<DIV><DIV><P>Detective.&nbsp; Polyglot.&nbsp; Chef.&nbsp; Eunuch.</P><P>Investigator Yashim Returns in this Edgar&#174; Award-Winning Series</P><P>&nbsp;</P><P>Istanbul, 1840: the young sultan Abd&#252;lmecid believes that Gentile Bellini's vanished masterpiece, a portrait of Mehmet the Conqueror, may have resurfaced in Venice. But it's not Yashim, our eunuch detective, who takes a ship across the Mediterranean. Instead, it's his Polish ambassador friend, Palewski, disguised as an American art dealer.</P><P>What begins as a simple inquiry soon turns into a murderous game of deception and suspense, played out among the faded palazzi and sluggish canals of the decaying city. Dealers, forgers, and aristocrats become fatally involved, as the search for the Bellini portrait uncovers a threat to the stability of the Ottoman throne, and the peace of Europe.&nbsp;<BR><BR></P><P>The Paperback Edition Includes an Author Interview, Bonus Inspector Yashim Recipe, and an Excerpt from the Next Inspector Yashim Mystery, <I>An Evil Eye</I></P></DIV></DIV>