Barbara Nadel

Nadel is the British author of the Cetin Ikmen series of crime novels. The best part of this series is its setting in exotic Istanbul. Like Donna Leon, I read it more for the sense of place rather than the crime mystery itself. Leon is much darker because she deals with themes of corruption at high levels. One finishes with a sense of hopelessness... Nothing is as it seems and nobody can be trusted.

The Cetin series are lighter although Harem is more violent and darker than the other novels. Cetin himself is incorruptible and morally reassuring. As with most of Turkey he chain smokes. He has 9 children who are generally brought up by his wife Fatma. He is poor due to his refusal to be corrupted.

As in most detective novels, Ikmen has a side kick in the form of the handsome younger inspector Mehmet Sulayman. Sulayman himself is descended from the Ottoman royalty who were booted out by Kemal Attaturk. This provides a great foil for treatise on Ottoman empire history, culture and customs.
The inclusion of the Jewish Cohen family provides another avenue to explore the role of Jews in Turkey. As I understand it Turkey is one of the most progressive middle eastern countries... More European than middle eastern.
Some of the story lines are so fantastic they stretch the author's credibility. Ultimately it does not matter because one reads Nadel for the great sense of place and history and interesting characters rather than for the plot itself.