The Abyssinian Proof
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- 49,00 kr
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- 49,00 kr
Publisher Description
19th-century Istanbul: a conspiracy to steal an ancient reliquary; a secret which could change the world.
The Ottoman Empire is plagued by thefts of antiquities from mosques and churches that, within days, appear for sale in Europe. Among them is a reliquary, presumed lost for four hundred years and around which an elaborate and mysterious sect has grown.
In Istanbul, magistrate Kamil Pasha is under pressure to break the smuggling ring amid rising tensions between Christians and Muslims. He confronts a mysterious adversary who will stop at nothing to get the reliquary first. With the Balkans aflame and Kamil's personal life in upheaval, the search into the old neighbourhoods where Istanbul's crime rings reside may cost Kamil not only his position but also his life.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A mysterious, holy grail like object, a document with the potential to "bring about peace between the different peoples of the world," is at the center of White's erudite second novel set in late 19th-century Istanbul and featuring city magistrate Kamil Pasha (after The Sultan's Seal). The minister of justice, Kamil's boss, orders him to find the thieves who are looting Istanbul of its religious relics and selling them to unscrupulous dealers in London. Kamil's friend Malik, the caretaker of a local mosque, has a specific task for him locating a stolen reliquary, a silver box that contains a secret message known as the Proof of God. Kamil smart, brave and compassionate proves an appealing sleuth. Intriguing love interests include the daughter of the leader of the strange Abyssinian sect to which the reliquary belongs. White, a professor of anthropology, clearly knows her period and place, though some readers may wish that she had toned down the esoteric knowledge and upped the thriller quotient. Author tour.