20 Great International Mysteries, February 2012

Private investigator Kemal Kayankaya has little respect for his current client. He thinks Manuel Weidenbusch is a whimpering “candy-colored, pink-bespectacled savior of whores,” but keeps this opinion to himself. Instead, the chain-smoking detective begrudgingly focuses on locating Weidenbusch’s kidnapped girlfriend and prostitute, Sri Dao Rakdee. This new assignment ushers Kayankaya through the dark side of Frankfurt, Germany, a world distinguished by predator (pimps, crime bosses, forgers) and prey (mail order brides, sexual workers and scammed immigrants). This gritty noir is third in the series featuring the Turkish immigrant detective.