Discover the New Releases Audiobooks in Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

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Title: Season of Darkness

Author: Maureen Jennings

Narrator: Tom Craig

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 11 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-19-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 41 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

The creator of the acclaimed Detective Murdoch Mysteries turns her exceptional storytelling skills to a murder mystery set in rural Shropshire, England, in the darkest days of the Second World War.

Following the disastrous retreat of the British army from Dunkirk in 1940, England is plunged into a state of fear. The threat of a German invasion is real, and many German Nationals are interned in camps across the country. One such camp is on the ancient moor land of Prees Heath, near the small town of Whitchurch in Shropshire, where Tom Tyler is the sole detective inspector.

Young women from all walks of life have joined the Land Army, to help desperate farmers keep the country fed. When one of these young women is found murdered on a desolate country road, Tyler is almost glad for the challenge; he has been fretting for some time about the dullness of policing in a rural community. In addition, a former lover has reappeared and turned his emotions upside down; his soldier son seems utterly changed by his experience at Dunkirk; and his 16-year-old daughter is unhappy. As he pursues the murderer, Tyler finds himself drawn into an uneasy alliance with one of the Prees Heath internees, a psychiatrist, who claims to be an expert on the criminal mind.

Critic Reviews:

"Jennings has a wonderful feel for the places and tasks that give life and context to a character." (New York Times Book Review)

"When it comes to evoking a bygone era . . . Jennings has [Anne] Perry beat hands down." (Calgary Herald)

"Jennings writes with the lilt and assurance of an old hand. She deftly wields historic details without impeding the story." (San Jose Mercury News)

Members Reviews:

much better than average historical detective

This is a little grittier than a Maisie Dobbs or Joe Sandilands mystery, but still retains more of the cozy formula than "thriller" in its WWII frame for a police procedural. Also, it's better written and plotted than most similar series (Bess Crawford, Billy Boyle, Anne Perry's WW1 series, etc.) and has wonderful, plentiful period detail that is well woven into the storyline - better than any of the other series I'm comparing.

If the publisher's detail about DI Tyler working closely with the interned German psychoanalyst interests you, know that it's only a minor element of the story, unfortunately.

The narrator seemed wonderful to me, but he does bestow regional British onto the characters, so listeners who prefer homogenized British accents might not like his performance.

I so hope this is a series and not a stand-alone from Jennings!

Atmospheric but a little rushed at the end

I enjoy these "period pieces" when the atmosphere seems authentic and the characters are well-constructed. In this case, the book ticks most of the boxes and the "who did it" is enough of a surprise to know that the red herrings worked.

However, it did seem a bit rushed in tying up all the threads at the end. Maybe fewer threads might have led to a more satisfying last chapter.

But, I liked this book enough to download the next in the series.

Excellent world war 2 mystery

Shropshire detective Tyler battles German spies and local traitors while dealing with a mysterious woman from his former life, a shell-shocked son and much more.

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Title: A Simple Murder

Subtitle: A Mystery

Author: Eleanor Kuhns

Narrator: Richard Waterhouse

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-08-12

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 14 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

1796: When traveling weaver and former soldier Will Rees learns that his son David has run away he immediately sets out after him. After tracking him down at a Shaker settlement near Durham, Maine, Will unexpectedly finds himself heading a murder investigation.

As he adapts to the ways of the Shakers, he begins to discover that some members of the community may hold clues to solving the case, but uncovering those clues will also reveal dark secrets that could threaten the whole community. Meanwhile, the body count continues to rise.

In this outstanding debut, Eleanor Kuhns has crafted an atmospheric and authentic portrait of a compelling time in history that will leave listeners on the edge of their seats.

Members Reviews:

A Simple Murder

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

At first the narrator took some getting use to, at times his voice was just bad.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The Character that i like the most was the young son whom had a thing with his father. This relationship between father and soon was an all to often picture of real life.

What aspect of Richard Waterhouses performance would you have changed?

No it did not like it at first his voice took some getting use to but after a while i t was ok.

Did A Simple Murder inspire you to do anything?

No it did not.

Any additional comments?

I did like the history of the story as i am a fan of early American History not a bad book after all.

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Title: The Red House Mystery

Author: A. A. Milne

Narrator: William Sutherland

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-05-12

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 65 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Mark Ablett's stately mansion, the Red House, is filled with very proper guests when his most improper brother returns from Australia. The prodigal brother enters Mark's study, the parlor maid hears arguing and the brother dies...rather suddenly, with a bullet between the eyes. The study is locked from the inside and Mark is missing!

Investigating the crime is wealthy Antony Gillingham, who rivals Sherlock Holmes in his remarkable powers of observation. He is aided by the perfect Watson, his friend Bill Beverley, a cheerful young man in white flannels. Echoes of Christopher Robin and his friends chime nostalgically throughout this charming classic of detection!

Members Reviews:

A Classic

This is one of the best books I have heard. Okay, the voicing's not great but the story more than makes up for it. The solution is out of the ordinary and a surprise for those who don't follow the clues closely.

difficult listen

Loved the book - thought I might enjoy listening to it, but couldn't get past the terrible, flat narration.

Difficult to understand narrator

Would you try another book from A. A. Milne and/or William Sutherland?

I won't buy another book narrated by William Sutherland. He was too difficult to understand - I guess his accent was too strong and he sounded muffled.

What did you like best about this story?

It had a really interested plot

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of William Sutherland?

Hugh Frazer

Did The Red House Mystery inspire you to do anything?

No

A sweet book but just a bit boring

As the introduction explains, AA Milne wrote this book to amuse his father ? and it reads like a bit like a charade. It does have a slightly Pooh-ish quality to it, but lacks the essential humour of Pooh. It should probably be seen as a literary curiosity. However, the reading by William Sutherland is definitely on the poor side. Were this book to be read by somebody who really camped it up or even sent it up, this could be a very amusing listen. One can?t help thinking Milne intended the book to be transformed into a stage play with people in flannels coming in through French windows, and the reading needs something of that atmosphere to make it swing. Not worth going for if you pay for your books by the unit, but perhaps worth trying if you have a monthly subscription and are interested in the early history of murder stories.

Poor sound quality

Was really excited to listen to this book but can't bear more than 5 minutes. It sounds like the narrator is running out of batteries in a tunnel, just a slow drone with background hissing. I'd advise a different recording, though perhaps if you have to tech to speed him up it wouldn't be so bad.

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Title: The Darkening Field

Author: William Ryan

Narrator: Robin Sachs

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-14-12

Publisher: Dreamscape Media, LLC

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 18 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

It is 1937, and Captain Alexei Korolev finds himself on an airplane bound for Odessa after the suspicious suicide of a loyal young party member who supposedly had an illicit relationship with the party director. His instructions are to determine if her suicide was actually a cover-up for murder, and if so, to find her killer. She was working on the set of a movie subsidized by the state, and the pool of possible suspects is large and daunting. Korolev finds help from several quarters, but none of them can make up for the one important fact of his case which he cannot discuss. Moral, loyal, and also committed to justice, Korolev is trapped between the demands of the party and those of the truth.

Critic Reviews:

"

Booklist lauded Ryan's first Korolev novel,

The Holy Thief, and this successor fully delivers on the promise of that judgment. Korolev is a wonderful character, a spiritual ancestor of Martin Cruz Smith's Arkady Renko, persevering amid the murderous paranoia of Stalin's Russia. The plot is intricate, the action satisfying, and Ryan's use of period detail, including the brutal 'collectivization' of the Ukraine and that region's nationalist and anarchist movements, makes for exhilarating reading." (

Booklist)

Members Reviews:

Second Book in a Series

I read the first book on Inspector Korolev of the Militia during the beginning of the J. Stalin's reign of the the Soviet Union. Like the first book, this is not a thriller packed with ongoing action of gun play, gore, and mayhem. Rather it is an adventure of a State Militia Inspector tip toeing around delicate social and political times where the slightest provocation can get you arrested and killed or sent to the Gulag in the blink of an eye. And this while attempting to find and arrest the person or persons responsible for a legitimate crime. There are mines, pitfalls and traps along every step of the way and Inspector Korlev is a simple man who tries to do his duty but is very aware of the time he lives in and tries to accommodate the "system" while not compromising his simple beliefs as a decent man hoping to survive the times yet have justice done. Much of the enjoyment of the book is appreciating the nuances of every day living in the Soviet State at that time. And how Inspector Korolev goes about it.

As good as an historical novel as it is as a thriller

Itâs 1937. The Soviet Union, still reeling from its drive to collectivization and the elimination of the so-called kulaks (rich peasants), is now in the grips of the terror Stalin has initiated to purge the Party, the army, and Soviet society in general of anyone who so much as breathes a hint of opposition to him or any questions about the superiority of the Soviet system. Official Soviet figures showed that at least 12 million people died as a direct or indirect result of these draconian policies â and some military historians speculate that the USSR came perilously close to losing World War II because of Stalinâs elimination of so much of the armyâs senior officer corps.

A murder mystery set during Stalinâs terror

William Ryan sets the second novel in his three-book series of murder mysteries, The Darkening Field (The Bloody Meadow in the UK), in the midst of these unsettled times.

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Title: Fatal Lies

Author: Frank Tallis

Narrator: Robert Fass

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-01-12

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 14 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Vienna, 1903. In St. Florians military school, a young cadet is found dead - his body lacerated with razor wounds. Inspector Oskar Rheinhardt, baffled by details surrounding the case, turns to his friend - the psychiatrist and disciple of Freud - Doctor Max Liebermann, for help. In the closed society of the school, power is everything - and suspicion falls on an elite group of cadets, with a taste for sadism and dangerous games. A tangled web of uneasy relationships is uncovered, at the heart of which are St. Florians dark secrets, which Doctor Liebermann, using the new psychoanalytic tools, begins to probe. Against this backdrop of mystery and danger, Liebermann finds himself romantically involved with a passionate and elemental Hungarian concert violinist, gifted with uncannily accurate intuitions. Yet all is not what it seems, and Liebermann is drawn into the perilous world of espionage and forced to make choices, the outcome of which will threaten the entire stability of the Habsburg Empire.

Members Reviews:

Excellent Third Novel in This Historical Series

"Fatal Lies" is the third novel in Frank Tallisâ Liebermann Papers series, set in Vienna at the turn of the 20th Century. In this outing, Detective Inspector Rheinhardt is asked to look into the unexpected death of a young student at a nearby military academy, a place where prejudice and sadism are, if not explicitly encouraged, at least not seriously frowned upon by the school authorities. It seems that one such bully has relatives in high places, which creates difficulty for Rheinhardt, and he must turn to his friend, the Jewish psychiatrist Max Liebermann, for help. When a second boy disappears days after the two friends questioned him, our heroes realize that time is quickly running out if they wish to catch a killerâ. As with the two previous books in this series, what interests me most about "Fatal Lies" is the way the author depicts Viennese society in 1903, showing both a rising nationalism amongst some high-powered individuals and an accompanying rise in anti-Semitism in what had been a relatively well assimilated city. As history, it seems pretty accurate, and as a mystery, the book captures the readerâs attention very well. Recommended - but itâs probably best to read the first two novels in the series before this one!

Meets the standard for this excellent series

"Fatal Lies" is author Frank Tallis' third installment of the Lieberman/Rheinhardt mystery series, and a inventive and entertaining story it is. The core of the book is the investigation of a student's death at a Viennese military school. It's soon clear that the institution fosters a lot of the most extreme kind of bullying and mistreatment that those schools were once notorious for. The classism and latent racism of the time (turn of the 20th century) are knowingly woven into the murder mystery as well as being secondary themes in the social portrait of Vienna that is skillfully built into this mystery series by author Tallis.

Protagonist Dr. Max Liebermann, the Freud-trained psychoanalyst, brings an interesting aspect to the police procedurals that are the main engine for much of this story. But in "Fatal Lies," Dr.

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Title: The Pillars of Rome

Subtitle: Book 1 of the Republic Series

Author: Jack Ludlow

Narrator: Nick Boulton

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-13-11

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 77 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

With barbarians at the gate and enemies within, two men must fight for the soul of the Republic. In a cave hacked out of rock two young boys appeal to the famed Roman oracle for a glimpse into their future. In the flickering torchlight the Sybil draws the blood-red shape of an eagle with wings outstretched: an omen of death. As they flee the cave in fear, Aulus and Lucius make an oath of loyalty until death. An oath that will be tested in the years to come. Narrator Nick Boulton brings this story of prophecy, courage, history and adventure to powerful life in this audio edition of the opening chapter of The Republic Series.

©2008 Jack Ludlow (P)2011 Audible Ltd

Critic Reviews:

"Historical fiction at its very best." (Historical Novels Review)

Members Reviews:

Action Packed History, Great Narration

What a fantastic story! I was sucked in from the first moment and loved following Ludlow's dynamic and likable characters. It is an incredably interesting time in rome's history as the republic breaks down, the nobility struggle with the demands of the poor and the provinces for rights and the growing threat of unified hostile tribes. The characters are on all sides and often their loyalties are divided. The scenes of battle are as compelling as the political plots. I'm not sure why there is the bad review. The narration is wonderful and I looked for other books by Boulton because I liked it so much. However, since taste differs I would urge people to always listen to the sample of an unfamiliar narrator. I thought this was a book that could reach outside the genre to those who may not be fascinated by history or ancient Rome. The author does take time to develope his characters and plot in a thoughtful way but I do not feel this slows the action, or makes the book too cerebral. It is a more intelligent page turner however, and if you are looking for a book as light as a sitcom you may be disappointed. I would highly recommend this book.

An Exciting Beginning of a Great Series

This book, historically, is set in the period of early Roman Republic during the murder of Tiberius Gracchus over his land reform program. The author then combines various tales from the Illyrian wars as his setting for one of his characters. The book has two main character, Senator Lucius whom he makes the murderer of Gracchus and the great General Aulus Macedonicus who will die in a fight with Illyrians.

This books sets up the political and military adventures of the two main character and introduce what will be the stars of the later books in the series - the the sons of the Aulus and Lucius. Both men are standins for the political and military symbols of the Republics - Aulus their greatest general and Lucius the most powerful Senator.

The prolog ties Aulus and Lucius together by a visit to the Sybilline cave and a prophcy made to the two boys. This book and later books is about the fulfillment of that prophecy.

The book gives a good picture of the policial machinations in Rome of the time and how both men wielded power. The scene in the Senate where Aulus swears that Lucius did not murder Tiberius is very powerful indeed.

For the sake of the story several anachronisms are introduced. I really doubt if Aulus or any Roman General would take his wife on Campaign in Gaul.

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Title: Traitor's Emblem

Author: Juan Gómez Jurado

Narrator: Jonathan Davis

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 40 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-17-11

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 36 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Juan Gómez Jurado is the award-winning and international bestselling author of The Moses Expedition. Here Gómez-Jurado pens an epic thriller sure to win him an expansive fan base. In 1940, a sea captain rescues a group of German castaways near the Strait of Gibraltar. In return for their safe passage to Portugal, one of the Germans gives the captain a goldencrusted emblem. Decades later, the captains son learns of the emblems history and its link to one mans quest for vengeance that began in 1919.

Members Reviews:

Great Listen!!!

I purchased this book solely because Jonathan Davis is the narator. He's my favorite...and I thought, since it has been weeks since the last time I heard hi read a book for me so i gave this a try.

I was not disappointed on the story, love it....

I was attracted to this novel by its setting - Munich during the time of the Weimar Republic and the rise of the Nazis.

I won't give a blow-by-blow account of the plot;I don`t like to give away too much as it spoils the enjoyment for the reader. The tale is set in motion by the mystery of a strange medal-like object which a Spanish captain passes on to his son; only in 2002 is the origin of the emblem finally explained.

Gómez-Jurado skilfully uses the backdrop of an economically ruined Germany with all its despair, political turmoil, anger, violence and decadence to tell his back-story of Paul Reiner`s search for the truth about his father's death and the reasons for the bitter treatment he and his mother endure working as servants in the home of their aristocratic, but bankrupt relatives. After an altercation with one thuggish cousin and the suicide of another, Paul learns that a dark secret has been kept from him; meanwhile mother and son are forced to leave and fend for themselves...

Another great Spanish writer

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would absolutely recommend this book to friends.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Like real life, not every outcome of every event is perfect which makes this story more real and more suspenseful.

Which character as performed by Jonathan Davis was your favorite?

The narrator did great with all the characters.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The rescue and lack of communication between the rescuer and the rescued at the start is the hook that made me interested.

Audible recording broken

I was enjoying the story until the recording broke in ch 33. It won't play past that it let me jump over it.

I've re-downloaded it twice.

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Title: The Lantern

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Deborah Lawrenson

Narrator: Kristine Ryan

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 36 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-09-11

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 50 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

A modern gothic novel of love, secrets, and murder - set against thelush backdrop of Provence.

Meeting Dom was the most incredible thing that had ever happened to me. When Eve falls for the secretive, charming Dom in Switzerland, their whirlwind relationship leads them to Les GenÉvriers, an abandoned house set among the fragrant lavender fields of the South of France. Each enchanting day delivers happy discoveries: hidden chambers, secret vaults, a beautiful wrought-iron lantern. Deeply in love and surrounded by music, books, and the heady summer scents of the French countryside, Eve has never felt more alive.

But with autumns arrival the days begin to cool, and so, too, does Dom. Though Eve knows he bears the emotional scars of a failed marriage - one he refuses to talk about - his silence arouses suspicion and uncertainty. The more reticent Dom is to explain, the more Eve becomes obsessed with finding answers - and with unraveling the mystery of his absent, beautiful ex-wife, Rachel.

Like its owner, Les GenÉvriers is also changing. Bright, warm rooms have turned cold and uninviting; shadows now fall unexpectedly; and Eve senses a presence moving through the garden. Is it a ghost from the past or a manifestation of her current troubles with Dom? Can she trust Dom, or could her life be in danger?

Eve does not know that Les GenÉvriers has been haunted before. BÉnÉdicte Lincel, the houses former owner, thrived as a young girl within the rich elements of the landscape: the violets hidden in the woodland, the warm wind through the almond trees. She knew the bitter taste of heartbreak and tragedy - long-buried family secrets and evil deeds that, once unearthed, will hold shocking and unexpected consequences for Eve.

Members Reviews:

delightful, intriguing

I was told this story was reminiscent of Rebecca, but I found it very rich in detail, characters were believable and well deveoped. I look forward to another novel from this author. narration was pleasing.

Beautiful narration, written like a classic, LOVED

This book courted me. It was love at first sight as I wandered the bookshelves of Borders (when Borders still existed). I picked it up, turned it over, read the back, read the first page, and knew instantly I would love it, but I didnt buy it. I downloaded a sample to my Nook (so I could read the first 30 or so pages) just to be certain I would love it. Over the next year or so, I read little more than the first page, but I read the first page over and over again with the same thought: this is a book I am going to love. Therefore, the conditions under which I read it had to be perfect.

That time never came.

It wasnt until I needed a new audio-book, that I finally accepted the luring of this novel. I began to listen on a 3 mile run into the sunset and then back into the starry night. The perfect conditions presented themselves. I had found a new love.

The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson is a Gothic tale of romance, family, secrets, regret, and the power of scent and memories. It is also a very eloquent ghost story. It is chillingly similar to Daphne du Mauriers Rebecca. But this isnt fan-fiction, quite the opposite in fact. The crafting of Lawrensons story rivals Kate Morton (a favorite author of mine), and in some respects, I say she outperforms Morton. The language of this book reached my soul, in the same way as Jane Eyre, and Jamaica Inn.

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Title: Blood of the Reich

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: William Dietrich

Narrator: Robert Fass, Ilyana Kadushin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 42 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-28-11

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 34 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

In Blood of the Reich, critically acclaimed and best-selling author William Dietrich weaves two stories separated by place and time yet deeply intertwined by the dangerous secret they share.

On the eve of World War II, explorer Kurt Raeder receives orders from Reichsfuhrer-SS Heinrich Himmler to set out from Berlin in search of a legendary energy source hidden among the mountains of Tibet - one that could bring victory to the Nazis. Only one man can stop Raeder and his team of SS officers: wealthy American zoologist Benjamin Hood. Together with aviatrix Beth Calloway, he must race to the Buddhist kingdom before the tides of history run red with blood.

Decades later, in present-day Seattle, software publicist Rominy Pickett is saved from certain death by a mysterious journalist who claims to know the truth about her family. Rominy's history and courage hold the key to defeating, once and for all, the evil forces again on the rise.

Moving from the remote woods of the Pacific Northwest to the underground laboratories of the CERN supercollider in France and Switzerland and to the mystical temples of Tibet, Blood of the Reich is a white-knuckle thrill ride filled with adventure, authentic historical detail, and unforgettable characters. This is William Dietrich at his very best.

Members Reviews:

Should be listed as science fiction

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Did not like it and the ending left you hanging

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Unfulfilling

Which scene was your favorite?

Opening scene in the grocery store.

Did Blood of the Reich inspire you to do anything?

No

Any additional comments?

Narrator was excellent

I admit it, I love this stuff

This was silly and wacky. An improbably tale with some really improbably happenings and I don't think it was written with that intent. But I did enjoy it. Very Indiana Jones. A bit of fun and frolic with 2 time lines. There's a bit of mystery.

The end is fun and a bit of a fun twist. It was perhaps telegraphed but I think only the more savvy readers will see it coming.

This is not a novel for a serious reader. I would recommend it for those who like a bit a lighter reading. Definitely something that teen-agers might even enjoy...although I didn't pay attention to whether or not it was totally appropriate so take that with a grain of salt.

Recommend: yes.

Worst narration ever

I am a fan of William Dietrich. This review is not directed at the book but at the quality of the narration. At one point Robert Fass' attempt at a German accent sounded like Kermit the Frog. Horrible. I couldn't take it anymore and stopped listening.

OK. Not my favorite

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Yes Just a commute read

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

They could have found something more fascinating in Tibet

What didnt you like about Robert Fass and Ilyana Kadushin s performance?

They sounded like people doing fake accents. Not believable at all.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No

Not intriguing

Rather boring in my opinion. Listened to it since I purchased it. His Ethan Gage series was much more captivating.

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Title: An Evil Eye

Subtitle: Yashim the Eunuch Series, Book 4

Author: Jason Goodwin

Narrator: Stephen Hoye

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-06-11

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 57 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

When the admiral of the Ottoman fleet defects to the Egyptians, Investigator Yashim attempts to uncover the man's motives. But Fevzi Pasha is no stranger to Yashim: it was Pasha, in fact, who taught the investigator his craft years ago. He is the only man whom Yashim has ever truly feared: ruthless, cruel, and unswervingly loyal to the sultan. What dark secret has led his former mentor to betray the Ottoman Empire?

Unraveling Pasha's curious history, Yashim is drawn ever deeper into the closed world of the sultan's seraglio, an intimate household populated by the young ruler's women, children, slaves, and eunuchs. It is a well-appointed world ruled by fear, ambition, and deep-seated superstitions - a lap of luxury where talented girls hold sway in the ladies' orchestra. But as the women of that orchestra inexplicably grow ill and die, Yashim discovers that his investigations into the admiral's defection have their roots in the torturous strictures of the sultan's harem, where every secret is sacred: a place where the normal rules are suspended, and where women can simply disappear.

Critic Reviews:

"While Goodwin excels at plotting, the book's main strength lies in the assured depiction of a nation restrained by a corrupt leadership far removed from the old traditions of transparency and justice. The details of how Yashim prepares meals may amuse Robert Parker fans." (

Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

yes, you really do need counterespionage.

Yashim's early life story is filled in while he unravels a plot to weaken the Sultan's authority. As usual, a well crafted, fast paced tale.