The gripping twenty-third Ikmen mystery from award-winning crime writer Barbara Nadel will delight her many fans, as Ikmen and Süleyman uncover the shocking truth behind a double murder in Istanbul. 'Ikmen is one of modern crime fiction's true heroes' The Times

"In the early hours of the morning, Turkish TV star Erol Gencer is found dead at his home on the outskirts of Istanbul. But he is not alone. Beside him lies a Syrian refugee whose stomach has been split open with a cheese knife. Did Gencer kill his guest before committing suicide, or are they victims of a sinister double murder? The dead Syrian is soon identified as Wael Al Hussain, whose wife, Samira, is in prison for attempting to kill Gencer a year ago. At the time, no one believed Samira's story that Gencer's wife had planned the attack, but now Samira's sister begs ðCetin Ikmen to re-examine her claim. Meanwhile, Inspector Mehmet Sèuleyman is on leave with his teenage son, Patrick, who is visiting from Ireland, but when Detective Kerim Gèursel's transsexual ex-lover, Pembe, is also murdered, shortly after confessing that Wael Al Hussain had used her for sexual favours, Sèuleyman knows he must help Kerim solve this complex case."--Publisher.

The delight of Nadel's books is the sense of being taken beneath the surface of an ancient city . . . We look into the alleyways and curious dark quarters of Istanbul, full of complex characters and louche atmosphere