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Yashim the Eunuch #3
The Bellini Card: A Novel by Goodwin, Jason(March 3, 2009) Hardcover
Chosen by The Sunday Times as one of the 100 best crime novels since 1945. Investigator Yashim travels to Venice in the the Edgar Award winning author Jason Goodwin's captivating series Jason Goodwin's first Yashim mystery, The Janissary Tree, brought home the Edgar Award for Best Novel. His follow-up, The Snake Stone, more than lived up to expectations and was hailed by Marilyn Stasio in The New York Times Book Review as a magic carpet ride to the most exotic place on earth.†Now, in The Bellini Card, Jason Goodwin takes us back into his “intelligent, gorgeous and evocative†(The Independent on Sunday) world, as dazzling as a hall of mirrors and utterly compelling. Istanbul, 1840: the new sultan, Abdülmecid, has heard a rumor that Belliniâ€s vanished masterpiece, a portrait of Mehmet the Conqueror, may have resurfaced in Venice. Yashim, our eunuch detective, is promptly asked to investigate, but—aware that the sultanâ€s advisers are against any extravagant repurchase of the painting— decides to deploy his disempowered Polish ambassador friend, Palewski, to visit Venice in his stead. Palewski arrives in disguise in down-and-out Venice, where a killer is at large as dealers, faded aristocrats, and other unknown factions seek to uncover the whereabouts of the missing Bellini. But is it the Bellini itself that endangers all, or something associated with its original loss? And why is it that all the killerâ€s victims are somehow tied to the alluring Contessa dâ€Aspi dâ€Istria? Will the Austrians unmask Palewski, or will the killer find him first? Only Yashim can uncover the truth behind the manifold mysteries.
Unknown Binding
First published May 6, 2010
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About the author
Jason Goodwin
45 books413 followersJason Goodwin's latest book is YASHIM COOKS ISTANBUL: Culinary Adventures in the Ottoman Kitchen.
He studied Byzantine history at Cambridge University - and returned to an old obsession to write The Gunpowder Gardens or, A Time For Tea: Travels in China and India in Search of Tea, which was shortlisted for the Thomas Cook Award. When the Berlin Wall fell, he walked from Poland to Istanbul to encounter the new European neighbours. His account of the journey, On Foot to the Golden Horn, won the John Llewellyn Rhys/Mail on Sunday Prize in 1993.
Fascinated by what he had learned of Istanbul's perpetual influence in the region, he wrote Lords of the Horizons: A History of the Ottoman Empire, a New York Times Notable Book. 'If you want to learn,' he says, 'write a book.' Lords of the Horizons was described by Time Out as 'perhaps the most readable history ever written on anything.'
Having always wanted to write fiction, he became popular as the author of the mystery series beginning with The Janissary Tree, which won the coveted Edgar Award for Best Novel in 2007. Translated into more than 40 languages, the series continues with The Snake Stone, The Bellini Card, An Evil Eye and The Baklava Club. They feature a Turkish detective, Yashim, who lives in 19th century Istanbul.
YASHIM COOKS ISTANBUL is an illustrated collection of recipes, inspired by the cookery in his five published adventures.
He studied Byzantine history at Cambridge University - and returned to an old obsession to write The Gunpowder Gardens or, A Time For Tea: Travels in China and India in Search of Tea, which was shortlisted for the Thomas Cook Award. When the Berlin Wall fell, he walked from Poland to Istanbul to encounter the new European neighbours. His account of the journey, On Foot to the Golden Horn, won the John Llewellyn Rhys/Mail on Sunday Prize in 1993.
Fascinated by what he had learned of Istanbul's perpetual influence in the region, he wrote Lords of the Horizons: A History of the Ottoman Empire, a New York Times Notable Book. 'If you want to learn,' he says, 'write a book.' Lords of the Horizons was described by Time Out as 'perhaps the most readable history ever written on anything.'
Having always wanted to write fiction, he became popular as the author of the mystery series beginning with The Janissary Tree, which won the coveted Edgar Award for Best Novel in 2007. Translated into more than 40 languages, the series continues with The Snake Stone, The Bellini Card, An Evil Eye and The Baklava Club. They feature a Turkish detective, Yashim, who lives in 19th century Istanbul.
YASHIM COOKS ISTANBUL is an illustrated collection of recipes, inspired by the cookery in his five published adventures.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 180 reviews
October 25, 2025
In the third book in the series the action moves to 1840, Istanbul, and there is a reshuffling of power as a new sultan succeeds the old. The young sultan has heard a rumour that a portrait of his ancestor, Mehmet the Conqueror, by Gentile Bellini has surfaced. Yashim, a palace eunuch and detective, is charged with finding the missing masterpiece which is rumoured to be somewhere in Venice. Not wanting to draw attention to sultan’s interest, Yashim in turn enlists his friend Palewski, the Polish ambassador to Istanbul, to travel to Venice in his stead. Palewski goes undercover and adopts the disguise of a rich American seeking masterpieces to take back to the new world.
Venice is a shadow of its former glory, it is a city of empty palazzos and silent canals but its people still possess the guile that made it a key Mediterranean trading port. Palewski is soon begins to mingle with Venetian aristocrats, countesses, art dealers and cunning guides. But when two bodies turn up in the canal Yashim realises that there is also a killer a trail of the painting and that it is up to him to rescue his friend from forces bigger than he had imagined.
Once again this book contains all the features of a decent whodunit, a hero, a killer, a mastermind, a tart with a heart and a femme fatale but what raises this series above the humdrum is the sense of place and historical detail, the long history between two cities past their best. Goodwin places the reader in the landscape and architecture, the sights, sounds and smells, and the social strata of both Istanbul and Venice. This is aided ably by a group of nicely drawn characters - a mix of fading aristocrats, bureaucrats, servants and criminals. Yashim is an likable and interesting characters who certainly seemed to enjoy cooking, however, despite a number of twists and turns I felt that the murders were almost incidental. As a result whilst I enjoyed the tale for its rich portrait of people and places, the plot became increasingly incidental.
Venice is a shadow of its former glory, it is a city of empty palazzos and silent canals but its people still possess the guile that made it a key Mediterranean trading port. Palewski is soon begins to mingle with Venetian aristocrats, countesses, art dealers and cunning guides. But when two bodies turn up in the canal Yashim realises that there is also a killer a trail of the painting and that it is up to him to rescue his friend from forces bigger than he had imagined.
Once again this book contains all the features of a decent whodunit, a hero, a killer, a mastermind, a tart with a heart and a femme fatale but what raises this series above the humdrum is the sense of place and historical detail, the long history between two cities past their best. Goodwin places the reader in the landscape and architecture, the sights, sounds and smells, and the social strata of both Istanbul and Venice. This is aided ably by a group of nicely drawn characters - a mix of fading aristocrats, bureaucrats, servants and criminals. Yashim is an likable and interesting characters who certainly seemed to enjoy cooking, however, despite a number of twists and turns I felt that the murders were almost incidental. As a result whilst I enjoyed the tale for its rich portrait of people and places, the plot became increasingly incidental.
November 2, 2014
The strengths of The Bellini Card are the sense of place, characterisation, and historical detail. Goodwin places the reader in both Istanbul and Venice -- the landscape and architecture, the sights, sounds and smells, and the social strata and living conditions. The descriptions are wonderfully evocative and come to life in one’s mind’s eye. This is aided by a melting pot of nicely drawn characters -- a mix of fading aristocrats, bureaucrats, servants and criminals -- and their interactions conditioned by social standing. This is all well framed with respect to byzantine politics and the long history of connections between the two cities. The plot, however, is also somewhat byzantine. It might have been because I was tired when reading, but as the story progressed I became increasingly lost as to logic driving the story and I reached the end without really understanding the denouement. Maybe if I read it again it would become clear, but on first reading the complex weave and twists in the story never fully unravelled to reveal themselves. The result was a tale I enjoyed for the rich portrait of people and places, but where the plot became evermore incidental.
March 3, 2020
This is the third novel about the eunuch detective Yashim in 1830’s Istanbul. Formerly of the Sultan’s court, he uses his contacts to solve mysteries in the multi-cultural chaos of the Ottoman capital.
This time, though, the year is 1840, and the action moves across the Adriatic Sea to Venice. For centuries a power in the Eastern Mediterranean, after Napoleon Venice is an outpost of the Austrian empire, slowing falling into decay.
A richly woven tale involving the Venetian aristocracy, including a beautiful Contessa, and political intrigue and secrets from the past and present. I love Jason Goodwin’s Istanbul, but I must admit that I found all the different twists and turns in this book overwhelming.
This time, though, the year is 1840, and the action moves across the Adriatic Sea to Venice. For centuries a power in the Eastern Mediterranean, after Napoleon Venice is an outpost of the Austrian empire, slowing falling into decay.
A richly woven tale involving the Venetian aristocracy, including a beautiful Contessa, and political intrigue and secrets from the past and present. I love Jason Goodwin’s Istanbul, but I must admit that I found all the different twists and turns in this book overwhelming.
June 5, 2016
Cast of thousands, okay, not really, it just seemed that way in this convoluted story about purchasing a portrait of Mehmet the Conqueror painted by Bellini. Yashim can't go to Venice so he sends his Polish friend Palewski disguised, but not very well, as an American art dealer and then Yashim shows up, initially disguised as a beggar. What? It all became a blur and I found I didn't really care about the plot line. I just wanted the confusion to end.
December 27, 2009
Not as good as The Snake Stone. The writing and descriptions are so good and the characters are so likeable that I kept reading and enjoying all the way to the end. But the plot is murky and illogical and it jumps around a lot, often even midstream in chapters that are only 1 or 2 pages long. But it's STILL a fun read!
January 5, 2012
Officially, I only skimmed the second half of this. I enjoy Yashim and his friends, but I just couldn't get through this one. After 6 months of pretending to try, I am giving up.
August 29, 2015
Meh. Incoherent plot and excessively "cinematic" writing made it both dull and hard to follow. I enjoyed the Janissary Tree but am losing interest in the series as I go on.
December 5, 2021
I saw this mentioned somewhere -- maybe fivebooks.com -- as a great historical mystery. I think the interviewee said something like "he really makes Venice in 1840s come alive; I'm a historian of Venice and I felt like he knew more about it than I did!" So I added this to my To Be Read list as a "try something different" when the time arrived for a palate cleanser. After the disaster that was Real Men Knit I felt that time had arrived.
First a disclaimer: this is the third book in a series of detective mysteries that are mostly set in 1840s Istanbul featuring Yashim the Eunuch, a kind of problem-solver extraordinaire for the sultan. I have no read any of the previous books in the series but I find that's not usually an insurmountable hurdle for mystery series, which tend to be fairly self-contained.
The book starts off a bit strange: Yashim isn't really the main character of the first half the book. The book takes place in Venice and he sends his Polish friend Palewski in his place. Much of the first half of the book is just Palewski kind of...putzing around Venice somewhat ineffectually looking for a painting.
There are a series of murders occurring in Venice but it has not much to with Palewski. He doesn't know the victims, he's not investigating them. There's a weird lack of tension and drama. It almost reminded me of The Catch, except Palewski isn't quite that incompetent. He's more just out of his depth rather than incompetent per se.
Then, after you've been following Palewski for half the book...suddenly Yashim shows up and Palewski is shelved. We follow Yashim for the rest of the book. It is just kind of jarring. I imagine for a fan of the series it might be even more jarring. (After all, the series is "Yashim the Eunuch" and he's not even really in the first half of the book.)
Despite all that...the first half of the book was somewhat entertaining. The author is tremendous at depicting Venice in the mid-19th century and he is especially good at detailing anything involving food.
Once Yashim shows up the book descended to the ridiculous. There's a jarring sequence where . There's some mystical mumbo-jumbo about how the Sand-Reckoner's Diagram is not just the basis for fencing and wrestling (and Yashim and the Contessa both just happen to be trained in this same style!) but also, uh, everything?
But probably the biggest "are you kidding me?" is the whole sequence with
Oh, and the same exact location of the infamous gambling night many decades ago that set everything in motion, also happens to be where Maria gets stashed, and is also where the decides to hide out?
This book is just contrivance piled on top of contrivance on top of contrivance.
I'm only giving this 2-stars instead of 1-star because I feel slightly bad about jumping to the third book in a series and then giving it 1-star.
(Also, why does the decide to cut off someone's head and put it on dramatic display?)
First a disclaimer: this is the third book in a series of detective mysteries that are mostly set in 1840s Istanbul featuring Yashim the Eunuch, a kind of problem-solver extraordinaire for the sultan. I have no read any of the previous books in the series but I find that's not usually an insurmountable hurdle for mystery series, which tend to be fairly self-contained.
The book starts off a bit strange: Yashim isn't really the main character of the first half the book. The book takes place in Venice and he sends his Polish friend Palewski in his place. Much of the first half of the book is just Palewski kind of...putzing around Venice somewhat ineffectually looking for a painting.
There are a series of murders occurring in Venice but it has not much to with Palewski. He doesn't know the victims, he's not investigating them. There's a weird lack of tension and drama. It almost reminded me of The Catch, except Palewski isn't quite that incompetent. He's more just out of his depth rather than incompetent per se.
Then, after you've been following Palewski for half the book...suddenly Yashim shows up and Palewski is shelved. We follow Yashim for the rest of the book. It is just kind of jarring. I imagine for a fan of the series it might be even more jarring. (After all, the series is "Yashim the Eunuch" and he's not even really in the first half of the book.)
Despite all that...the first half of the book was somewhat entertaining. The author is tremendous at depicting Venice in the mid-19th century and he is especially good at detailing anything involving food.
Once Yashim shows up the book descended to the ridiculous. There's a jarring sequence where . There's some mystical mumbo-jumbo about how the Sand-Reckoner's Diagram is not just the basis for fencing and wrestling (and Yashim and the Contessa both just happen to be trained in this same style!) but also, uh, everything?
“Patterns aren’t measurements,” Yashim said finally. “I’ve seen the Sand-Reckoner’s diagram on a sheet of paper and on the floor of the wrestling school, in Istanbul. It’ll work on any scale.”
“Of course.”
But probably the biggest "are you kidding me?" is the whole sequence with
Oh, and the same exact location of the infamous gambling night many decades ago that set everything in motion, also happens to be where Maria gets stashed, and is also where the decides to hide out?
This book is just contrivance piled on top of contrivance on top of contrivance.
I'm only giving this 2-stars instead of 1-star because I feel slightly bad about jumping to the third book in a series and then giving it 1-star.
(Also, why does the decide to cut off someone's head and put it on dramatic display?)
April 7, 2021
This Is the third book in the series that I read so far, and is my least favorite. Maybe it is because I got used to the storyline of the author and it is a bit repetitive. However I was bit bored while reading this book How despite the fact I really like the main character, Yashim the Eunuch.
Yashim It’s a private detective close to the Sultan of the ottoman empire and is often tasked by the Palace to solve mystery crimes. He is the James abomination of the ottoman era. He’s also an amazing cook, and Goodwin makes a point of describing every meal who cooks in the books.
The reason I did not enjoy this one as much as the previous books it was due to the repetitive nature of the storyline and Yashim not being the main character in the majority of the book. Most of the story takes place in Venice and the main character is Palewsky, Yashim’s friend, The Polish ambassador. Palewsky is sent to Venice to trace back a portrait of Mehmet the 2nd painted by Bellini. As usual with this series he ended up being tangled in a mystery murder case and Yashim appears towards the end to solve the cases.
The storyline is so convoluted one loses track of who is who and what is happening. The writer tried to use twists to shift the suspicion from one candidate to the other but after multiple attempts it gets a bit stale.
Over not bad, but not impressive and memorable either.
Yashim It’s a private detective close to the Sultan of the ottoman empire and is often tasked by the Palace to solve mystery crimes. He is the James abomination of the ottoman era. He’s also an amazing cook, and Goodwin makes a point of describing every meal who cooks in the books.
The reason I did not enjoy this one as much as the previous books it was due to the repetitive nature of the storyline and Yashim not being the main character in the majority of the book. Most of the story takes place in Venice and the main character is Palewsky, Yashim’s friend, The Polish ambassador. Palewsky is sent to Venice to trace back a portrait of Mehmet the 2nd painted by Bellini. As usual with this series he ended up being tangled in a mystery murder case and Yashim appears towards the end to solve the cases.
The storyline is so convoluted one loses track of who is who and what is happening. The writer tried to use twists to shift the suspicion from one candidate to the other but after multiple attempts it gets a bit stale.
Over not bad, but not impressive and memorable either.
July 30, 2022
This is the third book in this delightful series. It is my third book as well. For once, I’m reading a series in order. All the elements I enjoyed in the first two books are here. A strong sense of place in 1840 Istanbul, almost a character itself, our protagonist, Yashim the Eunuch, is like no other in this genre, and Yashim’s cooking, which he is as adept at as investigating, adds daily life to the adventures. Plus, this volume has the bonus of Venice to the mix. A new locale for the author to transport us to. But Venice is in a sorry state. Long past her glory days, now under an Austrian thumb in a post Napoleonic world. Actually, Yashim’s dear friend, Palewski, is the one who takes the lead in the first half of the book, on a delicate mission to Venice. It’s a rather complex plot of serial murders, lost artwork, faded nobility, secret identities, courtesans, palace intrigue, and geopolitical consequences. Granted there’s a few holes here and there, but it doesn’t cancel the reading enjoyment which takes us from the Topkapi Palace to the Grand Canal with plenty of sleuthing and daring do throughout.
May 7, 2015
I listened to this book on audiobook. I always clarify that because I think it significantly affects how you enjoy a book. I like the actor for the most part, but eventually the accents grated on me. I believe it was a bit harder to follow in listening rather than reading, as I'm not an auditory learner and it helps me keep track of the characters to visually see their names. Several characters have similar names, so this was a bit of a struggle.
Overall though it was a great mystery, truly only wrapping up until the very end. Half a CD ago I was seriously concerned that I didn't follow the plot and I was maybe a little pathetic, but then all the loose ends were tied in the very last two chapters. I would read more by this author - pleasant, intelligent writing style that's not at all simplistic (as I've experienced with popular mystery writers).
This book has the added bonus of having a historically significant setting (Venice/Istanbul in the 19th century), so if you like that kind of thing, this book may be for you. There isn't a ton of gore or descriptions of violence, which I also appreciate.
Overall though it was a great mystery, truly only wrapping up until the very end. Half a CD ago I was seriously concerned that I didn't follow the plot and I was maybe a little pathetic, but then all the loose ends were tied in the very last two chapters. I would read more by this author - pleasant, intelligent writing style that's not at all simplistic (as I've experienced with popular mystery writers).
This book has the added bonus of having a historically significant setting (Venice/Istanbul in the 19th century), so if you like that kind of thing, this book may be for you. There isn't a ton of gore or descriptions of violence, which I also appreciate.
February 5, 2023
I think the author may have missed his calling in food writing - the descriptions of food and cooking were mouthwatering, but the rest of the book wasn't so impressive. Scenery and setting descriptions were all right, and the main characters were likable enough, but the plot was weirdly convoluted and spent too much time happening alongside the main characters. Something that might have worked if Palewiski had seemed threatened by the mysterious murders (which, I think he actually was, but it wasn't clear enough from the story, or all his dithering around). Without that suspense, it almost felt like there were two separate plots going on for much of the book: the search for the Bellini and the extremely weird murders.
Speaking of which...either I missed something or there was never an explanation of the weird and highly theatrical murders. I mean, there was an explanation of why the people were killed, but not the how. Unless we're just supposed to go with "because Venice is theatrical"?
Speaking of which...either I missed something or there was never an explanation of the weird and highly theatrical murders. I mean, there was an explanation of why the people were killed, but not the how. Unless we're just supposed to go with "because Venice is theatrical"?
September 6, 2025
Very complicated
All mysteries depend on plot, and not infrequently they are convoluted. This one, however, takes the cake. To say it’s byzantine (pardon the pun, as it takes place partially in Constantinople), is an understatement. I finally gave up trying to understand the motives and relationships. Amid this, there are lengthy, pointless digressions about food and fencing. Fight scenes that make little sense and stretch on for chapters. Phew, too much for me. The author is very erudite as regards history and culture, but that’s about all I can say that is positive.
All mysteries depend on plot, and not infrequently they are convoluted. This one, however, takes the cake. To say it’s byzantine (pardon the pun, as it takes place partially in Constantinople), is an understatement. I finally gave up trying to understand the motives and relationships. Amid this, there are lengthy, pointless digressions about food and fencing. Fight scenes that make little sense and stretch on for chapters. Phew, too much for me. The author is very erudite as regards history and culture, but that’s about all I can say that is positive.
March 19, 2009
The Bellini Card is a charming literary get-away to the Istanbul court of the 1840's and the struggling city of Venice under Hapsburg domination. The principal characters are wonderful and the writing successfully evokes the manners and politics of the era. The author deftly weaves the search for a lost masterwork (a Bellini painting) into the novel and that creates the mystery and tension which makes it fun for folks who like more than just an historical novel.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
September 21, 2011
I bought this book because I had just returned from Venice and wanted to extend the trip by reading more about the city. The premise of the book is believable but the resolution is not. I really dislike books that reveal all right at the end without giving you enough clues to try to figure it out for yourself. And, I'm embarrassed to admit this, but I'm not sure after reading it what really happened. Maybe it's just me. I did not find the book suspenseful just confusing. Judging by the ratings everyone else has given the book, I'm in the minority.
March 19, 2009
I found this a cracking good, intelligent mystery with plenty of surprises along the way.
The book is very rich in its descriptions and Goodwin recreates the faded splendour of 19th century Venice with the same skill he has applied to Istanbul in all three novels. I appreciated the author's end note about the Bellini portrait, which does exist, and how it came into the possession of Britain's National Gallery. A delightful series of historical mysteries that I hope will continue.
November 12, 2009
When the new sultan of Istanbul voices a desire to own a rare painting of Mehmet the Conqueror by Bellini, Investigator Yashim enlists his friend Stanislaw Palewski, the Polish Ambassador, to travel to Venice to locate the painting while posing as a rich American named Signor Brett.
Third historical to feature the eunuch Yashim as an investigator, but can stand alone.
Intellectual rather than fast-paced. Complexly plotted with intriguing chracters. Great atmosphere of the time period.
Third historical to feature the eunuch Yashim as an investigator, but can stand alone.
Intellectual rather than fast-paced. Complexly plotted with intriguing chracters. Great atmosphere of the time period.
July 24, 2009
Just one word sums up this book for me. Byzantine. The plot, the characters and the settings. This book is about a search for a painting by an enuch in the 1840s. A fairly good read once I put on by history cap and tried to remember what was going on in the world at that time and during the Bellini's time.
December 15, 2009
Jason Goodwin has become one of my favorite authors. In this novel Yashim lalla (eunuch)sends his friend the Polish ambassador to Venice to find a portrait of the Sultan's ancestor Memhet by Bellini. Goodwin's up to par with intrigue, romance, mystery, and more local color than most authors. Plot turns and twists that will leave your head spinning. I am ready for his next book.
March 17, 2009
A great inside look at the court of the Ottoman Empire, 1840. Yashim is a enuch in the court and a detective at heart. He and his friend the Polish ambassador are in Venice looking for a rare painting by Bellini. So far the only siting is a bloated body in the main canal.
July 26, 2009
another great installment in the Yashim series, this one taking us from Istanbul to Venice and back. Yashim's friend Palewski plays a more active role, and Goodwin continues the delightfully descriptive cooking classes!
January 29, 2010
I have enjoyed all of this series. I like Yashim and I liked the expanded role of the Polish ambassador in this one. Also like the Venice setting. I did find the plot machinations got away from me a bit for a while there; I didn't quite follow what was going on, but eventually I caught up.
February 24, 2010
I found this book really delightful. In contrast to the last one (The Snake Stone), this one had a much more comprehensible plot, and the descriptions, as always, were vivid and the settings entrancing.
June 11, 2009
I always have a hard time following the denouement of Goodwin's novels. But the settings are fascinating and every book has several very good recipes that I love trying out for myself.
March 14, 2010
Pretty good read. Quite enjoyable.
July 31, 2009
see previous reviews...though I need to add that this guy and the series grow on me.
October 3, 2019
The author, Jason Goodwin, is an historian first, and now a superb novelist, whose mystery adventures of Yashim, the Sultan's eunuch detective in 1830s Istanbul of the Ottoman Empire have all become best-sellers. Goodwin, Cambridge-educated scholar of Byzantine history, traced the pathways of the Europeans through the Turkish crossroads between Asia and Europe, and knows the sights, sounds, smells, and feel of the places he deftly sets as his backdrop for mysteries and adventures high and low. His first novel in the Yashim series, "The Janissary Tree," won the Edgar Allen Poe Award for Best Novel in 2007, which is a bit of a pity, because to my mind each novel of the admirable Yashim (the second was "The Snake Stone") has been better than the last. I loved every one. Goodwin's third tale of the adventures of Yashim, "The Bellini Card," is simply outstanding, and for many reasons, my favorite.
Other reviews on these pages give you Yashim's exotic back-story; the emasculated lad, trained as a court adviser, who becomes the wise and stalwart investigator for Sultans, the supreme rulers of the marvelous Ottoman Empire. The Sublime Porte (the court of the Ottoman Empire) is declining, but the first half of the 1800s (not unlike today) Istanbul remains near the center of global Eurasian affairs. After centuries of dominion. from the gates of Vienna to the Indus, Turkey is still a fulcrum in conflicts among its powerful neighbors. Yashim is exactly a man of his times and place, and he moves deftly, at times invisibly, among beggars and nobility, solving problems for the Sultans as knotty as the well-named Turk's Head.
The Bellini of the title is a 1400s portrait of Mehmet, conqueror of Constantinople in 1453, lost, but rumored to be on the market in Venice. The young new Ottoman Sultan, Abdulmecid, requires Yashim to sail to Venice, find the portrait of his ancestor, and buy it. The power behind the throne, the young Vizir, Resid Pasha, broadly hints to Yashim that such a trip would be both futile and deadly.
Goodwin cleverly weaves the historical alliances and rivalries between past rulers of these two most exotic settings, Istanbul; and Venice, into the warp of his story, and embroiders his plot with delicious historical plausibilities that make the Bellini mission both diplomatically and personally critical for the success of the young Sultan's reign. Failure could imperil the Empire. No pressure, Yashim.
Among his admirable qualities, Yashim's love and respect for friends and strangers yet again becomes a principle weapon against his enemies. Yashim is not merely a sleuth's sleuth. He is a deft mater of sword, knife, and mano-a-mano wrestling, with opponents of either sex. He cooks mouth-watering meals. He knows art, religions, history, and diplomacy and applies his insightful wisdom to his solutions. He is unfailingly as courteous as the most fastidious courtier (which officially, he is), and his manners could serve a lesson to the best English butler. Sadly lacking in one respect, in others he is most assuredly a man of parts. Best of all, the reader will relish every moment of his company.
Goodwin tips his novelist's hat to Yashim's modern Venetian sleuths. Donna Leon's Commissioner Guido Brunetti is foreshadowed in a police inspector as much troubled (as as much undefeated) by his 19th Century Austrian superior's as Leon's Brunetti is by today's modern Roman masters. The old and noble Venetian family of Zen, marvelously brought to 20th Century life in the late Michael Dibdin's Aurelio Zen series, plays a minor role in Yashim's adventures in and among the famous Venetian canals. Fans of Dibdin and Leon's Venetians will feel very much at home in Goodwin's descriptions of a Venice 200 years younger, but, than as now, as hauntingly old as its stones.
Not everyone seems to have loved this book as much as me. Not everyone can stand eggplant. Give Goodwin and Yashim, his friends, adversaries, and adventures, a taste, and I think you will grow to love them.
Other reviews on these pages give you Yashim's exotic back-story; the emasculated lad, trained as a court adviser, who becomes the wise and stalwart investigator for Sultans, the supreme rulers of the marvelous Ottoman Empire. The Sublime Porte (the court of the Ottoman Empire) is declining, but the first half of the 1800s (not unlike today) Istanbul remains near the center of global Eurasian affairs. After centuries of dominion. from the gates of Vienna to the Indus, Turkey is still a fulcrum in conflicts among its powerful neighbors. Yashim is exactly a man of his times and place, and he moves deftly, at times invisibly, among beggars and nobility, solving problems for the Sultans as knotty as the well-named Turk's Head.
The Bellini of the title is a 1400s portrait of Mehmet, conqueror of Constantinople in 1453, lost, but rumored to be on the market in Venice. The young new Ottoman Sultan, Abdulmecid, requires Yashim to sail to Venice, find the portrait of his ancestor, and buy it. The power behind the throne, the young Vizir, Resid Pasha, broadly hints to Yashim that such a trip would be both futile and deadly.
Goodwin cleverly weaves the historical alliances and rivalries between past rulers of these two most exotic settings, Istanbul; and Venice, into the warp of his story, and embroiders his plot with delicious historical plausibilities that make the Bellini mission both diplomatically and personally critical for the success of the young Sultan's reign. Failure could imperil the Empire. No pressure, Yashim.
Among his admirable qualities, Yashim's love and respect for friends and strangers yet again becomes a principle weapon against his enemies. Yashim is not merely a sleuth's sleuth. He is a deft mater of sword, knife, and mano-a-mano wrestling, with opponents of either sex. He cooks mouth-watering meals. He knows art, religions, history, and diplomacy and applies his insightful wisdom to his solutions. He is unfailingly as courteous as the most fastidious courtier (which officially, he is), and his manners could serve a lesson to the best English butler. Sadly lacking in one respect, in others he is most assuredly a man of parts. Best of all, the reader will relish every moment of his company.
Goodwin tips his novelist's hat to Yashim's modern Venetian sleuths. Donna Leon's Commissioner Guido Brunetti is foreshadowed in a police inspector as much troubled (as as much undefeated) by his 19th Century Austrian superior's as Leon's Brunetti is by today's modern Roman masters. The old and noble Venetian family of Zen, marvelously brought to 20th Century life in the late Michael Dibdin's Aurelio Zen series, plays a minor role in Yashim's adventures in and among the famous Venetian canals. Fans of Dibdin and Leon's Venetians will feel very much at home in Goodwin's descriptions of a Venice 200 years younger, but, than as now, as hauntingly old as its stones.
Not everyone seems to have loved this book as much as me. Not everyone can stand eggplant. Give Goodwin and Yashim, his friends, adversaries, and adventures, a taste, and I think you will grow to love them.
July 10, 2024
This is my second Yashim novel; I very much enjoyed The Janissary Tree.
The new young sultan Abdulmecid has heard that a portrait of his ancestor Mehmet the Conqueror by Bellini may have surfaced in Venice, and he wants to buy it; like his father he enlists Yashim for this unique project. The sultan's closest advisor and counselor Resid Pasha argues against this extravagance, so Yashim must tread carefully to placate both men. Yashim enlists his down-and-out friend Palewski, nation-less as the Polish ambassador in Turkey, to go in his stead, posing as an American interested in purchasing art by great European artists. Venice is under the control of Austria; fortunes are strained and everyone is holding their wealth close to their chest.
This book is great fun - there is a beautiful countess, an idiot savant artist making secret reproductions, shifty art dealers, capable police detectives, arrogant and complacent Austrian commissario, disguises. The descriptions of Venice and Istanbul are incredible; there is so much complexity in these cities on the edges of nations and history. The complex history of the region is well-explained. A beautiful book.
There are many characters; I started a list for myself to keep up w/ them. Many reviews note the complexity of the plot; the reader does have to pay attention.
The new young sultan Abdulmecid has heard that a portrait of his ancestor Mehmet the Conqueror by Bellini may have surfaced in Venice, and he wants to buy it; like his father he enlists Yashim for this unique project. The sultan's closest advisor and counselor Resid Pasha argues against this extravagance, so Yashim must tread carefully to placate both men. Yashim enlists his down-and-out friend Palewski, nation-less as the Polish ambassador in Turkey, to go in his stead, posing as an American interested in purchasing art by great European artists. Venice is under the control of Austria; fortunes are strained and everyone is holding their wealth close to their chest.
This book is great fun - there is a beautiful countess, an idiot savant artist making secret reproductions, shifty art dealers, capable police detectives, arrogant and complacent Austrian commissario, disguises. The descriptions of Venice and Istanbul are incredible; there is so much complexity in these cities on the edges of nations and history. The complex history of the region is well-explained. A beautiful book.
There are many characters; I started a list for myself to keep up w/ them. Many reviews note the complexity of the plot; the reader does have to pay attention.
August 31, 2019
The opening part of the book sets up reasonable grounds for Yashim to not be able to travel to Venice, when it becomes apparent that to solve a wish of the new Sultan, he should do so. So the Polish Ambassador goes in his stead, and I could hear a chorus of "no, don't do that, you're being taken..." from my own head and those of other readers, knowing that there were hints that things were not going well. As usual, Yashim comes to save the day, and very nearly loses his life doing so. All along, he has to walk the political line set by the new administration of a new, much younger and more inexperienced Sultan.
Venice is described as no one has done before, and it's connection to Constantinople in design, proximity to the sea, and the weight of plunder over the centuries linking them like twins in a womb. Scenes and odours are dredged up, people who make a living in art trading, the trade in fake paintings is revealed, and the methods which are used to take in the 'marks'. Enigmatic figures are fleetingly revealed, their motives clouded in historical justifications, long ago links to the plains dwelling "Horde" of the Aga Khan. A mother and son are re-united through Yashim's agency.
A raring good read, as are all the Yashim books, this one benefitted from the change of venue.
Venice is described as no one has done before, and it's connection to Constantinople in design, proximity to the sea, and the weight of plunder over the centuries linking them like twins in a womb. Scenes and odours are dredged up, people who make a living in art trading, the trade in fake paintings is revealed, and the methods which are used to take in the 'marks'. Enigmatic figures are fleetingly revealed, their motives clouded in historical justifications, long ago links to the plains dwelling "Horde" of the Aga Khan. A mother and son are re-united through Yashim's agency.
A raring good read, as are all the Yashim books, this one benefitted from the change of venue.
September 8, 2024
I had read the first installment in this series, "The Janissary Tree", on my first trip to Istanbul several years ago. For this second trip I decided to read "The Bellini Card"since I already had it. Well, the first disappointment was that it's mainly set in Venice, not Istanbul. Second, Yashim appears just as the beginning and then the end.
Then, there are some plot twists that are not very credible. Also, one jarring inconsistency on the Contessa's eye color: on p. 219 "her blue eyes glittered" but on p. 224 they become "beautiful black eyes" confirmed on p. 236 ("those black eyes") before reverting to blue on p. 240 ("Carla's eyes belong to the Count - blue, steady...") Really? One typo: "fient" rather than "feint" when sparring on p. 78, and a neologism "epistolatory" on p. 292 (why not just use "epistolary" like everybody else?)
Overall, it was entertaining, easy to read and the overall plot not too bad, even if a bit iffy, especially with some subplots. Good description of Venice.
I have already bought "The Snake Stone" and checked that it is set in Istanbul so that next time I visit this amazing city I'll read it and hopefully it'll be a reading experience closer to "The Janissary Tree" than to "The Bellini Card".
Then, there are some plot twists that are not very credible. Also, one jarring inconsistency on the Contessa's eye color: on p. 219 "her blue eyes glittered" but on p. 224 they become "beautiful black eyes" confirmed on p. 236 ("those black eyes") before reverting to blue on p. 240 ("Carla's eyes belong to the Count - blue, steady...") Really? One typo: "fient" rather than "feint" when sparring on p. 78, and a neologism "epistolatory" on p. 292 (why not just use "epistolary" like everybody else?)
Overall, it was entertaining, easy to read and the overall plot not too bad, even if a bit iffy, especially with some subplots. Good description of Venice.
I have already bought "The Snake Stone" and checked that it is set in Istanbul so that next time I visit this amazing city I'll read it and hopefully it'll be a reading experience closer to "The Janissary Tree" than to "The Bellini Card".
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