikmen's personal life in this book, but I did not find these parts intrusive at all. Quite the contrary, they illuminated the inspector's character and revealed elements of his personality that prove he isn't always as charming as he was in the first book. Ikmen, married and with nine children, has his elderly father living with them. Timür (and the entire family for that matter) is suffering from his advanced dementia. It's particularly difficult for Ikmen's wife, Fatma, who has debilitating health problems of her own. Nadel does an excellent job showing us not only how these two problems tear at the fabric of the family, but how Ikmen's coping mechanisms have a profound effect as well.

Although the pace dragged and I became impatient from time to time, I'm glad that I read the book. Nadel has created a marvelous character in Çetin Ikmen, and she brings Istanbul and the country of Turkey to life. I'm looking forward to book number three. show less

This was the second book of the Cetin Ikmen series that I've read. It shows, on the one hand, Turkish thought and life before today's political situation, but also much further back in the time of the Ottoman Empire. A young man is found murdered in a hidden apartment. Soon it becomes clear that he was kept there for years. Ikmen and his colleagues continually encounter dead ends during their investigations. It takes very long and many coincidences to get to the right track. The perpetrator is constantly in touch with them, but they do not notice it for a long time. Private is not doing well at Ikmen and his colleague Suleyman. They also have to make decisions that change their lives.
It was very exciting and gripping from the beginning, show more and it took time before I realized which direction it was going to turn into. show less

An interesting procedural set in contemporary Istanbul that provides memorable characters and a vivid slice of life in that city. However, the villain is so obvious, so straight out of Central Casting, it seems impossible for the police to take so long to identify him. Both the villain's obligatory boasting of his crimes and the denouement are extraordinarily protracted.

fantastic book. except for the psychiatrist's spin at the end. didn't flow with the novel, was too clearly the author's platform. would have worked better as an author's note at the end.

Detective novel set in Istanbul, Turkey. Well written and includes lots of side information about Turkish history and culture.

Inspector Ikmen Mystery

Barbara Nadel väver en väl uppenbar mysterium kring en död pojke som hittas i en okänd lägenhet. Hon vinner på tydliga personskildringar där aktörerna har tydliga egna språk. Men det bränner sällan till.