The Bellini Card (Investigator Yashim)

This book expands your knowledge of other cultures while it is a page-turner mystery. You will hate to put it down until Yashim solves the case.

`The Bellini Card' is the 3rd installment in Yashim's detective adventures in 19th century Istanbul. However, this time around, the most of the story takes place in Venice, where Yashim's friend, polish Ambassador to Turkish Sultan, Palewski is searching for the 'lost' portrait of the Sultan, apparently painted by the Venetian painter, Gentile Bellini. The story beautifully weaves through the amazing description of two most exciting cities (and former foes) in the Mediterranean, Venice and Istanbul and its histories. The latter is still one of the big powers of 19th century Europe, and the former is just the shadow of its own history and has been occupied by Austrian Hapsburgs since Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo. Palewski is a sentimental hero who has a difficult time forgetting his lost motherland, Poland, and gets himself ensnared in a knot of espionage and murder suspicion. Yashim, the Sultan's eunuch, arrives in Venice in time to untie all Venetian mysteries around the 'lost' painting and help his dear polish friend to avoid the pitfalls of living in 'enemy's' territory. The story is very well organized with likeable characters and nasty villains. There is no need to read first 2 installments of Yashim's adventures; this book stands well on its own. Although if you love historical mysteries and are fascinated by Ottoman's and Byzantine history, I'll highly recommend all 3 books.

I must say I am slightly disappointed, I was eagerly anticipating the paperback version but it doesn't quite pass muster. Yashim's Pole Pal, though lovable, doesn't interest you and even Yashim's introduction doesn't help matters. The Italian characters seem melodramatic and unrealistic and at best, shadowy (sort of washed-out and ill-formed). The whole atmosphere is gloomy but not the kind you can enjoy. Still, you might like to read it...decision is yours! PS: Google the writer's email and contact him and he responds. For book-lovers like me he is a Celebrity.

Another gem featuring everyone's favorite eunuch detective and his Polish "minister without country" sidekick. The main action moves to Venice in decling tears of it's Auto-Hungarian occupation. A wonderful cast of supporting characters and big dollops of art history and period atmosphere make for another erudite but fast paced addition to this wonderful series.

In 1840, the new Ottoman Empire Sultan Abdulmecid orders the eunuch Yashim to travel to Venice to obtain a portrait of Mehmet the Conqueror painted by Bellini. However, before leaving for Italy, Resid Pasha directs Yashim to keep the expenses including the purchase down. Yashim asks his friend impoverish Polish Ambassador Stanislaw Palewski to masquerade as an American to help locate the portrait of the hero who took Constantinople from the Christians in the fifteenth century. In Venice while Palewski conducts his search, a killer has murdered two dealers connected to the Bellini masterpiece. Soon the Polish Ambassador becomes a target of this unknown murderer, but Yashim working from the shadows keeps his friend safe while trying to obtain the painting. The third Yashmin historical thriller (see THE JANISSARY TREE and THE SNAKE STONE) is an enjoyable fascinating look at Venice and at the Ottoman Empire. Interestingly Yashim plays second fiddle for much of the early part of the novel, but once he comes on stage, he and his adversary battle in am electrifying contest. Fans will enjoy this terrific nineteenth century mystery due in part to the investigations into the portrait and the killer, but also because of the deep sense of time and place. Harriet Klausner