Guest review: The Istanbul Puzzle

The Istanbul Puzzle is a thriller/mystery novel, first published January 19, 2012. It's the first in a series of novels featuring Sean Ryan and Isabel Sharp, being published by Harper Collins and a series of other publishers around the world.

Buried deep under Istanbul, a secret is about to resurface with explosive consequences...Alex Zegliwski has been savagely beheaded. His body is found hidden near the sacred archaeological site of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. When Sean arrives in the ancient city to identify his colleague's body, he is handed an envelope of photographs belonging to Alek and soon finds himself in grave danger. Someone wants him dead but why? Aided by British diplomat Isabel Sharp, Sean begins to unravel the mystery of the mosaics in the photographs and inch closer to snaring Alek's assassin. Evil is at work and when a lethal virus is unleashed on the city, panic spreads fast. Time is running out for Sean and Isabel. They must catch the killer before it's too late. An electrifying conspiracy thriller which will entice fans of Scott Mariani, Sam Bourne and Dan Brown.

Mr Sheli's opinion: I downloaded this book ages and ages ago, but finally got round to reading it on holiday this year. I didn't really know what to expect, but Sheli thought that it looked like the sort of book that I would enjoy.

The story centres around Sean Ryan. When Alex Zegliwski is killed in Istanbul in a brutal beheading, Sean goes out to investigate and find the truth behind the murder of his friend and colleague. His investigation starts offon a dangerous footing and he meets Isabel, who he hopes can help him get the answers he needs.

Overall, I thought that the book a good read. I enjoyed the storyline and some of the action scenes. This is the first book that I can remember reading that is written in the first person, so sometimes I found that a little confusing, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book.

Although I don't think that this book is in quite the same league as some of my favourite action/adventure authors such as Robert Ludlum and Scott Mariani, I definitely enjoyed it and will certainly be reading the next two books in the series.

Mr Sheli's rating: 3.5 stars