"A wonderful novel about Istanbul. The Turkish way of life, prejudices, men, politics, corruption--Esmahan Aykol writes about all these with a light and humorous touch."--Petros Markaris, author of "Che Committed Suicide" and "Zone Defence"

"Bubbling with hedonism, enthusiasm, love of life and books, this should be mandatory reading for those holidaying in Turkey, visitors to Istanbul, and lovers of crime novels."--"Hamburger Abendblatt"

This debut by a young Turkish woman novelist is set in her beloved Istanbul. The heroine, Kati Hirschel, is a foreigner and proud owner of the only mystery bookshop in town. When the director of a film starring an old school friend is found murdered in his hotel room, Kati cannot resist the temptation to start her own maverick investigation. After all, her friend Petra is the police's principal suspect, and reading all those detective novels must have taught Kati something.

This suspenseful tale of murder features a heroine who is funny, feisty and undresses men in her mind more often than she would like. It uses humor, social commentary, and even erotic fantasy to expose Western prejudices about Turkey, as well as Turkish stereotyping of other Europeans.

Esmahan Aykol was born in 1970 in Edirne, Turkey. She was a journalist for a number of Turkish publications and radio stations. After a stint as a bartender she turned to fiction writing. "Hotel Bosphorus" is her first novel and will be followed by two others featuring Kati Hirschel.

Kati Hirschel, in her thirties, is the proud owner of Istanbul's only crime bookshop. She has learned the corrupt ways of her adored city and soon takes possession of an apartment obtained with the help of a generous bribe to a government official. All is well until a man is found murdered in her dream apartment and Kati becomes the police's primary suspect. In her second novel Esmahan Aykol takes us to the alleys and boulevards of cosmopolitan Istanbul, to posh villas and seedy basement flats, to the property agents and lawyers, to Islamist leaders and city officials - in fact everywhere that baksheesh helps move things along.

Kati owns Istanbul's only mystery book store and, as usual, gets involved in a case that is none of her business. Every day, a beautiful woman lunches alone in the restaurant next to the bookstore. When the woman is found dead in her apartment, Kati immediately recognizes the stranger from the restaurant in images in the newspaper photos. Although the police believe it was an accident, Kati suspects something more sinister has happened. Sani Ankaraligil was an attractive young woman, in the middle of a divorce from her wealthy husband and a politically active ecologist. So who would benefit from her death? The industrial companies Sani had accused of polluting the rivers of Western Turkey, or her jealous husband seeking revenge through an honour killing, or a Thracian separatist group? The investigation pulls Kati into the murkiest of waters.