Walking into the grand Pera Palas hotel in Istanbul, Turkey is a very
special experience and not just for fans of Agatha Christie. The hotel has
undergone extensive renovation and restoration, oozing opulence and atmosphere.
If you go to Istanbul, have a cocktail/or fruit 'mocktail' in the beautiful
Orient bar.
According to the hotel's website: 'since the Pera Palace Hotel first opened its
doors in 1895, its elegant interior and exterior has drawn visitors from all
over the world.
Designed by renowned local
architect Alexander Vallaury, the iconic building has played host to an
impressive list of guests that includes Ernest Hemingway, Agatha Christie and
Alfred Hitchcock among others. Today the
hotel maintains the elegant classical style that made it famous, with authentic
19th century features serving as a timeless focal point .. (the) Pera Palace
Hotel was designated with "museum-hotel" status in 1981.'
The Pera Palas is where Christie often
stayed and where she wrote Murder on the
Orient Express. There are some
wonderful historical displays in cabinets and throughout the hotel. The ornate birdcage lift off the foyer has an
information panel for those keen on spotting scenes from the book.
English crime fiction author Barbara Nadel is another writer who loves
Istanbul and her latest book Deadline,
number fifteen in the Inspector Cetin Ikmen series, is set in the hotel.
'When Inspector Cetin Ikmen is invited to a
murder mystery evening at Istanbul's famous Pera Palas Hotel he finds himself
embroiled in a deadly game of life imitating art. Halfway through the evening,
one of the actors is found actually dead in the room where Agatha Christie used
to stay when she was in Istanbul. Walking in the steps of the great Agatha
Christie, Ikmen experiences fear and hatred which have echoes deep in his own
and his country's past.' (publisher's note)
If you have visited Istanbul, pick up Deadline and you will recognize this intriguing setting in one of
the world's most beautiful cities.
Or be tantalized and visit a Boroondara Library Service branch where you
can find a copy of Murder on the OrientExpress or, for a taste of 'Turkish' crime fiction, Barbara Nadel's novels.
Some Turkish Delight or an exotic cocktail
might be the perfect accompaniment.
Carol @ Hawthorn
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