As always, Kathryn Gauci’s research is impeccable as she returns to the Middle East with Midnight in Istanbul after her last book being set in the Pyrenees. She really captures the atmosphere of Istanbul, its food and culture, as well as its post-Ataturk cosmopolitan atmosphere and international intrigue. It takes place at the height of World War II. Turkey is trying to stay neutral in the midst of World War II, unable to support another war like World War I. She departs from her usual third person omniscient narrator to first person in the character, Eliott Caldwell, in this noir novel. He is ostensibly a journalist, but in reality is a spy working for the British OSS, trying to build assistance for the Resistance in Austria and Greece. He has a wife in England but seeks “comfort” during his extended stay in Istanbul with the lovely Hungarian cabaret singer, Ilona, who is also a spy. Eliott’s life and his mission is being threatened by unknown forces.
The plot has plenty of twists and turns as Caldwell explores Istanbul. Spies are everywhere, ranging from the Gestapo to the Brits to the Americans to the Russians—not to mention Turkey’s own police and spies—so no one can be trusted, except the lovely Ilona.
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Midnight in Istanbul (Ebony Publishing, May 7, 2024) is available through:
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You can read my reviews of other Gauci books here.
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