Janissary Tree, Paperback/Jason Goodwin

Set in nineteenth century Istanbul, this is a rich, atmospheric and exciting historical thriller. A concubine is strangled in the Sultan's palace harem, and a young cadet is found butchered in the streets of Istanbul. The eunuch Yashim delves deep into the city's crooked alleyways and discovers that some people will go to any lengths to preserve the traditions of the Ottoman Empire. A bloody, witty and fast-paced literary thriller.