Book Review: The Fourteenth Person by Elkhan Elatli (Crime/Romance Novel)

Azerbaijani author Elkhan Elatli's novel, "The Fourteenth Person," (On Dördüncü Adam) is a crime/romance novel. The novel tells a story of crime and murder on one hand, and a love story on the other. In fact, these two narratives are intertwined, creating a very interesting narrative. In this post, we will take a detailed look at this detective/romance novel by Elatli, examining its plot, characters, and themes.

Elkhan Elatli – The Fourteenth Person Book Review

"The Fourteenth Person" is the second book I've read by Elkhan Elatli, but it's the first detective novel. Thus, it was my first time reading a book featuring the author's detective character, Ganbay Gasimli (Qanbay Qasımlı). The inside cover of the book mentioned that it was a detective romance novel. Therefore, I was curious to see how the author synthesized these two genres. As I approached the end of the book, I realized that he had very skillfully crafted an impressive and realistic love story and masterfully integrated it into the detective fiction. Thus, I can say that it is a novel with a very successful ending that every reader anticipates with great curiosity.

In addition to this, I should also mention that the novel has a very fluent language and narrative. The plot always makes you curious about the next page, encouraging you to read more. Therefore, it was a book that I quickly read and finished without putting it down.

The Plot of "The Fourteenth Person"

The novel begins with a murder. Ganbay Gasimli, a private detective, finds himself involved when a colleague of his wife, Nifufer, is killed. While investigating the case, the police and Gasimli visit the last store the victim visited. There, they notice an old man named Firdovsi, who is always sitting on the balcony of an apartment across the street.

The author then takes the reader back to the 1980s. A young man, also named Firdovsi, comes to Baku from his village to study mathematics at the university. Here, we witness his experiences: his love, his disappointments, his marriage, and a series of shocking and tragic events that befall his family. Among these events, an unintentional murder also draws attention. The author narrates a chain of events that happen to this young man, events that sometimes make him question whether it's fate or not. Naturally, all of this is presented to the reader under a sub-narrative, and you'll probably wonder what happened to the murder case from the beginning of the novel. The author skillfully connects all these events later on, presenting a well-crafted story to the reader.

Writing more about the plot would be a spoiler. However, I must mention that the novel specifically deals with the theme of fate. How does fate draw a path for a person? Can a person deviate from it? Focusing on these questions, the author examines the experiences of the character Firdovsi, his relationships with Nedime, whom he marries, and Güleser, the girl he loves, within the framework of fate. Regarding young people choosing their spouses when getting married, one of the characters in the novel jokingly says to Firdovsi:

“After all, getting a wife is like buying a watermelon; you won’t know what’s inside until you cut it open. It’s a matter of luck. So, there’s no point in racking your brains. Approach the first girl you come across, and that’s it.” (p. 320)

When talking about fate, the novel specifically addresses how fate determines who a person will marry. The author describes how marriages were arranged in Azerbaijan in the past and how they have changed, and one particular paragraph is quite striking:

“In the past of his people, wasn't the custom of loving and being loved, getting married and starting a family usually like this? In the past, young men of marriageable age could not easily see and choose mature, eligible girls as they do now. However, unlike today, there was infinite respect, divine love for the mother at that time. The mother would come and tell her son that she had chosen a certain girl for him, that she was a very good girl, and that she wanted to take her for him. And these words of the mother alone were enough for the seed of love to begin to grow in the son's heart towards that girl, whose name began to be written in his destiny forever. Then, this seed would gradually grow into true love. For this reason, Azerbaijani families were strong, and husbands and wives "grew old on the same pillow." Now, however, young men and women chose each other and married, supposedly in love, but at least two out of every five newly married couples broke up before even six months had passed. This is what you call freedom, young people determining their own future lives…” (p. 66)

The Character of Detective Ganbay Gasimli

One of the most striking characters created by Elkhan Elatli is Detective Ganbay Gasimli. We have the opportunity to get acquainted with this character in the first pages of the novel. He has a wife, Nilufer, and a baby son named Aqil. This is his second marriage. We learn that he lost his previous wife and young child in a murder.

The author introduces Ganbay Gasimli to the reader as a stern and reserved police colonel (polkovnik). He is also an expert in forensic investigation. This detective character is currently working independently, and it is emphasized that, in addition to being a detective, he is also a very “knowledgeable psychologist.” The following excerpt helps us to better understand this character:

“This was the strange coldness, the grimness of Nilufer’s husband that might seem odd to many. If any other man were in his place, as soon as he entered the kitchen, he would at least ask his wife, "Is the child sleeping?" and "Where is Narmin, she's not to be seen?" These questions would seem natural to everyone as an excuse to start a conversation from the beginning of the day. However, Nilufer’s grim husband, the famous crime investigation expert Ganbay Gasimli, had his own unchanging character. He would never say extra words, unless there was a serious need, and he would not ask something he already knew. He knew very well that if his baby son was not in the kitchen at this time, and if there was no sound coming from the next room, then he was sleeping, and if Narmin was not seen at home on this day of the week, then she had gone to get milk from the woman in Gobustan. Knowing these things, it was against his character to ask questions just for the sake of talking. And luckily, Nilufer knew this…” (p. 294)

Conclusion

In conclusion, Elkhan Elatli's "The Fourteenth Person" stands out as an engaging work for those who enjoy both crime and romance novels. The plot that the author creates by skillfully combining the murder and Firdovsi's past keeps the reader constantly curious. The in-depth treatment of themes such as fate, love, and family relationships adds another dimension to the novel. The presence of a strong character like Ganbay Gasimli further enriches the crime part of the story. The novel's fluent language and compelling narrative make the reading experience enjoyable. The questions revolving around the concept of "fate" in the book bring a different perspective, especially to the issues of marriage and choosing a spouse. With all these features, "The Fourteenth Person" can be considered a novel that offers both literary pleasure and food for thought. It is definitely a must-read for those interested in Azerbaijani literature and those who enjoy works that blend different genres.

Elkhan Elatli

The Fourteenth Person 

Original Azerbaijani title: "On Dördüncü Adam"

TEAS Press

2nd Edition

Baku

2018

332 pages.

See also: Book Review: Elkhan Elatli – Blackmail: A Young Girl's Nightmare