Belshazzar's Daughter — Barbara Nadel

A “riveting crime drama set in present-day Istanbul” featuring a cynical Turkish detective hunting a killer in a mystery with “stunning final twists”(Publishers Weekly).

When a brutal murder shocks Istanbul's rundown Jewish quarter, the Turkish police force unleashes their best weapon -- the chain-smoking, brandy-swilling Inspector Cetin Ikmen, husband to a strict Muslim woman (who disapproves of his drinking) and loving father of eight (with another on the way).

Inspector Ikmen begins tracking down the few people who might have known the murder victim, including a faded prostitute, a shadowy family of Russian emigrs, a despairing rabbi, and a high-strung young Englishman in the throes of erotic obsession.

With a colorful, multi-layered setting and a delicious labyrinthine plot, Barbara Nadel's Belshazzar's Daughter is a stunning and evocative crime debut.

“A real treat. The city of Istanbul provides a rich background for an engaging plot and a cast of remarkably well developed, colorful characters. Add Inspector Ikmen and his motley crew to the growing list of outstanding fictional cops plying their trades across all parts of Europe and Asia, which have become hotbeds of police procedural excellence.” -- Booklist