The Bellini Card: Investigator Yashim Goes to Venice

This third entry in Jason Goodwin's "Inspector Yashim" series (see my posts on The Janissary Tree and The Snake Stone), is, in fact, largely set in Venice, which was a little disappointing. It's now 1840 and the old sultan has died and been replaced by his son, Abdulmecid, who has asked Yashim to track down a portrait of his ancestor, Mehmet the Conqueror, by Italian artist Bellini, which is rumored to be on the market in Venice. However, one of the powerful pashas in the city (Istanbul) warns Yashim not to go, so Yashim is caught between two powerful men. His solution is to create a fake identity for his friend, the Polish ambassador Pawlewski, and send him instead. Pawlewski has been a man of the world but is clearly in over his head when art dealers (or dealers of forgeries) start dying and he becomes the prime suspect. Fortunately Yashim has realized, after following clues at home, that something rotten is afoot and has come to Venice in the nick of time to rescue Pawlewski, locate the painting, have a torrid affair with the Contessa d'Aspi d'Istria, and cook a wonderful Turkish meal. But there is deceit piled upon deceit, and even though the ending is revealed at the beginning of the book, you don't know that until you reach the end. We do get a behind the scenes look at Venice, which at this point in time has fallen to the Austrians, and is sliding into ever greater debt and decay. Still, I missed Istanbul.