The Snake Stone

The Snake Stone is Jason Goodwin's second novel in his Ottoman series featuring Yashim Togalu, the Ottoman court investigator, who becomes involved in a complicated set of intrigues in Istanbul, into which is woven a fascinating historical pattern of events involving the Ottoman Empire in the first part of the 19th Century. Goodwin is a master story teller with a classical prose style that is a refreshing change from the crude and often ungrammatical offerings of many modern popular fiction writers. Of particular interest is Yashim's relationship with the Polish ambassador Palewski, an Ottoman supported relic of a country that no longer exists in this époque, and whom we met in the preceding novel, The Jannisary Tree. Together, they form an odd, but infinitely interesting interactive couple as Yashim pursues his investigations. This novel, as well as its preceding book, the Janissary tree, which introduces us to Yashim and the Ottoman world, are must reads for the ardent devotees of historical mystery fiction. The book is sophisticated, compelling, and holds the reader enthralled to the last. The historical detail is wonderful and plunges us into a world from which it is difficult to extract ourselves. I can't wait to read the next installment in the saga of Yashim.

Goodwin's first novel, The Janissary Tree (2006), won the Edgar for Best Novel (2007). He followed up that up with this outing, The Snake Stone. The series is set in 1830s Istanbul and features Yashim, an eunuch engaged by the Ottoman rulers to investigate unusual deaths. In this outing, Yahim is enlisted to find out who and why a French archaeologist is murdered after asking one too many questions about antiquities. Goodwin has chosen as his detective a character as unique as his setting, nineteenth century Istanbul. He brings both the character and the setting alive with his powers of description. When Yashim goes shopping, you can almost smell the aromas of the food bazaars. This is a wonderful series that deserves to be widely read. If you are a reader looking for something to read that is unusual and well written, Goodwin's books are for you.

I liked it very much, very well crafted and beautifully written, Goodwin was able to bring Istanbul of 1830s into one's mind with amazing clarity. To me it is a cross between "The Name of the Rose" by Eco Umberto and "My Name is Red" by Orhan Pamuk. Ordered The Janissary Tree. Only complaint is that the book is too short.

As the subtitle says, 'Investigator Yashim Returns' to solve another mystery in the Istanbul of the 1830's. Historian-turned-novelist Jason Goodwin concocts another intriguing tale based on the sound footing he established last year in The Janissary Tree: A Novel. Yashim Togalu, the eunuch detective, is forced into the investigation of the brutal murder of a French archaeologist when suspicion turns on Yashim, the last person known to have seen the man Lefevre alive. As he did in The Janissary Tree, Goodwin again entwines his story around the history of the era. But Goodwin's strongest suit may be his ability to surround the reader with sensory experiences of the streets of Istanbul; the sights, the sounds, the smells and tastes. The varied peoples and their styles come alive. And not only on the streets, but also under the streets - the meticulously maintained and ancient waterworks of Istanbul (and their Albanian maintainers) play a large part in this story. Moreover, the mystery that Goodwin unravels for the reader is quite appropriately byzantine with several dead alleys and an ending that...well, I go too far. Another enjoyable and slightly offbeat treat. Highly recommended. [Postscript: I see that Len Flesig beat me to the review here and was tempted to simply say "read Len's review" as they are always excellent. I offer my own comments out of a habit that approaches compulsion, albeit an enjoyable one.]

Jason Goodwin's second book "The Snake Stone" sees the return of the Turkish, crime-solving eunuch Yashim Togalu. I'm pleased to report that Goodwin's second book was as fun to read as his first, The Janissary Tree: A Novel". As befits a mystery set in Istanbul the plot of "The Snake Stone" is moderately Byzantine but not so complex that the reader gets lost. Yashim is approached by a French archeologist (of the plundering sort) who tells Yashim a story about some priceless antiquities. Shortly thereafter the man is found dead and since Yashim is the last man to see him alive he finds himself faced with the prospect of being a suspect in the murder. Yashim has no choice but to try to unravel the mystery. Two aspects of the book deserve special praise. As noted, the plot revolves around the possible discovery of priceless antiquities and this is a perfect device for a book set in a city such as Istanbul one of the world's historic cross-roads. The plot gives Goodwin a great opportunity to `explore' Istanbul's rich and diverse history both archeologically and socially. Goodwin studied Byzantine history at Cambridge and has written books on the history of the Ottoman Empire (Lords of the Horizons: A History of the Ottoman Empire and his writing evidences that knowledge. Goodwin puts his knowledge to good use as he paints a very readable picture of Istanbul that captures (for me at least) the sights, sounds, and smells of Istanbul's streets and alleys while also conveying a sense of the political and social backdrop that drove the characters in the book. Anytime a writer gives you the sense that you can almost get a visceral feel for the sights and sounds of a city that writer has done a good job. Second, Goodwin has done an excellent job in developing the character of Yashim. Yashim is now, in the second book, a fully formed and very endearing character. The minor recurring characters are equally engaging. Last, Yashim isn't the first detective to be a gourmet cook but I have to say the descriptions of Yashim's recipes were very enticing. In my review of "The Janissary Tree" I mentioned that Goodwin's Yashim reminded me of Boris Akunin's Erast Fandorin novels (late 19th-century Russia such as The Winter Queen: A Novel (Erast Fandorin Mysteries)) and Arturo Perez-Reverte's Captain Alatriste stories such as Captain Alatriste (17th-century Spain). They all take the standard detective or mystery story and transport the reader to a different time and place. "The Snake Stone" confirms my original impression that Goodwin's books belong in that good company. "The Snake Stone" was an excellent story and anyone who likes a good detective story with a bit of an exotic twist should enjoy it. L. Fleisig