“Meticulously researched, this richly textured debut novel will capture your imagination from the beginning, pull you into the intrigue and adventure, and never let go. An extensive cast of characters complements the story’s intricate details, which includes origins of the Koran.”
—RT Book Reviews, 4 ½ stars, “FANTASTIC—keeper”
“In The Topkapi Secret, Terry Kelhawk gives us the gift of a gripping adventure with electric tension crackling from almost every page. However, it also shines a laser beam of clarity onto the ancient religions and rituals, reinforced by traditional texts that fuel the furies of fanatics and fiends. Watch as Kelhawk shows destiny unfolding and history being shaped.”
—Rabbi Daniel Lapin, cochair of the American Alliance of Jews and Christians
“The Topkapi Secret is a fascinating book. I congratulate the author for this magnificent work.”
—Dr. Mark A. Gabriel, former lecturer of al-Azhar University
and bestselling author of Islam and Terrorism
“Terry Kelhawk’s book, The Topkapi Secret, is an exciting and captivating novel that takes the reader on a thrilling ride through mystery and intrigue set in multiple cities across the Middle East. This is a book that you will be hard-pressed to put down.”
—Michael Levine, renowned Hollywood publicist and author
“Kelhawk reaches new heights by bringing together artistic vision and Islamic fact drawn from the Holy Quran. At the same time, she presents a creative vision without straying from the scientific approach for which she is known. All the information in the novel is accurately and correctly documented from the Holy Quran and from the sayings of Prophet Mohammed. All of the information mentioned about Islam in Kelhawk’s novel is directly in line with source texts.”
—Mohamed Rahouma, PhD, professor at Maryland University,
former dean of Arabic and Islamic Studies, University in Egypt
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 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. But when Mohammed tries to engage her in his quest, he finds she has an agenda of her own. Cat and mouse games, heated discussions, and sparks of romance inevitably ensue.
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.
Binding: Hardcover
Pages: 417
ISBN: 978-1-61614-213-1
Shipping Weight: 2lbs
Author Bio:
Terry Kelhawk is an award-winning writer, speaker, and teacher. She holds a doctorate degree and has considerable personal and professional experience with the Middle East and Islam.
