re:mote voices

Title: Arabesk
Author: Barbara Nadel
Publisher:Headline

this is the third novel by british novelist barbara nadel, featuring the istanbul homicide division. arabesk is a type of music, as featured here, a music particularly of poorer and more ethnic turks. one of the current rising stars like many in the arabesk scene is from a poor village, of kurdish ethnicity. he is involved with an older woman, one of the classic arabesk stars - a mutual arrangement to boost both careers.

however, tradition dictates that he should marry a girl from his village, so things get complicated when his secret wife is found dead, and his secret daughter is missing. nadel's suleyman covers the other end of the turkish spectrum, coming from an ottoman family, with his superior off on sick leave he has been promoted to inspector. of course his boss can't help become involved, and his deputy, who is also kurdish is becoming a little too familiar with the victims/susects.

as a crime novel arabesk is fairly straight forward, building up a cultural picture of istanbul and it's people more than anything else. in terms of "whodunnit", i had it worked out pretty early on, which rather than make me feel smart, makes me frustrated - if i can work out that readily, then why can't the police?