Deadly Web

Inspector Ikmen #7

by Barbara Nadel

Games of sex and death have terrifying consequences...Silver Dagger Award-winning author Barbara Nadel explores a series of shocking and dark deaths across Istanbul in Deadly Web, the seventh instalment of the thrilling Inspector Ikmen crime series. Perfect for fans of Donna Leon and Abir Mukherjee.'Perfect blend of foreign exoticism and impeccable mystery plotting... Superior police procedural sleuthing in which the locale is etched with precision and the city of Istanbul becomes an indispensable character' - Crime Time A naked teenage girl is found dead near the beautiful Byzantine Yoros Castle in Turkey. She has stabbed herself through the heart but there is evidence of bizarre sexual practice. In another part of Istanbul, a young boy seems to have committed suicide in similar circumstances. What dark rituals could have compelled them to fatal self-abuse? Inspectors Cetin Ikmen and Mehmet Suleyman follow an internet trail that leads them to an underworld of Goth nightclubs and Satanic worship. But even those murky shadows hide more than they reveal and the answers to an ever increasing number of suspicious deaths is more shocking and terrible than they could ever have imagined.What readers are saying about Deadly 'As usual complex, diverse and enjoyable''I could not put it down''I have read all of the Inspector Ikmen books [...] each one I read I always think is better than the last!'

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Detective, Mystery Thriller

436 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 15, 2005

About the author

Barbara Nadel is an English crime-writer. Many of her books are set in Turkey. Born in the East End of London, Barbara Nadel trained as an actress before becoming a writer. Now writing full-time, she has previously worked as a public relations officer for the National Schizophrenia Fellowship's Good Companion Service and as a mental health advocate for the mentally disordered in a psychiatric hospital. She has also worked with sexually abused teenagers and taught psychology in schools and colleges, and is currently the patron of a charity that cares for those in emotional and mental distress. She has been a regular visitor to Turkey for more than twenty-five years.

Reviews

[Elli · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 actually. It was Very good! Started rather slowly, though, and kept going rather slowly for a while. Seemed a bit namby-pamby, especially for Barbara Nadel. Bodies, but whether murder or suicide was questionable. And then when some things become more obvious, the the suspense starts and builds, continues at a rapid rate. The setting all of a sudden starts coming together as the plot and background and what it entails fill in for the reader. It's chilling, vague references to a number of things (but enough to give you more feel for the local people and their backgrounds. No nation anywhere is completely without misunderstandings, prejudices, and lots of opinions! Once things started taking shape, I had difficulty willingly putting the book down.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am enjoying this Turkish Delight of a series set mostly in Istanbul. The investigation this time delves into the dark arts with Mehmet Suleyman and Cetin Ikmen investigating a series of murders involving virgins and the Goth scene.

Their friend Max an Englishman who lives in Istanbul and is a magician who is an expert n the Kabbalah appears involved. We follow the duo into the alleyways and famous sights set on the shores of the Bosphorus.
A few red herrings with the blood in Max’s room and the obscene graffiti on religious buildings add to the intrigue.

I like the chain smoking which everyone does and it seems every few pages someone is lighting a cigarette or cigar.

SPOILERS AHEAD

The ending is complicated with Max found to be the murderer but with his motives clouded. We are left wondering if he was trying to save Istanbul from the upcoming Saddam Hussein and George Battle sh senior war or was it from the motive of money for making snuff movies.

A good ending with Max’s body disappearing from the morgue snd the gypsy Gonca indicating revenge has been taken on him from Memhet who seems incapable of controlling his lust even after finding out he was HIV negative and wanting to get back with his estranged wife. Bizzare.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another bizarre melding of the occult and sex crimes that as we turn the pages increasingly takes on a very personal attack on Ikmen. Talk about ghosts from the past this one will get you to thinking about good and evil. Ready for the next one. Always curious to see what happens in the personal lives of those in the orbit of the chain smoking Ikmen.

[Georgia Zarkadaki · Rating 3 out of 5]

My review!
https://cherrybookreviews.wordpress.c...

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: two teenagers have committed suicide with bizarre sexual overtones. Detectives Ikmen and Suleyman follow a Goth internet trail.

[Adriana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am making my way through the Inspector Ìkmen series, and I just finished book 7. However, I seriously considered stopping at this book. (I will not...) It was a meandering plot, loose ends that did not come together under the excuse that it was 'magic' (the Gypsy woman being particularly annoying in that area), and unlike the previous novels, the characters lacked the 'punch' one had come to enjoy and expect. Also, and this would be in the tasteless department, the description of sexual acts was to the point of being gratuitous pornographic, and ended up boring in its relentless repetition.

Although I understand that this kind of story requires the use of much aberrant behavior (after all, there's lots of strange doings going on, which has made the previous novels so compelling), overall, the description of the Istanbul society got a bit much--if I were Turkish, I would start being offended.

On to the next installment.

[Tsk Calder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deadly Web (Inspector İkmen Mystery 7) - by Barbara Nadel
Well, if you’re into a little magic, secret words and murder in wonderful settings, this is the book for you.
It’s also full of interesting information to store up for your next visit to Istanbul.
“The Sahaflar, the courtyard of booksellers, can either be entered form Beyazit Square or from inside the Grand Bazaar. [Damn! I missed this on my last visit in 2005.] This tranquil square of bookshops, based around a bust of İbrahim Müteferrika – the man who in 1729 produced the first printed book in Turkish – has an impressive pedigree. Built on the site of a Byzantine book and paper market, the Sahaflar sells books, both new and second-hand, of all sorts. It is a favourite haunt of students who come, mainly, to buy second-hand textbooks, of tourists, and of the generally curious on the lookout for ancient copies of the Koran or 1950s editions of Ambler, Greene and Amis classics.” Pg170

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspector Cetin Irkmen and his side kick Mehmet Suleyman (Turkeys police forces Bateman and Robin) go on another investigation in Turkey.

This story delves on the Goth scene, mysticism, magic, illusion and murder. There is evil in the city, and several of the cities youth are found murdered, and it appears they have been murdered in some satanic ritual. What is the link? Cetin and Mehmet consult with their friend, an Englishman, who has lived in Turkey many years, and is aware of the dark arts and has an interest in Kabbalah. Can Max help them? But is Max who he says he is? A call to the UK to his sister, tells a different story than the one Max has fabricated.

As the deaths mount up, it is up to Cetin and Mehmet to stop the madness with the help of Gonca, a gypsy who has the sight!

[Paul Allard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mystical thriller set in Istanbul - very good

A series of sexual crimes and murders bring many of the Istanbul detectives together as they look into a Satanist link. There's a host of interesting characters and it's not always easy to remember who is who, from the victims, the police or the suspects. The plot moves along at a reasonable pace and the novel has sex, bloodshed and murder. A slight objection is the constant tour of Istanbul which lists various places which mean nothing to the casual reader and adds little to the story. Still good stuff.

[Stephen the Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great series (best read in order) with a good cast of characters.
Somehow this tale of magic and Kabbalists didn’t gel so easily for me. When the story involves family and friends of the key detectives then plots can stretch reality. A good story nonetheless but didn’t grab the same as usually.

[Michelle Wherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy Ms. Nadel’s work. I have been reading her Ikmen series in succession as I enjoy her main character, Instanbul: the city’s history, its culture, its people.
As an American and having started the series this year, 2022, I find her views through her characters compelling with how Turkey navigates on the world stage with the Middle East, Russia, Europe, and America.

[Christine Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe 3.5, I didn’t enjoy this story as much as some of the others I’ve read but it won’t stop me pursuing the series.
This was truly a flashback for me as I haven’t heard of the goat of Mendes since I avidly read Dennis Wheatley novels in my teens

[Rogue Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is filled with mystery and magic, murder and sex. Two parallel investigations come together in the end as is Nadel's signature plotting.

[Mary Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A complicated twisting pattern of murder and magic. Once again caught in this deadly web of intrigue.

[Merrilie Rowley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was somewhat confused by the plot ! Magicians, the Web and hackers made for an interesting read but I didn't this book neatly as much as some of her other Inspector Ikmen stories.

[Amy]

It probably isn't fair of me to review this book, because I am not actually going to finish it (I did get about a quarter of the way through, however). I enjoyed the early books in this series, but I have gradually become bothered by the fact that the mysteries always seem to coalesce around some kind of abusive, deviant sexual behavior. Not only that, but now the sex seems to involve minors more often than not, and I'm just not going down that road. I'm disappointed. I love Ikmen, Fatma, and Suleyman. I love the setting of these books. I loved the character development (which, in my opinion, Nadel destroyed in Petrified, the previous book in this series). Unfortunately, the quality of the mysteries and the stories in this series has diminished, and the pervasiveness of the deviant sex has increased while failing to do this series any favors. I'm starting to feel like Nadel is just a one trick pony, which is a shame, because she is a talented author, and her stories read like a house afire. She doesn't need to resort to so much graphic, deviant, abusive sex, especially involving minors, to make her stories worth reading. All I'm getting out of that is the impression that Nadel lacks confidence in her own prodigious ability to write a marvelously good book.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Police inspector Cetin Ikmen is happy at his daughter's wedding, but business soon interferes, when a young girl is found stabbed to death. Superficially, it seems to be suicide, but the pathologist disagrees. There are sinister graffiti on neighborhood churches, so Cetin consults his long-time friend Max Esterhazy, the British Kabbalist. But there's so much else going on in this book! Mehmet Suleyman, Cetin's protege and colleague, is waiting the results of his AIDS test. Cetin's older daughter is nursing an unrequited passion. Possibilities for an Iraqi war hover over Istanbul's citizens. Another irresistible read by Nadel.

[Ilirwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual, Barbara Nadel's books are fascinating. Naturally, the plot is important, but especially in this book, I also enjoy the setting and the characters at least as much. My only complaint is that I guessed early on who was behind the murders and roughly what had set them off. Usually, that would ruin my reading experience. This time, it didn't really matter. There was enough to interest me anyway.

[Ember Stone-pierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book finds Inspectors Ikmen and Suleyman investigating several murders with a sexual/demonic/occult theme. As a huge fan of this series, I have to admit that this isn't one of Nadel's best works, although there were some fascinating elements to the gypsy Gonca's character. There was also less here about the Turkish people, traditions and way of life that captures the readers imagination in so many of the other Inspector Ikmen books.

[Spuddie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Typically I really enjoy my visits to Istanbul with Inspector Cetin Ikmen, Mehmet Suleyman and their co-workers and friends, but for whatever reason, I found this entry in the series to be a little tedious and plodding. Oh, not giving up on it or anything, because from long experience I know that series with a lot of books do tend to have a dud or two along the way. And this wasn't horrible, just (I didn't think, anyway) up to par. I was prone to skimming, and that's not good.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bizzarre ritualistic murders of young people are occurring in different sections of the city. A pattern is emerging that seems to connect these young people with the occult. Cetin Ikmen and Mehmet Suleyman work together trying to find the perpetrators of these crimes. The reader would have to believe somewhat in magic in order to get the feeling for novel. I don't.

[Kay Robart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barbara Nadel's books always explore interesting subcultures of Istanbul. In this one the Inspectors become involved in the Goth subcultures and satanism as they try to discover who has been murdering teenagers who think they have come to attend an orgy.

See my complete review here:

http://whatmeread.wordpress.com/tag/d...

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The weakest of her books that I've read. I had to sort of slog through this one. The mystery was really obvious from the beginning, and the characters weren't as engaging as they were in other book sin this series.

[Jussi Mononen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The weakest Nadel book (up till then; have not read later ones) with a nonsensical plot, kinky sex, and a bunch of throw-away characters. Ikmen is still Ikmen which is one of the few saving graces of this book.

[Bette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book before a trip to Turkey last year but just got around to reading it. I like the characters - they seem to represent all aspects of society - particularly as found in Istanbul. The story is dark, but then it is a murder mystery.

[Deb Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

This kept me guessing for a while. The development of the Jewish/Muslim relationship and the parents perspective has been interesting. Nadel's description of Istanbul makes you feel like you are there!

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book #7 in the series. I'm not sure why the crime always has to be sex related, but I still like reading about Turkey.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

First read Feb 2005.
2nd reading July 2010

[Katie 1😉 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked that it took place in Istanbul- culturally it was interesting. A fast, fun mystery, but nothing special.