Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
I am familiar with Barbara Nadel's excellent mystery series set in Turkey that features Inspector Ãetin Ikmen, so I was more than happy to read this Hakim and Arnold book. For years I was one of those readers who insisted on reading every series in numerical and/or chronological order, no exceptions. However, I've been loosening the stranglehold that rule has had over me with (mostly) successful results. A majority of the series I've begun "in the middle" have had enough back story provided that I don't feel lost. This was not the case with Bright Shiny Things, the fifth in Nadel's Hakim and Arnold series. I definitely felt at a disadvantage with the two main characters. I never really got a feel for either Arnold or Hakim, and since I am a character-driven reader, this was a bit off-putting.
Even though I didn't feel comfortable with those two characters, the story drew me in. Nadel took me by the hand and led me straight into a world I scarcely knew existed-- the inner workings of immigrant populations in the East End of London and how some of the young people could fall under the spell of something like ISIS-- and how ISIS recruits others to join its ranks. One of the best parts of the book has Mumtaz Hakim impersonating a young Muslim girl online. What she learns, and what happens as a result of her impersonation, is eye-opening and chilling.
Nadel is an excellent writer, and after reading Bright Shiny Things I definitely want to go back to the beginning of the series to see what I missed. I know I will be richly rewarded.
Even though I didn't feel comfortable with those two characters, the story drew me in. Nadel took me by the hand and led me straight into a world I scarcely knew existed-- the inner workings of immigrant populations in the East End of London and how some of the young people could fall under the spell of something like ISIS-- and how ISIS recruits others to join its ranks. One of the best parts of the book has Mumtaz Hakim impersonating a young Muslim girl online. What she learns, and what happens as a result of her impersonation, is eye-opening and chilling.
Nadel is an excellent writer, and after reading Bright Shiny Things I definitely want to go back to the beginning of the series to see what I missed. I know I will be richly rewarded.
