Land of the Blind (Inspector Ikmen Mystery 17‪)‬

Barbara Nadel's gripping Ikmen mysteries are the inspiration behind The Turkish Detective, BBC Two's sensational eight-part TV crime drama series, out now.


Ancient feuds and new dangers bring death to the streets of Istanbul...

Set against the Gezi Park uprising of 2013, Land of the Blind is the seventeenth crime thriller featuring Inspectors Cetin Ikmen and Mehut Suleyman in Istanbul. A perfect read for fans of Jason Goodwin and Martin Walker.

'There's no one quite like Nadel... Seamlessly weaving together so many diverse threads is the work of a master with her finger firmly on the city's pulse... Gripping' - Big Issue Istanbul

In the ruins of the Constantinople hippodrome lies a body: a woman, clutching a piece of red stone. She's recently given birth, but there's no sign of the baby. Inspector Çetin Ikmen discovers she was Ariadne Savva, a Byzantine specialist on a crusade to protect the historic areas of Istanbul that property developer Ahmet Öden seeks to destroy and rebuild.

As Ikmen searches for the lost child and the facts behind Ariadne's death, the people of Istanbul rise up in protest against their government in Gezi Park. Amid the chaos, Ikmen and his colleague Mehmet Süleyman must unravel a tale of ancient hostility and modern desires, to find the truth concealed within the secret history of their antique city.

What readers are saying about Land of the Blind:

'I am always amazed at how Nadel captures the ever-changing climate of the ancient city, which is growing more modern by the day'

'If you're looking for a masterclass in how to open a thriller, I suggest you read the first two pages of Barbara Nadel's latest book, Land of the Blind. It's the start of a rich and taut mystery, expertly crafted and atmospherically set in the extraordinary city of Istanbul'

'[Nadel] seems to get right under the skin of the city of Istanbul and the people until you can almost smell the coffee'