THE SULTAN’S SEAL

THE SULTAN'S SEAL is a Byzantine (literally) tale of two murders in nineteenth-century Istanbul, linked by a mysterious pendant bearing the eponymous seal and associated with the victims, both young Englishwomen working as governesses in royal harems. From Nadia May we learn to pronounce it “hareem,” and enjoy a great many other exotic pleasures. Her reading is witty and acute as always, but I had some trouble distinguishing by voice alone between two young female narrators, one the English ambassador's daughter, the other a highborn young woman of the city who knows more about the murders than she is telling. Nor is this the most persuasive whodunit, but its setting is fascinating, and it's a lot of fun. B.G. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 06]