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| The Snake Stone ('Yashim the Eunuch' Mystery) | 
 enlarge | Author: Jason Goodwin
Publisher: Faber and Faber
Category: Book
List Price: £7.99
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Avg. Customer Rating:  12 reviews
Sales Rank: 7765
Media: Paperback
Pages: 320
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 5 x 0.9
ISBN: 0571236472
EAN: 9780571236473
ASIN: 0571236472
Publication Date: May 1, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews: Read 7 more reviews...
 Crime Writing with an Exotic Flourish October 19, 2008
'The Snake Stone' is the second novel featuring Yashim the Eunuch, one of recent crime fiction's more interesting creations. Set in Istanbul against a backdrop of a crumbling Ottoman empire, Goodwin's novels are both tightly plotted and full of sumptuous description.
Yashim finds himself, an anachronism in a rapidly modernising city. With the Sultan on his deathbed, he is unsure of his continuing role and as a eunuch, is uncomfortable with his asexual persona. This makes Yashim both engaging and vulnerable, without the author having to resort to alcohol abuse and divorce; a welcome respite from two of crime fiction's most overused cliches.
Goodwin's writing is descriptive yet easy to read, his portrayal of Istanbul is rich and varied; you can almost smell the city. You can certainly taste Yashim's wonderful culinary concoctions; food and taste are at the heart of any culture, which is why many a foreign detective is a whizz in the kitchen; Yashim's tasty meals add authenticity to the author's excellent depiction of the city.
Some other reviews complain about historical inaccuracies and I confess to not having a enough knowledge to support or refute these claims. I would however, suggest that it probably doesn't matter, this is a work of fiction after all. Goodwin's novels ooze authenticity and his characters are well rounded and entertaining, in particular the brandy-loving Polish ambassador.
The plot of 'The Snake Stone', is exciting and believable, although I did feel that everything fell into place a little too conveniently. There is also a nice little sting in the final paragraphs, which I certainly didn't see coming. I have thoroughly enjoyed the two Yashim novels that I have read so far; they were both high quality crime-writing with an exotic garnish; I look forward to the next instalment.
 Formulaic let-down October 4, 2008
As a mystery writer Goodwin needs to realise that complexity is neither necessary nor sufficient and that there is a difference between a twist and a completely unexpained (and perhaps inexplicable) piece of action towards the end of a book.
As a historical genre writer he needs to undertand that a lot of - indeed most - locations are no longer exotic and if you are going to use them then you have to do more than offer a description and expect the reader to be astonished. The extensive chambers that exist underneath Istanbul will presumably only come as a surprise to anyone who hasn't seen 'From Russia With Love' and the setting of a murder mystery around the supply of water to an ancient city would be new to those who haven't read 'Three Hands in the Fountain' by Lindsey Davis.
He also needs to invest in a thesaurus; I am sure it is possible for a pain to be other than 'searing'.
 A strong example of the genre June 25, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Historical detective novels tend to suffer from the same concern. The setting is superficially historical, often with lavish physical descriptions, historical and cultural infodumping and one of two token quirks in the character and plot. The sensibilities tend to be perfectly contemporary. Some authors, such as Stephen Saylor, structure their initial premise is such a way as to alienate their protagonist from their peer culture and justify his very modern sensibilities. Others attempt to maintiain the illusian of an archaic sensibility. Some appear entirely unaware of the challenge.
Jason Goodwin is a rare example of an author who successfully treads the line. His protagonist, a eunuch who earns his living as a private "problem solver", rather than a palace employee, has the typical outsider's profile. With an interest in French literature and European culture, and a passion for Ottoman style cooking he has both a frame of reference for modern readers and suitably archaic quirk. The novel never quite reaches the peak of, say, the Unburied, by Charles Palliser, which presents it historical setting straight and allows the reader to sink or swim, but by dint of effort Goodwin raises his head above the churning surf of the genre.
Comparing to Prophet Murders Goodwin's knowledge of Istanbul gets only a D May 28, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Just read two different thrillers on Istanbul with two similar heros. One the Snake Stone the other Prophet Murders. The Snake Stone takes Istanbul as a souvenir backstage as flat as a Hollywood movie made in 1930's when nobody had a knowledge of socalled exotic places. Whereas Prophet Murders, featuring a cool, elegant, Audrey Hepburn fan, classical music critic, aikido master transvestite night club owner turned detective in Istanbul is completely different; the city lives in the pages as vivid as pictures taken moment by moment. The difference is so clear; the writer of Prophet Murders is Turkish and lives in Istanbul. Fun and perfect for summer as well. Sorry Goodwin, you need to study harder to compete with the "girls"...
another breath of fresh oriental air May 27, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
Well, what can I say? Having read 'The Janissary Tree' a while ago and having found it a very enjoyable novel, I'm glad to say this second novel featuring Yashim is as good if not better. Yashim is an unlikely kind of detective, not so much because he is eunuch (although I'll grant there's probably precious few other eunuch detectives out there) but because his approach is so very subtle and stealthy. There's nothing hard-boiled about Yashim, he blends in with his surroundings, observes in silence the comings and goings, and then lets his formidable intelligence do the rest. This is not to say that every case is a breeze for Yashim, on the contrary. In 'The snake stone' as in 'The Janissary tree' he has to deal with formidable opponents who do not shy away from physical violence and the occasional gruesome murder.
Add to this the unusual setting of Istanbul in the 1830s (I was there a couple of years ago and oddly enough the descriptions given in this book instantly reminded me of the 21st century atmosphere of that city, no doubt much has changed but much has remained the same also), the colourful characters (the Polish ambassador Palewski!) and the subtle language in which this whole tale is told and what you end up with is a delightful detective novel, and one which I can heartily recommend.
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