The Jinn and the Sword

About the Book

"Certain elements of digital artistry and formatting, as depicted in the hardcover and paperback editions of this book, cannot be replicated in the ebook version due to device limitations."

The sixteenth century was rife with turmoil throughout Europe. The Topkapi Palace in Istanbul (Konstantiniyye), the seat of the Ottoman Empire, was not immune to the strife and chaos. The imperial court of Suleyman the Magnificent was a focal point for recondite, multilayered mysteries, and a breeding ground for plots Topkapi officials who may be conflicit. Suleyman summons Conte Vincenzo Lupo de Venezia (II Lupo the Wolf) to assist in the resolution of the proliferating intrigues and thwart assassination attempts against the sultan and his favored harem concubine, Roxelana. II Lupo is renowned as a master swordsman and for his remarkable investigation skills and acumen, having foiled recent plots against the French king, Francis I, and Albert, Duke of Prussia. II Lupo established a martial arts academy in Venice where the finest fighters from around the world seek his expert tutelage, including his seventeen-year-old daughter, Francesca. Having lost his wife during childbirth, II Lupo has raised Francesca as a single father. A master of the martial arts and disguise, Francesca travels with her father disguised as a boy. Arriving in Istanbul, they are escorted by Kemal, Suleyman’s personal bodyguard and captain of the palace guard, the Elite Beyliks. Born a Palestine Jew, Kemal was torn from his home at age eleven, enslaved by the Ottomans, and educated in the palace school as a janissary. He rose to his esteemed status at the age of twenty-six. His public persona of a handsome and fearsome warrior is juxtaposed against that of a brilliant, sensitive poet with deeply suppressed longings for his homeland. A romance between Francesca and Kemal blossoms as they join forces with II Lupo and Aziz, Roxelana’s formidable and favored black eunuch, to quash assassination attempts and solve mysteries surroundings the theft of sacred relics of Muhammad from their Topkapi respository. Theft masterminded by a seemingly supernatural Shaitan are accompanied by gruesome murders committed by a demonic jinn, dwelling in labyrinthine secret passageways—a subterranean maze running through the ancient Byzantine acropolis upon which the Topkapi Palace was built. Although filled with intrigue, action, and suspense as its heart, the book is a story of love, yearning, awakening and beneficence that touches the human spirit. This verisimilar story is presented with a visual richness evocative of the times and the tale and artistry reminiscent of the illuminated manuscripts and calligraphy of the era.

About the Author

Robert Peacock is an attorney/CPA who has served as an Administrative Judge for the past thirty-two years, most recently on the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals (ASBCA) and previously on the Corps of Engineers Board of Contract Appeals prior to its merger with the ASBCA in 2000. His inspiration for the book emanated from his study of Ottoman history and culture and visits to the magnificent city of Istanbul when he was stationed in Turkey as an Air Force JAG officer approximately forty years ago. Whenever able, he spends his free time with his twin daughters, Mary and Anne, and his grandchildren, Wil and Amelia. Sara Lawrence (Peacock) Cook is a published interior designer and retired from her thirty year career as owner of an interior design business and importer of antiques. Living in Europe for fifteen years she traveled extensively for clients, business and pleasure, including a visit to Istanbul, Turkey – the setting for the novel. A self-described “collector of experiences and impressions,” she turned her creative efforts to writing, using her vivid recollections to build scenes and characters in The Jinn and the Sword, an intriguing, inspired plot and mesmerizing outline developed by her brother and co-author, Robert. Joining forces, their shared vision was to enhance the reader’s experience by illustrating the book in a manner evocative of the manuscripts of the 16th century. Leaving behind the hectic pace of suburban life, she recently relocated to the northern Great Plains in search of a more Arcadian lifestyle. She has been married forty-five years to John L. Cook, a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel and published author. She credits Katelyn Cook and Rebecca Cook, daughters made family through marriage to their sons, Zachary and Joshua, for their elevated artistic and editorial contributions.