January 1888. Vera Arti carries The Communist Manifesto in Armenian through Istanbul’s streets, unaware of the men following her. When the police discover a shipload of guns and the Imperial Ottoman Bank is blown up, suspicion falls on a socialist commune Arti’s friends organized in the eastern mountains. Special Prosecutor Kamil Pasha is called in to investigate. He soon encounters his most ruthless adversary to date: Vahid, head of a special branch of the secret police, who has convinced the sultan that the commune is leading a secessionist movement and should be destroyed—along with surrounding villages. Kamil must stop the massacre, but he finds himself on the wrong side of the law, framed for murder and accused of treason, his family and the woman he loves threatened.
Exploring the dark obsessions of the most powerful and dangerous men of the dying Ottoman Empire, The Winter Thief also reflects the mad idealism of those turbulent times.
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"Very suspenseful so far, great villain. Nice set up for sequel #4.I really like Jenny White's style of writing. She has a talent for reaching a nice balance between interesting detail and moving the plot along. "
— Misty (4 out of 5 stars)
“White…adroitly tosses in period detail as well as romance, political intrigue, and brutal battle scenes. But The Winter Thief really distinguishes itself by the intelligence of its smaller moments, when characters take stock of their limitations against the larger demands of history.”
— Washington Post“White’s gripping third thriller to feature Turkish detective Kamil Pasha will appeal to fans of Laura Joh Rowland's Japanese historical series…The atmospherics and period detail are first-rate.”
— Publishers Weekly“The nineteenth-century Ottoman Empire, in the throes of political upheaval, again provides the vividly realized background for this third mystery featuring Special Prosecutor Kamil Pasha. White demonstrates her in-depth knowledge of Turkish history in a deftly plotted and clever tale of intrigue, duplicity, and violence…White’s best book to date.”
— Booklist (starred review)“While this story is not for the faint of heart, McCaddon’s depictions of Kamil’s moral dilemmas make for a compelling main character.”
— AudioFile" Very human story, with characters you care about, set in an empire that the West has always been ignorant about - the Ottoman. "
— Curt, 12/3/2013" Appreciated the historical setting. You can tell by all of the political/historical/anthropolical details that the author is a scholar. The characters and the action are good, too. "
— Celiavg, 10/11/2013" Very enjoyable read. Somewhat unbelievable, but interesting to have the wack job serial killer in a unique time and setting. "
— Cdelory, 9/17/2013" keep up the good work Kamil Pasha!! "
— Margaret, 7/20/2013" Couldn't get into it. Gave up. "
— Michelle, 5/16/2013" Very suspenseful although the ending feels rushed. The cultural context is very well captured. "
— Beatrice, 6/27/2012" A great book. It had suspense and adventure. "
— Karl, 6/3/2012" audio. best of the 3 "
— Paul, 3/25/2012" Better than book 2 - another mystery and more palace intrigue for magistrate Kamil. Quick read. "
— Jennifer, 2/21/2012" Excellent and exciting. Jenny White has created such a vivid picture of the Ottoman Empire and populated with fascinating characters. The book had a wonderful sense of time and place. "
— Mary, 1/22/2012" This was a fun read-mystery thriller set during the end of the Ottoman era. It's the 3rd in the Kamil Pasha series, I think I'll read the other two. "
— Rallou, 9/25/2011" Very enjoyable read. Somewhat unbelievable, but interesting to have the wack job serial killer in a unique time and setting. "
— Cdelory, 3/17/2011" This was a fun read-mystery thriller set during the end of the Ottoman era. It's the 3rd in the Kamil Pasha series, I think I'll read the other two.<br/> "
— Rallou, 12/14/2010" Couldn't get into it. Gave up. "
— Michelle, 6/29/2010" A great book. It had suspense and adventure. "
— Karl, 5/16/2010" Better than book 2 - another mystery and more palace intrigue for magistrate Kamil. Quick read. "
— Jennifer, 4/2/2010Jenny White is the author of the Kamil Pasha novels, The Sultan’s Seal, The Abyssinian Proof, and The Winter Thief. She is a professor of anthropology and the author of numerous nonfiction works on Turkish society and politics. She lives in Boston.
Wanda McCaddon (d. 2023) narrated well over six hundred titles for major audiobook publishers, sometimes with the pseudonym Nadia May or Donada Peters. She earned the prestigious Audio Award for best narration and numerous Earphones Awards. She was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine.