Body Count

Inspector Ikmen #16

by Barbara Nadel

Any bloody death will lead Inspectors Çetin Ikmen and Mehmet Süleyman out onto the dark streets of Istanbul. On 21 January, a half-decapitated corpse in the poor multicultural district of Tarlabasi poses a particularly frustrating and gruesome mystery. But as the months pass and the violence increases, it turns into a hunt for that rare phenomenon in the golden city on the Bosphorus: a serial killer.

Desperate to uncover the killer's twisted logic as the body count rises, Ikmen and Süleyman find only more questions. How are the victims connected? What is the significance of the number 21? And how many Istanbullus must die before they find the answers?

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

407 pages, Paperback

First published January 2, 2014

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

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aptly titled. A death a month, always on the 21st. From January to May. Ikmen is set to retire and this could be the biggest case of his career. Most of the victims are related to Ottoman royalty and more specifically Inspector Suleiman’s family. A serial killer in Istanbul. A shocking ending that I never saw coming with the death of one of the main characters.

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Publication Date: Available now from Headline.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the review copy.

Any bloody death will lead Inspectors Ikmen and Suleyman out onto the dark streets of Istanbul. On January 21, a half-decapitated corpse in the poor multicultural district of Tarlabasi poses a particularly frustrating and gruesome mystery. But as the months pass and the violence increases, it turns into a hunt for that rare phenomenon in the golden city on the Bosphorus: a serial killer.

Admittedly I have dipped in and out of this long running series – one I enjoy a lot but have been terrible at keeping up with – so I was very pleased to leap back into the fray with “Body Count” and I enjoyed it very much again. I will definitely be heading into my backlist!

The thing I love most about these is the setting – Ms Nadel manages to bring into sharp focus the ambience and atmosphere of Istanbul, a place I have never been but feel like I have. It makes for a much better reading experience when you can sense and almost feel the places that the protagonists are living and working in and that is definitely one of the real strengths of this series.

Intelligent plotting as ever, with a dark undertone and a much welcome return of the grumpy yet loveable Inspector Ikmen, we are back in serial killer territory here and of course I do adore a good serial killer thriller. Another book that has haunted my dreams lately, which always means it was a good one, I was completely immersed in this throughout. A really durable series within a plethora of great crime fiction long may this continue.

Definitely recommended for fans of crime and thrillers with an exotic twist.

Happy Reading Folks!

[Katherine Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like all the characters in the Inspector Ikmen series and I always learn something new about Istanbul that I want to check out on my next visit there. I didn't like that this was another serial killer book, but I guess when there are 17 books in the series some memes get repeated. And the plot did keep me engaged.

[Mala · Rating 3 out of 5]

Crime fiction based in Turkey, a host of interesting characters with exotic names and a number of dead bodies. The police folk in charge of solving the murders are likeable and believable. We also get some insight on Turkish history and culture. This is my first Ikmen book, but no:16 of the series. I don't mind reading more from the series.

[Ondarious Mateo · Rating 2 out of 5]

After a more elaborate jaunts for Cetin Ikmen and Mehmet Suleyman that tended to focus a bit more on character development rather than hard core policing, Barbara Nadel takes a step back towards conventional murder mystery. Not a leap, but a step. The case is still sensationalised, but more of our focus is on the crime rather than the beloved characters that we’ve gotten to know more in recent times.

The end result, a rare miss for Ms. Nadel. The problem, the crime is just not that interesting, and one has to wonder if the growingly delicious soap opera that she has been feeding us has superseded the mystery element of her novels.

In the current political climate where gypsies are being forcibly relocated from their homes, a murder takes place in a hotel, then another in a ghetto a month later. By the time the third one comes around, a pattern emerges whereby all the victims are being killed on the 21st of each month. This leads to a Mayan calendar themed ritualistic theory that to be honest, is so clearly a red herring that reading about it is somewhat a waste of time. Nobody cares about that. Characters emerge but only one that is a credible candidate to pull off a complicated murder plot, which is surprise surprise… the murderer.
Until the big reveal, you’re not really clear as to what the motive for the crime can is but the whole new Ottomans theme bobs up like a smoking gun again and again. Then you have it. Professor Atay is killing Ottomans because the family slighted him in the past. It’s not exactly breathtaking.

As mentioned earlier, all of the intrigue is dedicated to the dramas experienced by the main characters. Suleyman and Ayse are in a physical relationship that is accompanied by self-loathing for all involved, Ikmen and Ardic wrestle with the prospect of retirement, the new Sargent Omer Mungan struggles with adjusting to life and policing in a big city like Istanbul… And the long forgotten Gonce the gypsy re-emerges to claim her true love.

All of that said, this novel has one key talking point. One thing the audience will remember. The death of Ayse Farsakoglu. For much of the novel she is being talked up as Ikmen’s logical successor and then all of a sudden she’s gone. It’s completely unexpected. It’s tragic. One is almost in denial when the shooting first happens. It’s a complete game changer. Is it for the better though?

The fallout: Mehmet and Gonce are free to cement their relationship, the former with a clean slate if not a heavy heart, Omer emerges as a character to watch, Ardic retires to be superseded by a female modern Turk commissioner hinting towards even more progressive thinking, and Ikmen gasp, foregoes retirement.
So the big revelation from all of this, is to undo the biggest revelation from the previous novel. I don’t like that. It’s an unnecessary psyche that moves the story forward (no one wants Ikmen to retire) in an extremely unoriginal way. The pitch that Ikmen’s job is not done, that he wants to transition in the new Commissioner and lead the way forward with hints of challenges with his friendship Suleyman. They’re okay touches. But that’s it. We end on okay.

Really what this story is about is promoting change, and Ayse’s death is the main vehicle that drives that change. Prior to Body Count it was unclear where Ayse’s story would end. Following the inevitable demise of her damned relationship with Izzet Melik, her failure to move on from Mehmet signified that a happy ending had passed her, and the deluge with Mehmet during the early stages of Body Count suggested this further. I guess there was nowhere left for her to go and it appears that Nadel felt that her absence would be necessary for the continued progression of Mehmet Suleyman. Does true love with Gonce hold? Probably not. Is there an angle with the new Commissioner?

Ayse’s parting gift to us is provided in her absence in a rather touching scene where his wife Fatima, affectionately assists a blood stained and shocked Cetin into bed to mourn. And she stands by as Cetin sends a large amount of money to strangers on Ayse’s behalf as a gesture to her fighting spirit.

Whilst the developments in the character’s personal lives raises the standard to passable, ultimately the story is too thin. And it’s not the progression of the characters or their story that’s the issue. As great as all that is, the challenge for Barbara Nadel moving forward is that you can’t have a crime thriller series without a crime thrilling mystery. It’s a non-negotiable, and it’s where this novel was significantly lacking. You can’t come up with a drama first and then think of a way to tie the mystery to suit the story you want to tell. It doesn’t have an organic feel.

Coming down from the highs that Nadel has been experiencing, 2 stars is still an acceptable though disappointing result… She needs to bounce back however as another novel of this quality would raise the question of whether or not she has taken this series a novel or two too far.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I brought three of these books, the first one I was not keen on at all, the second one I liked, and I really liked this one. Of course, I read them all out of sequence, but because I enjoyed "Body Count" so much, I will go on line and order others. The story continues re an Inspector Ikmen. The stories are all in Turkey, and include a lot of history on Turkey and the Ottoman Empire. In this book, the Inspector and his co-worker Mehmet Suleyman are involved in the past. To confuse them from the murders, the Maya calendar has been thrown in and monsters are killing the families of Princes. Good story, and well put together.

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half to four stars with Inspectors Ikmen and Suleyman. Good read involving deaths of a number of people, 6?
Ritual killings that followed a Mayan philosophy. Frustrating thing is that I can probably never pronounce the Turkish names properly and so reading can be a bit stilted! Good that the author has named the characters at the beginning but would be nice to have some phonetics too. :)

[Rog Harrison · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first book which I have read by this author. This is set in modern Turkey and the main characters are police detectives. I struggled a bit at first with all the Turkish names. As the title suggests several people get murdered over the course of the story. I quite liked Inspector Cetin Ikmen so will read more of this series.

[Stephen the Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a complicated and at times a bloody story - combining history and the relationship between different elements of the class structure of Turkey; Cetin and Suleyman are fully challenged as the body count rises. No spoiler but the plot certainly will impact upon the next book in the series. As ever Barbara Nader knows how to craft a great story

[Jack Laschenski · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title says it all - 6 bodies all terribly mutilated.

Who dunnit?

A famous TV personality who was completely mad. (Aren't they all??)

Istanbul today, including the return to Muslim fundamentalism by the government.

[Miss R Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Ottoman read!

Thoroughly enjoyed this one. Highly informative, as always, and exciting. I love all the characters which are all so credible and all so Turkish in their very different ways.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another classic from Barbara Nadel. If you are wanting crime with a little bit of something different this is the series for you. Best characters, best setting.

[Cenk Gumuscuoglu · Rating 1 out of 5]

Such a disappointment. Very vague details of Istanbul and Turkish people. Prefer Ahmet Umit novels instead, this is a waste of time.

[Lois Kieffaber]

Like this series

[Christine Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good convoluted plot full of exotic characters.
You’ll need a handkerchief for this one!

[Deepak · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best Ikmen books. Much better than the previous one - Deadline!

[Billy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another installment in the police procedural series set in Istanbul. It's advertised as an Inspector Ikmen mystery, but in truth this particular volume is more focused on his friend and colleague Inspector Suleyman, a dashingly handsome heartbreaker of royal Ottoman descent.

This go-round, the chain-smoking gang of Istanbul PD are confronted with a series of grisly killings that are frustrating the investigators and making headlines.

As in my review of "A Noble Killing", the setting says Istanbul. The writing doesn't make us feel it despite frequent references to streets and neighborhoods. The characters are Turkish. The writing doesn't make us feel it despite numerous references to republican, Islamist and Ottoman politics. And it's just as sex-soaked if not more so. Nothing X-rated, but definitely not a book to leave lying around if there are kids in the house.

In the end, it's a decent, competent, page-turning airport read.

[Book Addict Shaun · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Having never read anything by Barbara Nadel I was drawn to this book because of its setting. As much as I love crime fiction set in London and America, over the past few months I've looked for crime fiction set around the world and this series set in Turkey sounded exciting. That said though for me it's book one, for other readers it's book fifteen and you have to wonder whether the author can keep up with the quality (if the reviews are anything to go by) of what has gone before. After finishing I can say it's a solidly written story that definitely kept me reading and I'll be hoping to check out Nadel's previous books in the future.

I'm ashamed to say all I know about Istanbul is that it's the place Liverpool won the Champions League and is the name of a kebab house local to me. That said the author writes the setting really well, the book feels very authentic from start to finish and you get a real sense of place. Books set in foreign climates I feel should only be written by people that know what they are talking about and Nadel clearly does. I feel like alongside reading a well crafted and hugely enjoyable book I've learnt things I didn't previously know about a country I knew nothing about. You don't often get that with books set in London which is why I like to take a chance on books like this.

I am always wary of going into long standing series without having read previous books but our main characters Cetin Ikman and Mehmet Suleimen soon became familiar to me. Hunting a serial killer which is not that rare for crime fiction readers but rare for the city of Istanbul, Ikman and Suleimen soon get caught up in trying to catch the killer before s/he kills again. And I was completely caught up in it too. Plenty of twists, turns shocks and red herrings this is a book that will keep you guessing which is what I always want from a crime fiction read. The book can easily be read and enjoyed as a standalone.

[HalcyonDaze · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another solid offering from Nadel. Having read this series from the start I have developed a great fondness for Ikmen and Suleyman et al and for the Istanbul and the tales of Turkey that Nadel weaves through her books.
Given the number of characters and the need to keep up with the intricacies of their relationships in this offering I would suggest perhaps, that this needs to be a book that is read with regularity. I did find myself referring to the very useful list of characters that Nadel puts at the beginning. But it rattled along a brisk pace.
The 15 years that mark the span between her first book in the Ikmen series (Belshazzar's Daughter 1999) and this one (2014) have been effectively and logically handled and the passage of time is appropriately reflected in the storyline of Body Count. Life moves on and life is never constant, and yet some things do remain constant. I did shed a tear at one point and that to me, says that these books have touched a place that can really only be understood by having shared this journey of 15 years. A period that has covered much political and social upheaval and change in the city and community of Ikmen and above and beyond the crime nature of her books, Nadel is able to touch on these in a way that adds to their place in time.
15 years and 16 books and the story continues - as vibrant and touching as ever.

[Joanne]

Retirement is looming for Ikmen and his wife is on his case about getting central heating (when he retires, he says). Meanwhile it appears that a serial killer is stalking the people of Ottoman descent. The bodies are racking up. Suleyman drops Ayse and takes up with the Gypsy, Gonca, again.

Ikmen pieces it altogether when Suleyman appears to have disappeared after going to question Prof Atay, an expert in the Ottomans. A stand-off occurs and Atay shoots and kills Ayse F. Ikmen is beyond distressed with Ayse's death after Atay is arrested.

Atay's motive stretched back to his youth when after getting his girlfriend pregnant and she was forced to have an abortiom, he was humiliated by her family. His distaste for the Ottomans started here and he wanted to avenge his humiliation.

Ikmen is not retiring; Ardic is; a new Commissioner - a woman - has been appointed and Ikmen will need a new Sgt. since Ayse's death. Suleyman will continue to see Gonca now that his family is somewhat accepting of the situation.

Sad that Ayse is gone but it certainly opens up some new story lines.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

The latest Nadel tackles the gentrification of certain areas of Istanbul long inhabited by the Gypsy community and the popular trend toward a desire for Ottoman rule again. Part of the fascination for these books is the focus on local issues.

The ongoing plot of the series is advanced significantly in this story with hints of future characters. The relationship of Ayse and Mehmet comes to a head, Cetin deals with retirement, a new sergeant of promise emerges but the Ottomans of old "do as they please", as Mehmet puts it.

It was a joy to see Barbara Nadel interviewed in Istanbul by David Suchet in a fall PBS presentation on Agatha Christie. As with Agatha, Barbara has found a fount of inspiration in this exotic city.

[Brian Harrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have not read Barbara Nadel before, so had no particular expectations, other than the back cover comments by well known newspapers and literary web sites.
Overall, this proved to be an interesting, absorbing story - modern day crime in Istanbul ! Strong characters and a reasonable pace, with sufficient twist and turns to keep the pages turning. Unfortunately, coming straight after reading a Robert Goddard novel, this was not as totally satisfying as it may have been, and I found the gratuitous sex somewhat unnecessary to the story - a bit like American cop shows invariably show a tumbling or exploding car - not essential to the story, but in there anyway !
So pretty good, and enough that I may read another of her Inspector Inkmen novels in the future.

[Barry Hammond · Rating 3 out of 5]

Someone is killing people in a particularly grisly fashion in the poorer section of Istanbul. Similarities in the murders point to a serial killer but what is the motivation? Some clues point to the noble ancestry of the victims, others to the obscure long-form Mayan calendar. Cetin Ikmen and Mehmet Suleyman are on their most baffling case yet. Not to give spoilers but something bad happens to one of the main characters in Barbara Nadel's great exotic mystery series. Another page-turning thriller in this great exciting series! - BH.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still on my Barbara Nadel summer spree, I like this book a lot because Inspector Suleiman reunites with the passion of his life, the gypsy woman Gonca. The plot is also interesting, and there are some gruesome deaths, and the trick is figuring out how they relate. I rightly guessed the killer before I reached the half-way point, but it in no way lessened the build up of suspense that Nadel does so well.

[Louise Armstrong · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the first one of these I read but this one was dull. Maybe she knows the world so well she no longer describes it?

I also hated the fact that a police officer had just decided to concentrate on her career, to step in and save the day, and bam, she was shot dead. Well, girlie, won't that teach you to get above yourself? Not a good message.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspector Ikmen is pondering his upcoming retirement, when a string of grizzly murders are committed on the streets of Istanbul. There are links to gypsies and the Ottoman families, as well as a link to the Mayan calendar.

[Wendelyn J. Thornton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great reading.

This was one of Barbara Nadel's best Cetin Ikmen books by far. The history and politics of Turkey are the best part of the story. It is also a turning point in the long story of Istanbul. It is great to be reading about the changing times in Turkey.

[Ann Tonks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I continue to enjoy Nadel's writing - just enough sociology and politics added to a murder mystery to make for an interesting read. Even though in this one, there were probably a few too many bodies for my liking!

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series of books.

[Mindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Transphobic language. Not a large part of the text but completely unnecessary.