The Darkest Night (Ikmen Mystery 26) cover art

The Darkest Night (Ikmen Mystery 26)

Inspiration for THE TURKISH DETECTIVE, BBC Two's sensational new crime drama

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Unlimited access to our all-you-can-listen catalogue of 15K+ audiobooks and podcasts
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

The Darkest Night (Ikmen Mystery 26)

By: Barbara Nadel
Narrated by: Sean Barrett
Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

About this listen

 Barbara Nadel's gripping Ikmen mysteries are the inspiration behind The Turkish Detective, BBC Two's sensational eight-part TV crime drama series, out now.
Dark magic is unleashed on the streets of Istanbul . . .

When a newborn baby is found drowned in the shallow waters of the Golden Horn, all-out warfare threatens to erupt between rival criminal gangs. Inspector Kerim Gürsel is assigned to the case and he must tread carefully when DNA tests reveal that the baby's father is Görkan Paşahan, Istanbul's most feared Mafia boss. But the identity of the infant's mother is yet to be discovered . . .

Meanwhile, Çetin İkmen and Mehmet Süleyman attend the winter festival known as Bocuk Gecesi, held on the darkest night of the year, and witness a magic trick whereby a young man, Emir Kaya, disappears. While İkmen investigates how the illusion took place, Süleyman conducts a tortuous hunt for Emir Kaya that exposes a harrowing tale of depravation, betrayal and corruption where the bloodline of a child is worth killing for and everything has its price . . .

Praise for Barbara Nadel's novels:

'Complex and beguiling: a Turkish delight' Mick Herron

'İkmen is one of modern crime fiction's true heroes, complex yet likeable, and the city he inhabits - Istanbul - is just as fascinating' The Times

'Barbara Nadel's distinctive Istanbul-set Inspector İkmen thrillers combine brightly coloured scene setting with deliciously tortuous plots' Guardian©2024 Barbara Nadel Crime Fiction International Mystery & Crime Mystery Police Procedurals Crime Exciting
All stars
Most relevant
Istanbul brought to life by the best narrator Sean Barrett ! He brings all the characters to life. Another great story. Highly recommend

Wonderful as usual!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
As ever a wonderful insight into the darker side of life in Istanbul. Great to meet old characters and a fantastically intriguing story. Couldn’t put it down.

Utterly intriguing

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I wait every year for a new Cetin story. This story has many twists and turns and although the names are strange to British ears the plots are easy to follow. One of the most interesting. Cetin has a new partner after his wife had died many years ago but the weird genie-type character is still in the kitchen. Sean Barrett does a great job as usual but he also narrates the Slough House books and I have to remember he is in Jackson Lamb mode not Cetin Ikmen. . Looking forward to the next Cetin story which gives, I think, a true glimpse to life in modern Istanbul.

Absolutely brilliant

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
M. Nadel goes from strength to strength. She weaves fascinating stories together, - showing the extraordinary within the ordinary – drawing on complexity of Istanbul, Türkiye and the region, bringing her characters to life and enabling the reader to reflect on human nature and the state of the world today. Her books are brilliant thrillers, and also, to me, great literature.

Inspiring and enlightening. Incredible reproduction of the atmosphere of… The real Istanbul

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I always like the complexity of these books, especially the oldness of Istanbul and the prevailing new things that come in ruining everything . I wish that names are easier for us English people but all the characters we’ve together nicely.

Twist and turns bit confused at first

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews