Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Hotel Bosphorus-Esmahan Aykol

Hotel Bosphorus
Esmahan Aykol
Bitter Lemon, Jun 3 2011, $14.95
ISBN: 9781904738688

Forty three year old German expatriate Kati Hirschel was actually born in Istanbul, but moved away with her parents when she was seven years old. However, Turkey felt like home for the single woman so she returned thirteen years ago and remained there since as the owner of a crime bookshop.

Kati’s friend from university Petra Vogel the movie star is in town as the star of a film. They have not seen each other in about fifteen years but look forward to the reunion. When they meet once the Ministry approves the project, both are excited. However, someone murders the film director Kurt Muller. The police suspect Petra killed him as this homicide was allegedly the end of a romantic tango. Petra denies being the victim’s lover or killer. Kati has doubts about her friend’s innocence but investigates the murder at the hotel

This is an engaging Turkish amateur sleuth in which the local culture and the city on two continents own the story line. Readers will need a leap of acceptance wider than the Bosphorus Strait that Kati makes inquiries and more so that the local cop shares his information with her. With the clues to the murder back in Germany, fans will appreciate Kati’s witty tour of Istanbul to include her mental male stripping as she works the case.

Harriet Klausner

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