The Ottoman secret - Raymond Khoury

'The best what-if thriller for a long, long time' LEE CHILD

'An alternative history tale that will blow your mind. A story strung along the centuries that is thoroughly engrossing and one you will long remember' DAVID BALDACCI

The Ottoman Secret is a sweeping thriller which will captivate fans of Man in the High Castle, Fatherland and The Handmaid's Tale

PUBLISHED IN THE US AS EMPIRE OF LIES
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PARIS 2017. THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE HAS RULED EUROPE FOR OVER 300 YEARS

As a respected special investigator for the state police, Kamal Agha is committed to keeping the empire safe from threats inside and out. But these are dangerous times. Under the sultan's autocratic regime, no one is beyond suspicion.

When a naked man covered in tattoos appears on the banks of the Seine and murders a passerby, Kamal is tasked with tracking him down. But asking too many questions can be a highly risky endeavour - especially when the mysterious man's trail leads Kamal to a secret buried deep in the empire's past, a secret that goes to the very core of the empire's success.

A secret the sultan and his security services will do anything to silence.

Kamal is forced to question his own loyalty when his own family attracts unwelcome attention from the security services. Soon, he has no choice but to flee. But on the run from the all-seeing organisation where he built his reputation, can he save himself and his family?

And, if he does, what might that mean for the existence of the Empire itself? Its past, its present and its future ...
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"Alternate histories don't get much better than this thought-provoking mind bender... Superior and plausible worldbuilding matches an ingeniously imaginative conceit. This ranks as a classic of the genre." Publishers Weekly

'A dystopian thriller that wears its smartness on its sleeve. Will appeal to fans of The Handmaid's Tale . . . I suspect that this summer, you'll never be far from someone who has been claimed by The Ottoman Secret' Independent

'A tour de force of storytelling and concept. Thrilling, disturbing, inspiring, it left me all too often in awe' JAMES ROLLINS

'The Ottoman Secret is a masterpiece. A compelling saga, on a grand scale. A stellar epic' STEVE BERRY