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dontpanic42's review against another edition
2.0
I really enjoyed The Janissary Tree, so I was very excited about the release of the follow-up mystery, The Snake Stone. But, sadly, I found it terribly disappointing.
Goodwin clearly as a vast knowledge of the world of 19th-century Istanbul. In his first novel, he carefully balanced his knowledge with explanations and descriptions that kept the reader engaged in a world that few Westerners likely know much about. But in this new novel, arcana seems to have taken over, and it makes the story hard to follow. Take, as an example, Goodwin's use of various suburbs and neighborhoods (at least, I assume that's what the locations were) of Istanbul as sites for his action. I, for one, don't know anything about Istanbul's layout or surroundings, and it would have been nice to have a map or something handy just to figure out where people were going and what the different settings were all about. As it was, every time Goodwin transported me to a new area of town I felt lost and confused.
This lack of orientation carried into other parts of the book, as well. Indeed, the whole unraveling of the mystery seems a bit aimless. Half of the time, Goodwin seems to be relying on post hoc explanations that have little (if anything) to do with the clues the reader has been offered along the way. Some parts of the mystery (I am thinking in particular of the small metal balls--I won't say more for fear of giving something away) don't get any explanation at all. It's always frustrating when a mystery leaves such obvious questions unanswered.
Finally, I was disappointed by the ending, which was terribly anti-climactic. In fact, I only realized after the fact that the climactic scene was actually the climax of the novel: after reading the scene, I was certainly expecting more to happen, but I was left wanting.
All in all, a disappointing second effort to follow up on such a great debut novel.
Goodwin clearly as a vast knowledge of the world of 19th-century Istanbul. In his first novel, he carefully balanced his knowledge with explanations and descriptions that kept the reader engaged in a world that few Westerners likely know much about. But in this new novel, arcana seems to have taken over, and it makes the story hard to follow. Take, as an example, Goodwin's use of various suburbs and neighborhoods (at least, I assume that's what the locations were) of Istanbul as sites for his action. I, for one, don't know anything about Istanbul's layout or surroundings, and it would have been nice to have a map or something handy just to figure out where people were going and what the different settings were all about. As it was, every time Goodwin transported me to a new area of town I felt lost and confused.
This lack of orientation carried into other parts of the book, as well. Indeed, the whole unraveling of the mystery seems a bit aimless. Half of the time, Goodwin seems to be relying on post hoc explanations that have little (if anything) to do with the clues the reader has been offered along the way. Some parts of the mystery (I am thinking in particular of the small metal balls--I won't say more for fear of giving something away) don't get any explanation at all. It's always frustrating when a mystery leaves such obvious questions unanswered.
Finally, I was disappointed by the ending, which was terribly anti-climactic. In fact, I only realized after the fact that the climactic scene was actually the climax of the novel: after reading the scene, I was certainly expecting more to happen, but I was left wanting.
All in all, a disappointing second effort to follow up on such a great debut novel.
lavoiture's review against another edition
2.0
I had no idea what was happening through most of this book. Shame, because I enjoy mysteries set in other countries.
eososray's review
4.0
The author does such a wonderful job of evoking the changing times in Istanbul that I feel sad for a disappearing world and at the same time so fascinated at the blending of old and new worlds.
The mystery was secondary for me, so while it was good (if a bit convoluted), it was the history and atmosphere that made this story so appealing for me.
The mystery was secondary for me, so while it was good (if a bit convoluted), it was the history and atmosphere that made this story so appealing for me.
robynryle's review against another edition
3.0
I'm still not sure exactly what Yashim being a eunuch means, as in what parts are missing, and how this effects his overall sense of self. So the eunuch part has never really panned out for me. But I love to hear about his cooking and generally wandering the streets of Istanbul. The mystery part is often hard to follow, and this book seemed even more chopped up, but still enjoyable overall.
janetreads's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Wow I liked this one so much better than the first! I’m glad I gave the series a second chance. Maybe the first in the series was a little too focused on the “set up” of the “world” we’re in. This one was a good story, a good mystery, and the world of early 19th century Istanbul was both integrated into/important for the story and a nice backdrop. Satisfying in the way mysteries ought to be. The explanations of politics, history, and ethnic groups were not over done. I personally enjoyed that the descriptions of food came up more often (with lots of detail) than the last book.
danilanglie's review against another edition
3.0
I'll say straight-up that it's not really the plots that draw me to these books. It's much more so the setting, and the compelling competence of Yashim, our leading man. But unlike in the first book, I found the plot in this book straight-up confusing. When we got the revelation about the identity of the supposedly murdered man, I felt like that was a good twist. But the additional twists that came after it felt like they were tacked on at the last minute. And Yashim's original reasoning for getting looped in - that he worried about his reputation - was pretty much dropped by the end.
That said, I still enjoy the vibrant characters and the incredibly intimate feel of the setting and atmosphere. We spend time with Yashim putting together clues and learning about the history of Istanbul, but we also spend time with him buying vegetables at the market, and cooking in his kitchen.
I also thought the action scenes in this book were just as good as in the last - the short chapters make for a very cinematic feel and pace.
That said, I still enjoy the vibrant characters and the incredibly intimate feel of the setting and atmosphere. We spend time with Yashim putting together clues and learning about the history of Istanbul, but we also spend time with him buying vegetables at the market, and cooking in his kitchen.
I also thought the action scenes in this book were just as good as in the last - the short chapters make for a very cinematic feel and pace.
justfoxie's review against another edition
3.0
The second book in the Yashim series, and though not quite as good as the first one (there were moments where it started feeling a bit formulaic), it was still a very enjoyable read.
carolynf's review against another edition
4.0
Yashim is an unwilling detective in the Ottoman Empire, as the sultan is on his death bed. This mystery centers on the events of the battle in Greece where Byron died, and lost Byzantine treasures.
kimu's review against another edition
4.0
This was the February selection for our neighborhood book club. I didn't read Goodwin's previous novel, The Janissary Tree, before reading this and I don't think you have to read the books in order to enjoy them. The Snake Stone is a good historical detective novel, quite interesting, and well presented.
jeregenest's review against another edition
3.0
A fun mystery set in Istanbul a few centuries back. Very atmospheric