Jason Goodwin
3 SeriesJason Goodwin, a British author, is known for his historical mystery novels and non-fiction works, including the Yashim the Eunuch series. He gained recognition with his memoir, "On Foot to the Golden Horn," which chronicles his journey from Poland to Istanbul following the fall of the Berlin Wall and won the John Llewellyn Rhys/Mail on Sunday Prize in 1993. Goodwin's interest in Istanbul was sparked while studying Byzantine history at Cambridge University.
In "The Janissary Tree" by Jason Goodwin, set in 1836, the Ottoman Empire faces modernization amidst a series of murders that threaten the Sultan's court. Yashim, a brilliant eunuch and intelligence agent, is tasked with uncovering the killer. As he navigates Istanbul's vibrant streets and the palace's opulent seraglios, Yashim suspects the involvement of the Janissaries, the empire's once-powerful elite soldiers disbanded a decade earlier. With the help of a diverse cast including a Polish ambassador and a transsexual dancer, Yashim seeks to prevent a potential Janissary resurgence and maintain the empire's fragile balance of power.
