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Title details for The Bellini Card by Jason Goodwin - Available

The Bellini Card

A Novel

#3.0 in series

by Jason Goodwin
Stephen Hoye
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
Istanbul, 1840: the new sultan, Abdulmecid, has heard a rumor that Bellini's vanished masterpiece—a portrait of Mehmed the Conqueror—may have resurfaced in Venice. Yashim, our eunuch detective, is promptly sent to investigate, but—aware that the sultan's advisers are against any extravagant repurchase of the painting—decides to deploy his disempowered Polish ambassador friend, Palewski, to visit Venice in his stead. Palewski arrives in disguise in down-at-the-heel Venice, where a killer is at large, as dealers, faded aristocrats, and other unknown factions seek to uncover the whereabouts of the missing Bellini.


But is it the Bellini itself that endangers all or something associated with its original loss? And how is it that all of the killer's victims are somehow tied to the alluring Contessa d'Aspi d'Istria? Will the Austrians unmask Palewski, or will the killer find him first? Only Yashim can uncover the truth to the manifold mysteries.

  • Creators

  • Series

    Yashim the Eunuch

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    April 20, 2009

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781400190126
      • File size: 298197 KB
      • Duration: 10:21:14

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      December 8, 2008
      Near the start of Edgar-winner Goodwin's fine third historical to feature the eunuch Yashim, who serves the Ottoman rulers of early 19th-century Turkey (after 2008's The Snake Stone
      ), Yashim's close friend Stanislaw Palewski, the Polish ambassador to the Turkish sultan, accepts an undercover assignment on the sultan's behalf. Posing as an American, the diplomat travels to Venice in an effort to locate a portrait of Mehmet the Conqueror (who reclaimed Constantinople from the Christians in 1453), painted by the legendary artist Gentile Bellini. Fortunately for Palewski, Yashim, who has a secret plan for the painting's recovery, intervenes in time to set the mission on the right track after the murder of two art dealers. While Yashim initially plays a backstage role, the eunuch and a shadowy power broker engage in an exciting and complex duel of wits in the book's final quarter. Once again, Goodwin skillfully blends deduction, action sequences and period color.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Third in the Yashim the Detective series, Goodwin's latest offering should appeal to historical fiction and mystery lovers alike. Set during the Ottoman Empire, with Istanbul and Venice providing the backdrop, this tale teams with exotic characters with dubious motives. When the sultan asks the detective to acquire a famous painting rumored to be available in Venice, Yashim sends his friend Pawlewski to investigate. Stephen Hoye's narration is superb--his pacing and accents are wonderfully executed. His creation of distinctive, memorable characters is further enhanced by his seemingly effortless transitions between voices. Filled with eccentric personalities with curious names, the story is a bit confusing at times. Still, it's a pleasure to listen to Hoye's performance. M.H.N. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      Starred review from October 1, 2009
      In his third mystery to feature eunuch detective Yashimfollowing "The Snake Stone" (2007), also available from Tantor MediaEdgar Award winner Goodwin (www.jasongoodwin.net) has the investigator for the Ottoman Court traveling to Venice, where murders obscure his hunt for a portrait. Audie Award winner Stephen Hoye ("Rich Dad, Poor Dad") handles the multiple accents and voices with ease. Fans of Jenny White's Kamil Pasha mysteries and Caleb Carr's detailed historical novels will love this superb foray into another time and place, in which Goodwin integrates 19th-century history with a fine mystery; highly recommended to readers of both. ["To be savored," read the review of the Farrar hc, "LJ" 1/09.Ed.]Janet Martin, Southern Pines P.L., NC

      Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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