The Topkapi Secret by Terri Kelhawk

The Topkapi Secret by Terri Kelhawk



from Goodreads:

A fourteen hundred year old cover-up.

All who threaten this secret die.
A race through the Middle East to uncover evidence buried in plain sight.

Cultures clash and emotions soar as Arab researcher Mohammed Atareek and American professor Angela Hall race away from death towards discovery. Will they succeed in their journey to expose the truth, or will ...moreA fourteen hundred year old cover-up.
All who threaten this secret die.
A race through the Middle East to uncover evidence buried in plain sight.

Cultures clash and emotions soar as Arab researcher Mohammed Atareek and American professor Angela Hall race away from death towards discovery. Will they succeed in their journey to expose the truth, or will the opposition terminate them first?

On display within the Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul lies the Topkapi Codex-an ancient manuscript of the Koran involved in the murder that split Shiite from Sunni. What's the truth about the Topkapi Codex? Is there blood on it? Are its contents the same as the modern Koran's? No one knows because the Topkapi Codex is off limits to research.
Mohammed Atareek is obsessed with getting his hands on this mysterious manuscript. His research has convinced him that the Koran has been changed many times, and the text of the famous codex could prove it. But other scholars are turning up dead. Did they share his conviction? Should he expose himself to their risk?

Angela, a UC Berkeley English professor, married money and kept it; but lost the marriage, most of her family, and a friend under traumatic circumstances. On top of that, she makes a career move that puts her in the Middle East and in Mohammed's path. His overconfident, witty, and impulsive personality is both puzzling and refreshing to Angela.


Based on solid historical research, this exciting debut novel features a page-turning plot, a startling conclusion, and many eye-opening facts about the origins of the Koran.

My Take:
This review has been a long time in the making because I was sick and was unable to get to the book when the blog tour came around.  That being said this book had me feeling so-so about it.
The first half of the book I had  a hard time staying interested.  Not that there wasn't much going on in the book, there was, but that it didn't seem as if what was going on was related in any way, shape, or form. 
The chapters basically went back and forth between the two main characters but there seemed to be no connection between the characters and at times I was a bit lost when it came to the connection between the chapters for the same characters.
About half way through the book the main characters meet and then the adventure really begins.
The book seems to be really well researched and at time the plot seems to be lost in the research.
I would say that the subject matter and the second half of this book makes it worth the time to read it.  If you are interested in Turkey and it's history and interested in the Islamic religion then this is a book for you.

I was sent a copy of this book by Glass Road PR in excahnge for my honest opinion.  I was not required to write a favorable review.