A Chemical Prison

I'm glad I found Barbara Nadel after Headline started publishing her, so I could order her books in sequence, although I wish there was a huge # on each cover! Under whichever title you bought this dread-filled story, it is how it unfolds, along with the dramas between Inspector Ikmen's staff & the history of the cultures that's the thing. I am a total fan of this teller of rich & atmospheric tales.

If you read The Janissary Tree by Jason Goodwin, you'll want to read The Ottoman Cage by Barbara Nadal. The three strengths of this novel that make it so enjoyable are as follows: (1) it is exceptionally well written and an easy read; (2) the human element, though not always exploring the better side of humanity, is so very compelling; (3) the mystery is well developed -- without unnecessary tangents. Having read the Janisaary Tree, I can only imagine that refraining from such digressions is diffiult for an author who chooses a setting with such a rich history. Almost every character in this novel goes through a transformation of one kind or another in a way that is both welcomed and believable. I don't know of many authors who can do that for so many characters within a single story without something feeling unnatural or forced. My only regret with The Ottoman Cage is that the who-done-it details are realized by the reader before they are realized by the main characters. At the time, I couldn't imagine what awaited me with so many pages left to read - I prepared myself for not actaully finishing the book. But the author compensated for this by immediately cultivating the human elements for which she had planted the seeds early in the story. Much to my surprise, the story continued to hold my interest right through to the end.

A Chemical Prison is the title of this book in England and in Canada. When published in the United States, however, it became known as The Ottoman Cage: a Novel of Istanbul. Same book; same author. Read the reviews under the U.S. title. But don't buy both titles !

In the upscale neighborhood of Ishak Pasa in Istanbul, Turkey, a neighbor sees an open door to a house that is occupied by an Armenian. She calls the police and the body of a twenty year old male covered with track marks and garroted is found. Inspector Cetin Ikmen is assigned the case and quickly notices that the young man was in a small apartment, separated from the rest of the mansion. The tenant Mr. Zekiyan is nowhere to be found. There is nothing in the apartment except a collection of crystal figurines. There are no fingerprints, DNA or trace elements to give a clue to who Mr. Zekiyan really is or who the victim was. The drug found in the victim's system is a synthetic form of heroin available only to doctors. Using informants, Inspector Ikmen discovers that a medical doctor is supplying drugs to male prostitute addicts. While the investigation concentrates on the medical profession, the killer sends the inspector crystal figures like those found in the dead man's home, daring him to uncover his identity. It is obvious that Barbara Nadel has a love affair with Turkey using the culture of the country as the basis for the murder mystery. The inspector is an interesting and complex protagonist who works himself to death so he doesn't have to cope with nine children, an ailing wife and a delusional father. Though a killer scorning police is old hat, the exotic locale adds an extra bit of spice to a thrilling police procedural that makes THE OTTOMAN CAGE a great treat for armchair travelers. Harriet Klausner