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The Istanbul Puzzle

by Laurence O'Bryan (Goodreads Author)

3.44 of 5 stars 3.44 · rating details · 244 ratings · 54 reviews

The Istanbul Puzzle is a thriller/mystery novel, first published January 19, 2012. It's the first in a series of novels featuring Sean Ryan and Isabel Sharp, being published by Harper Collins and a series of other publishers around the world.

Buried deep under Istanbul, a secret is about to resurface with explosive consequences...Alex Zegliwski has been savagely beheaded. H...more

Paperback, 400 pages

Published January 19th 2012 by Avon Harper Collins

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Nov 27, 2012 Caitlin rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: never-again

The book started out promising. The opening scene was gripping and dragged you into the story immediately. After that, well... I really could not sympathize with the hero, Sean. It was written with short sentences that sometimes felt awkward and abrupt and there was a lack of transitions. However, the sights and sounds and smells of Istanbul has been beautifully researched and described, sometimes to the point of being overdone (do I really need to know what every inch of the highway looks like?...more The book started out promising. The opening scene was gripping and dragged you into the story immediately. After that, well... I really could not sympathize with the hero, Sean. It was written with short sentences that sometimes felt awkward and abrupt and there was a lack of transitions. However, the sights and sounds and smells of Istanbul has been beautifully researched and described, sometimes to the point of being overdone (do I really need to know what every inch of the highway looks like?). But I did learn a lot about the history of the city and there are many cultural tidbits throughout, which I love.

Some things bothered me, though, preventing me from truly liking this book. For one thing, the guy is an American and no American will call a highway a motorway, or a shopping cart a trolley, or a road a carriageway, or a flashlight a torch. Given, he's been living in England for 12 years, but he just didn't seem like a very authentic American to me. It was constantly pointed out that he has an American accent, but I wasn't convinced.

Oh, and his father has a "Purple Star history." His father was in the US military and had seen a lot of combat...but what on earth is a "purple star"? I'm no expert but my family has a strong military background and I've heard everything about Bronze and Silver Stars and my brother even has a Purple Heart... but I have never heard of a "Purple Star" before. Is it something (imaginary) like a bronze heart? Or is it an esteemed ladies crocheting club in Minnesota? Really, how hard is it to look up a list of US Military awards and decorations on Wikipedia if you're willing to fly to Istanbul 9 times to research?

Sorry if this prevents me from giving the author much credibility. I guess that's just me being nit-picky, but I really do appreciate accuracy. So I will move on to the plot, which involves government agents, terrorists, museum curators, and the usual- nothing new there. It was about a guy who had no idea what was going on, why it was going on, where it was going on, etc. Everything came together, not because he was clever, but because he was in the right places at the right times. In addition to that, there were a lot of scenes that just weren't explained later, at least three characters who are introduced and then disappear without adding to the story, among other inaccuracies that you will notice.

It feels to me the author put all of his time and energy into researching Istanbul and getting every detail there right, but when it came to other things he got lazy and started ad-libbing.(less)

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Mar 16, 2013 David rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, read-in-2013, library-book

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 28, 2012 Stephen Clynes rated it 4 of 5 stars

Alek, a photographer is beheaded in Istanbul. A video of his murder is posted on You Tube. Sean Ryan, who works with Alek, tries to find out why he was killed.

There is a nice mix of chapters in this book, with the bad guys having a brief one to keep the reader in the loop and longer chapters written in the first person as Sean tries to solve this mystery. This novel has a good plot where you read what the bad guys are up to something but Alek got in the way. With Sean investigating what went wro...more Alek, a photographer is beheaded in Istanbul. A video of his murder is posted on You Tube. Sean Ryan, who works with Alek, tries to find out why he was killed.

There is a nice mix of chapters in this book, with the bad guys having a brief one to keep the reader in the loop and longer chapters written in the first person as Sean tries to solve this mystery. This novel has a good plot where you read what the bad guys are up to something but Alek got in the way. With Sean investigating what went wrong, will he become a victim?

I enjoyed reading this book which is a good conspiracy tale. It is very thought provoking with a realistic scenario. The story is very current day and has an engaging plot involving the war on terror. The reader develops a good expectation that Sean will discover just what Alek had found. But a find worth killing for? You learn to understand Sean's motivation and thoughts because most people would abandon this dangerous search to solve the mystery...

What his father told him afterwards had stuck in his mind; when you’ve done things that can never be forgiven, you become free, because you can never go back, never undo them.

...The story is very realistic with lots of knowledgeable background thrown in...

Heathrow Airport, Terminal 5, the largest free-standing building in the UK, looked as busy the following morning as it had during the nightmare snow storm the previous winter.

The report confirmed the existence of a Yersina Pestis bacterium in the doctor’s blood. That fact alone would not be enough to ring warning bells. Every year many thousands of cases of plague ended up being reported to the World Health Organisation.

... The ending of this story was well explained and reasoned. This book raises issues of fear within our society...

‘Today,’ he began, dispensing with any opening pleasantries, ‘the Muslim faith is the fastest growing of all Europe’s religions. By some projections, within some of your lifetimes, it will be the faith of the majority, given the comparative birth rates. An Islamic Europe may not aspire to tolerance, either. It may well be fundamentalist. And they don’t usually take kindly to dissent. When they offer your granddaughter a burqa, she may have to put it on.’

‘People used to believe the world was full of evil spirits,’ I said. ‘They had no other way to explain things they didn’t understand. That’s my explanation for evil spirits. And I’m sticking to it.’

...The Istanbul Puzzle was written in 2011 and I purchased the 1631 KB Amazon Kindle version. I thought it was a good book and I vote it 4 stars.(less)

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Jan 17, 2012 J.S. Colley rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review first appeared on the Booksquawk website.

I entered a contest on HarperCollins’ website authonomy.com to receive a proof copy of The Istanbul Puzzle—and I won! Yeah, me! It was doubly nice as I love puzzles and my guilty pleasure has always been religious conspiracy-theory thrillers. This one certainly didn’t disappoint. The book is due to be released the middle of this month, so this is a pre-publication review.

Just as riots break out in London after a minor incident at a local mos...more This review first appeared on the Booksquawk website.

I entered a contest on HarperCollins’ website authonomy.com to receive a proof copy of The Istanbul Puzzle—and I won! Yeah, me! It was doubly nice as I love puzzles and my guilty pleasure has always been religious conspiracy-theory thrillers. This one certainly didn’t disappoint. The book is due to be released the middle of this month, so this is a pre-publication review.

Just as riots break out in London after a minor incident at a local mosque, Sean Ryan learns his partner and co-founder of The Institute of Applied Research, Alex Zegliwski, has been brutally murdered while on assignment in Istanbul. Alex has no next of kin and so the police ask Sean to come to Turkey to identify the body. Once there, Sean meets Isabel Sharp, Alex’s liaison officer at the British Consulate, when she saves Sean from meeting the same fate as his partner. Isabel is not only investigating Alex’s beheading, but also recent chatter on the Internet that threatens to “bring Armageddon to London.”

Is Alex’s death, the riots, and the chatter all connected? The only clue to the mystery surrounding Alex’s death is an envelope containing a USB memory stick and some blown-up photos of mosaics. Who is the enemy and who is the ally? The reader is left guessing. This book does what a thriller is supposed to do—keep the reader on edge with every turn of the page. The Istanbul Puzzle weaves elements together in a plot that is very believable in the current political/religious climate.

What makes this book even more enjoyable is Laurence O’Bryan’s knowledge of Istanbul, which is obvious in his descriptive passages of the city. O’Bryan evokes all the senses, and makes the reader feel as if he/she is right there. I like to learn something when reading a novel—even a thriller—and this book did not disappoint. I feel as if I’ve visited the city and the beautiful Hagia Sophia, the church that had “once been the Islamic world’s St. Peter’s.”

I’m eagerly anticipating O’Bryan’s next novel in the series titled, The Jerusalem Puzzle. He also has a website where he posts puzzles related to the book. What fun!

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Mar 02, 2013 Huda Sarkowi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, history

When I see the word Puzzle on its title, I thought this book could be mentally challenging. I was quite disappointed when what Sean Ryan did was mostly tagging along with Isabel Sharp in some exploration in Turkey. I was expecting more ie. secret code waiting to be deciphered. Although an ancient book discovered by Sean and Isabel was an interesting premise, I couldn't relate it to the book. It seems to be out of place.

But I won't say Sean and Isabel little adventure was a disappointment. It wa...more

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Dec 08, 2012 Arletta Dawdy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Irish writer Laurence O'Bryan's breakout novel, THE ISTANBUL PUZZLE, marks his entry into the thriller/adventure genre and he does it with a skilled writing style. I had access to a galley proof from a friend who met the author in Dublin. While not an historical novel, per se, the book is filled with great historical detail taking the reader from the Ottoman Empire to the present day. The storyline is well developed with intrigue and corruption showing the way. The puzzle metaphor works quite ni...more

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Jun 17, 2013 Ash09 rated it 1 of 5 stars

The writing was subpar. I couldn't sympathize with the characters; Sean's stubbornness, in particular, made me want to kick him once a paragraph. The main plot, which I won't describe, was drowned out by supernatural/archaeological morass. That would be distantly acceptable had the said morass furthered the plot in some way, but it did not. The supernatural, the archaeology literally had no connection to the plot, and seemed to have been included to fit genre convention. I woke up when our hero...more

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Feb 28, 2013 Nicole McManus rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ariesgrl-book-reviews, written-review

4.5 Stars

Sean Ryan just learned that his friend and co-worker, Alek Zegliwski, has been killed while working in Istanbul. Sean must leave London in order to identify Alek’s body, but once he lands in Istanbul, Sean realizes there is more to his friend’s death than he realized. With the help of Isabel Sharp, a British diplomat, Sean escapes death numerous times as he hunts for the people that killed Alek. Little does he know that there is a deadly virus being tested and unleashed in Istanbul by t...more

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Nov 27, 2011 Kate rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review first appeared here http://forwinternights.wordpress.com/... and is from a review copy.

The Istanbul Puzzle might be the first novel by Laurence O’Bryan but it is such a confident, atmospheric and thoroughly gripping thriller that I’m relieved to report that the second, The Jerusalem Puzzle, will follow after just a year. That book will continue the adventures of the two extremely likeable leads introduced to us here: Sean Ryan, a director of the Institute of Applied Research in Oxfor...more This review first appeared here http://forwinternights.wordpress.com/... and is from a review copy.

The Istanbul Puzzle might be the first novel by Laurence O’Bryan but it is such a confident, atmospheric and thoroughly gripping thriller that I’m relieved to report that the second, The Jerusalem Puzzle, will follow after just a year. That book will continue the adventures of the two extremely likeable leads introduced to us here: Sean Ryan, a director of the Institute of Applied Research in Oxford, and Isabel Sharp, a British diplomat in Istanbul. Their dayjobs are about to get a little unpredictable…

Their task here is to uncover the murderer of Sean’s friend and colleague Alex, whose beheaded body has been found close to the Hagia Sophia. But as they inch closer to revealing the truth, the threat to Istanbul, to London and to the rest of the world increases by the hour. What did Alex stumble across? And what dreadful legacy from the ancient city is about to be unleashed?

The answers to the secrets lie under the very heart of Istanbul, in the Roman and medieval cisterns, sewers and underground tunnels. Sean and Isabel are both very human and attractive protagonists. They don’t face danger and deceit with the bravado of comic book characters and they’re not the stereotypes found in some thrillers. When they’re in the tunnels, trapped under water and nibbled at by terrifying shapes in the dark, their fear and panic are tangible and the pages will fly through your fingers. O’Bryan knows Istanbul, as becomes clear in his enjoyable guide to a day spent exploring the sites of the city that closes the book. This knowledge adds colour and depth to Sean and Isabel’s adventures around and under the city. You can almost taste the damp in the air and feel the crush of the busy streets.

The threat that waits through the novel is all the more frightening because it is something that could conceivably happen as terrorism changes its shape. But it’s also terrifying because humanity has faced this catastrophe before, albeit it inflicted by nature and not by a man pressing a button, in the Middle Ages and in the post-Roman years. It could happen again. The stakes are very high and the clock is ticking. Istanbul, the meeting place of continents, cultures and religions provides the perfect setting.

The Istanbul Puzzle is the first in a series of novels and so we have much to learn about Sean and Isabel’s background and natures. Both are turning a corner in their lives and discovering that they have a great deal to lose. The book is extremely well-written, with prose that manages to be both to-the-point and colourfully descriptive. The dialogue is particularly excellent and there were a couple of lines that made me guffaw out loud. Just as you would expect from a good thriller, The Istanbul Puzzle is indeed unputdownable. I was very sorry to finish it in little over a day and I’m grateful for being given the chance to read an early proof.

Do keep an eye on the author’s website for competitions and further information about the book and its characters.(less)

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Feb 02, 2013 Shawn rated it 2 of 5 stars

This was an Ok read. I would rate it higher, but there were many grammar errors (not British/American spelling differences) and a few logic problems. O'Bryan writes chapters in first person (sometimes past tense?) and then third person omniscient, to convey his stories. This seems to work, but there were moments towards the beginning of the book that the first person narrative was either omniscient or past tense, which was distracting.

Overall the plot was Ok. As other readers have written, O'Bry...more

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Jan 30, 2012 L.K. Jay rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: action

This was a great find for all those who like a fast paced action adventure story. This story is in a similar genre as The Davinci Code only with more plausible adventure and more believable characters.

Sean is still traumatised from the death of his wife and his sadness continues at the news of the death of his best friend Alex, who was working on a Turkish heritage site for their academic research. Sean goes out to Istanbul to identify the body and his adventures start there when he meets up wi...more

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Oct 28, 2012 Sian Wadey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-z-of-authors, action-adventure, murder-mysteries

For ages I've been searching for an Indiana Jones style book, with plenty of puzzles, action, likeable characters and a quick pace. Unfortunately this is not the book.
The Istanbul Puzzle may be called so, but there is no puzzle involved. The characters spend a great deal of time looking for a mosaic, but it's not dwelt on much.
Action there is plenty of! Bullets flying, people dying left, right and centre, explosions! My particular favourite bit is when Sean and Isabel get stuck in a drain below...more

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May 18, 2012 David Prosser rated it 5 of 5 stars

Fast paced supercharged adventure story. Great characters and a few surprises in store. Laurence O'Bryan has created in Sean Ryan a hero that is worthy of his own series like an Indiana Jones who doesn't need the whip.
The tension mounts throughout the book until we reach a climax that may surprise every reader.
I won't spoil it by giving away the story line but I will say it was worrying enough to be possible.
Romping through Istanbul was a learning curve also because Laurence O'Bryan obviously kn...more

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Jan 17, 2012 Natalie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

The Istanbul Puzzle is gripping and superbly written, with a fluent and judicious storyline building up to a great finale.

The very authentic two main characters are likable and beautifully three dimensional. Their deeds are comprehensible and coherent within themselves.

Laurence obviously loves and knows about Istanbul and its smells and sounds, its dark corners, the century-old history, the diametrically opposed expectations to the future of Occident and Orient just tied together by one bridge....more

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Jan 23, 2012 Sam rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have just finished reading The Istanbul Puzzle by Laurence O’Bryan. It is 2am, I should be in bed sleeping, but I couldn't put it down. I found it impossible to read 'just one more chapter' as each chapter made me want to carry on reading.

This is a superb first novel by Laurence O'Bryan, it deserves to be a best seller. In my view it has the potential to be turned into a television drama or cinema film.

I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the two main characters and hope they will be tog...more

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Feb 15, 2013 Suzan rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed it! I felt kinda bad for Sean, he had already had to deal with enough loss even before the story began as when we meet him for the first time, he's already lost both parents, his wife and his former position in the institute he co-founded (the last being because of what happened after his wife died) then in this story it starts out with him losing his best friend, Alek, the guy that helped him most to get over his wifes death, even if he hasn't completly moved on.
I liked Isabel and I l...more

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Jan 23, 2012 Paul rated it 4 of 5 stars

A brutal murder. An ancient temple. A long-lost treasure.

Buried deep under Istanbul, a secret is about to resurface with explosive consequences…

Sean Ryan arrives in the ancient city to identify the body of his friend and colleague Alek Zegliwski. Alek has been savagely beheaded, his body discovered near the sacred archaeological sit of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Aided by British diplomat Isabel Sharp, Sean inches closer to snaring Alek’s assassin. Evil is at work and when a lethal virus is unleas...more A brutal murder. An ancient temple. A long-lost treasure.

Buried deep under Istanbul, a secret is about to resurface with explosive consequences…

Sean Ryan arrives in the ancient city to identify the body of his friend and colleague Alek Zegliwski. Alek has been savagely beheaded, his body discovered near the sacred archaeological sit of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Aided by British diplomat Isabel Sharp, Sean inches closer to snaring Alek’s assassin. Evil is at work and when a lethal virus is unleashed on the city panic spreads fast. Time is running out for Sean and Isabel. They must catch the killer before it’s too late.

Sean and Isabel make a believable pairing, he is methodical and steadfastly refuses to walk away from the mystery surrounding his best friend’s murder while Isabel is tenacious and driven to help Sean discover the truth. Their separate strengths compliment one another and as the plot develops it’s nice to see the relationship that forms between them. You get a sense of the trust that they have in one another as they are flung from one desperate situation to another.

There is also just enough backstory included for the reader to appreciate that these individuals are, in their own way, quite fragile. It’s this additional level of characterisation that adds an extra depth to the narrative. Learning each of the protagonist’s fears and frailties makes them come across as a bit more human than your average thriller hero or heroine.

Its obvious that the author has a great deal of love for the novel’s main location. The descriptions of the city and its environs are temptingly evocative. Istanbul comes across as a city that is both steeped in history but is also firmly part of the 21st century. In addition to that, you’ll get a sense of the clash of cultures that exists there. The political and religious groups that make up parts of the population feature quite strongly in the plot as it unfolds. Istanbul is a place where East truly meets West and O’Bryan’s writing deftly captures the sights and sounds of this international melting pot.

There are some fascinating political power plays going on behind the scenes of the main story and the reader gets just a glimpse of these. Personally, I have to admit that, it would have been nice to find out just a bit more. There are a couple of shadowy characters whose motivations are never fully explained. This is a minor gripe though, it is possible that this may be something that is picked up in future books as this is the first in a series.

The Istanbul Puzzle is a good antidote to any grey winter afternoon, you can almost feel the heat of the Grand Bazaar radiating from its pages. In this strong debut you’ll find a well-paced, intriguing thriller that delivers a satisfying plot and some top-notch action.

The Istanbul Puzzle is published by Avon Books and is available from the 19th January 2012. A second novel, The Jerusalem Puzzle, is due in 2013.(less)

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Jul 16, 2012 Arfi rated it 4 of 5 stars

The first murder was a promise for me to read on that it's quite an intrigue to find out what was happening. The introducing lead of character, Sean Ryan, went quite like a mystery itself, hardly to imagine his personality other than his strong will to find out the cause of murder of his colleague. Nevertheless, I'm really impressed by locations mentioned in this book that I was eager to find out through Google Earth and immensely magnified by how beautiful these places are. I'd like to feel th...more

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Sep 11, 2012 Robin rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Istanbul Puzzle kept me turning pages all the way from Ireland to San Franciso. That's right, I couldn't put it down to sleep. Started and finished the whole book on the flight home. Author Laurence O'Bryan has crafted this thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat for a winning start to his new trilogy. The scenes around Turkey, the quest which drives protagonist Sean Ryan as to what happened to his good friend, and who was responsible his friend's murder were indeed riveting. Then there...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Dan Thompson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-thriller, adult-fiction, read-in-2013

I have to admit that ever since Dan Brown seemed to revolutionise the Historical Thriller genre, I’ve become extremely fond of these Uncover-A-Long-Lost-Treasure-That-Will-Change-The-World-As-We-Know-It type books; they’ve even become a sort of guilty pleasure. Released in 2012, The Istanbul Puzzle comes from Irish writer, Laurence O’Bryan, who attempts to add his own unique voice to the mix, by introducing Sean Ryan, who’s dragged into a sinister terrorist plot when he is summoned to Turkey to...more I have to admit that ever since Dan Brown seemed to revolutionise the Historical Thriller genre, I’ve become extremely fond of these Uncover-A-Long-Lost-Treasure-That-Will-Change-The-World-As-We-Know-It type books; they’ve even become a sort of guilty pleasure. Released in 2012, The Istanbul Puzzle comes from Irish writer, Laurence O’Bryan, who attempts to add his own unique voice to the mix, by introducing Sean Ryan, who’s dragged into a sinister terrorist plot when he is summoned to Turkey to identify the body of his dead colleague. Beheaded by a known terrorist group and the video uploaded onto YouTube, Sean finds himself urging to find out more … and so begins The Istanbul Puzzle.

As Sean delves deeper into what his co-worker was working on inside the ancient temple of Hagia Sophia, he is joined on his quest by British diplomat, Isabel Sharp, who suspects something more sinister is afoot. The quest leads them around this atmospheric and busy city, into the depths of the ancient temple itself and even find themselves underground in old World War II bunkers that predate the event by centuries. It’s classic adventure with a modern vibe and a lethal virus thrown in to spice things up even more.

What stands out, pretty much from the off, is how much detail the author goes into when describing the old city of Istanbul. It’s extremely atmospheric and full of character, which adds ounces of realism into a genre that often likes to mix factual history with fictional treasures. And what also impresses, is how not only does O’Bryan go into visual detail, he adds smells and sounds to his descriptions too, which not only adds to the credibility, but also gives us readers a fully three dimensional world - we almost don’t need to visit the city ourselves.

I have to also admit, I loved his protagonist, Sean Ryan. He’s a man on a mission. He’s not an expert in crime, or ancient symbols, or an FBI agent with super fighting abilities (like we often see in these types of books) but is a man who wants to discover the truth. He won’t stand for less and that’s admirable; it automatically draws us to connect with Sean and follow him on his journey. He’s also a troubled protagonist too; a widower who failed to discover the truth behind his wife’s death, which as you can imagine, only fuels the fire more to hunt out the truth when his co-worker, Alek, is involved. I didn’t think I would, but I also fell for his female lead, Isabel Sharp, too. She’s intelligent, organised and ultimately believable. She doesn’t rush into situations, just for purpose sake, but admits early on that if anything is to be discovered, she needs help. This isn’t a story with maiden-in-distress story plot, but it’s realistic in terms of human capabilities. When the main characters grab you like these two do, it only urges you to read more.

Where the book really succeeds, is the historical and religious arc surrounding the mysterious manuscript. It isn’t original, but it’s believable and that’s the selling point here. Where some of his contemporaries can sometimes speculate and give Wikipedia style explanations mixed in with explosive action, O’Bryan goes for a more subtle approach, which delicately reveals to us the historical past and turmoil of a city that goes from one religion to another. It’s handled delicately and properly and gives us time to register the importance of the facts before moving on to more action.

The adventure isn’t half bad either. The real stand out moment is when Sean Ryan and Isabel Sharp find themselves underneath Hagia Sophia and have to escape the maze of underground tunnels to evade capture by the terrorist group. It’s a mix of dusty, tight tunnels and holes, underground rivers that hide beneath the water, flesh eating eels, which proves to be an extremely exciting read.

There are so many pluses, where The Istanbul Puzzle is concerned – the evil and psychotic nature of his villains are captivating. In this type of novel you really do need hardcore baddies, because not only does it add brilliant tension, it also gives us another reason to get behind our heroes. The constant switching of first-person to third-person (albeit hard to get used to, to begin with) actually adds nice pace. The third-person gives us a chance to witness other characters and their stories, whilst the first-person allows us to connect more personally and emotionally to Sean. It’s a nice touch.

It’s got to be said though that The Istanbul Puzzle is far from perfect. One of the biggest quibbles I have with it, is the very short sentences that seem overly simple at times. You can’t expect deep literary descriptions in this genre of book, it would simply disrupt the flow, but sometimes in here, you plead for a little more. There are points where the structure of the sentences are very The cat sat on the mat. Then it went to the shops. It bought Milk. It really does come alive when the historical detailing of Istanbul is revealed, but when the action occurs it reverts to the short sentence structuring and it’s something that needs rethinking I think.

Another let down is the threat of this plague that threatens to wipe out the majority of the human population, because of our dependence on antibiotics. It’s an interesting and current concept, one that deserves much more focus. You can get the picture of this threat quite early on, especially with some of the shorter chapters dedicated to other characters, but when it actually comes to it, it is rather quickly rounded off at the end of the novel. It’s quite anticlimactic, which is a shame really because there was promise there.

Then there is this discover of this ancient manuscript that asks so many questions, which sadly reveals no answers. I’m not sure if this manuscript will feature in the sequel, The Jerusalem Puzzle, but there is a good emphasis put on this manuscript that leaves you wanting to know more. If I was to be honest, I think this is a story of one man’s quest to discover the truth about the beheading of his friend, with elements of history and terrorism thrown in to heighten the story. Perhaps it was marketed wrong. I mean on the front of the book the tagline is: A Brutal Murder. An Ancient Temple. A Long-Lost Treasure. When this treasure never really amounts to anything substantial in terms of revealing to us readers, the secrets that lay inside, it’s actually disappointing.

The Istanbul Puzzle has its setbacks, but on the whole it is a riveting and thoughtful adventure, where its protagonist, Sean Ryan, takes centre stage. He’s a man on a mission to discover the truth and it’s a story of acceptance and emotional progression too. He never really moved on when the devastating news of his wife’s death came, and here we see a man accept the past so he can move on in the present. It has moments of fascinating revelation and good adventure scenes. It certainly has promise and with its gripping characters, I’ll be passing on to its sequel straight away. Perhaps, Laurence O’Bryan is wrongly compared to the likes of Dan Brown. It’s a novel that, perhaps, has been released a little late into the genre’s life, because I could see this being very popular back when these historical thrillers were the in thing. If you love Sam Bourne and Raymond Khoury novels, then you will most certainly find enough in here to keep you highly satisfied.
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Apr 16, 2012 Michele Thulborn-chapman rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Michele by: twitter feed

Reading the Kindle edition but can't find the version on here yet.

A great start with an unusual murder.

I agree with some other comments that this novel is a more plausible story than the Da Vinci Code, which I hated and couldn't wait to get to the end of. The film was even worse than the book!

At the moment Sean Ryan has been escorted to the tarmac by two F-35's into Irag while he tries to find out where his dead colleague Alex managed to take some photos of an unknown mosaic. Only for the Orhto...more

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Dec 10, 2012 Donna rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed The Istanbul Puzzle, a fast moving story with plenty of mystery and thrills to keep you flipping through those pages.
I like a book where you are grabbed from the beginning and without giving anything away this certainly grabbed. The descriptions of Istanbul are really well written you can almost feel the heat and smell the dampness of some of the places our heroes find themselves in.
All in all a great read and I've already purchased, The Jerusalem Puzzle, the next book in the s...more

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Jul 30, 2012 Iluzija O. Istini rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: real-life-shelf-fiction

I don't now what to do with this book.
On one hand I found it interesting, but at the same time, too stretched out and not nearly challenging enough. It just kept having potential, until it didn't any more.
Ending was disappointing, pace at which plot was developing changed drastically and book ended abruptly. I don't have anything against quick solutions, but style changed so much, I was left with the feeling writer ran out of ideas, time and/or will to write. Book is full of intermissions that...more

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Jul 24, 2012 Jane Blanchard rated it 5 of 5 stars

From the first page, The Istanbul Puzzle by Laurence O'Bryan captures the readers interest and then continues with a page-turning story to the end. A gruesome murder, interweaving plots, unexpected twists, cliff hangers, and more make this book hard to put down. Be prepared to stay up late reading this well-crafted story.

This is the first in a series and I can't wait for the Jerusalem Puzzle to be released in January 2013.

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Dec 03, 2012 Lesley Fletcher rated it 5 of 5 stars

I completely enjoyed this book from beginning to end and can easily recommend it to any reader who enjoys action, adventure, intrigue, history and travel. O'Bryan has demonstrated his knowledge of Istanbul and then has taken it a step further in speculation.

Part of what I enjoyed about the book, aside from the characters, setting and premise was the fact that the author showed a great deal of respect for the country (Turkey), its people and customs. I personally appreciate that as I am a firm be...more

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Nov 22, 2012 Nigel rated it 4 of 5 stars

What a great find for anybody who likes action, adventure stories. This starts off with a bang and carries on at a real page turning pace. The characters are well written, develop nicely and are very believable. The plot takes from Istanbul, London Iraq and finally back to London for the climax, you can tell the subject matter and places have been well researched. This is a great first novel and I'm really looking forward to the sequel.

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Jan 31, 2012 Liz rated it 2 of 5 stars

There are far better quest and adventure books out there than The Istanbul Puzzle. Regardless of the fact that it is a debut, I found the characters one-dimensional and the dialogue odd and stilted. The mystery concept however was well done, which redeems it. Sadly, this is not a book I will recommend - not if you are a fan of the genre and there are far more better titles to choose from.

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Apr 28, 2012 Steve Hayman rated it 4 of 5 stars

A great debut novel and O'Bryan has a lot to offer over the coming years. Good strong characters that will develop more and O'Bryan brings Istanbul to life with every page read. If you enjoy the 'Dan Brown' style of writing, intrigue and pace then Istanbul Puzzle is a must.

Looking forward to the sequel and seeing how O'Bryan progresses.

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Jan 26, 2013 Diane rated it 1 of 5 stars

if `i could give this book 0 stars I would. Stock villains almost stroking their beards and 'mwah hah haing'. A waste of money and time. Characterisation shoddy, no thought or care taken. Plot thin, weak and boring. Sorry but I hated this so much. Sorry Laurence. I'm sure you're a lovely person but I won't be buying anything else.

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Mar 12, 2012 Sarah rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Pulpus danbrownicus ssp. but a little better: fractionally more depth, less ridiculous, a genuinely exciting bit in the tunnel with the hungry eels, and some pretty good Istanbul colour. Also quite a lot of history and not bent to suit - some supposition and invention but not to the extent of misrepresentation, as far as I can see.

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topics	posts	views	last activity
The Mystery, Crim...: Inferno vs The Istanbul Puzzle	1	2	Jun 17, 2013 10:05pm
The Themes in The Istanbul Puzzle	5	20	Apr 07, 2013 12:51pm
Editorial Tips an...: Emotion – what keeps us involved!	1	2	Nov 22, 2012 01:16am
The Mystery, Crim...: The Istanbul Puzzle	3	15	Oct 06, 2012 04:00am
Author Interviews: Author Interview - Laurence O'Bryan - 2	1	2	Aug 24, 2012 01:13am

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About Laurence O'Bryan

My first novel, The Istanbul Puzzle, was shortlisted for the Irish crime novel of the year 2012 award. My second novel, The Jerusalem Puzzle came out Jan 2013. My third, The Manhattan Puzzle, will arrive all over the world Oct 10, 2013.

My roots go back to a small estate deep in the Mountains of Mourne, near the Silent Valley, in County Down, Northern Ireland.

I went to school in Dublin, drank way...more

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