Murder in Mykonos
by Jeffrey M. Siger
The problem with living in paradise, where your economy is based on it being other people’s paradise, is that the
sorts of problems which appear regularly on the nightly news elsewhere just cannot be allowed. Oh they may occur,
but they can’t become public knowledge, much less reach the news reports; and if they do, it is only as someone
else’s problem somewhere else.
Athens homicide detective Andreas Kaldis was simply too good at his job, worrying a number of powerful people
with his aggressive investigation into a series of drug trade murders. As a result he was "promoted" to chief of
police on the Greek resort island of Mykonos. Officially it was to placate the moneyed visitors who increasingly
had more influence over how things were run than the locals, and were demanding better policing, with a more even
handed approach—making it desirable that someone from off the island be put in charge. Kaldis thought he
was making some progress, but then the Albanian worker found a body in a church crypt. Naked, head shaved, bound
hands and feet... a message, not a simple murder. Then when Tassos Stamatos, chief homicide investigator for
the Cyclades (the island group Mykonos belongs to) arrived and they talked, it turned out this wasn't the first
such body. Searches turn up more and more bodies elsewhere, amidst island power brokers determined that word of
this shall NOT get out into the public, no matter who may be in danger because of the silence. After all, even
more lives are at stake if the tourists all get scared away (not to mention their own fortunes and skins), and
besides, Greece has never had a serial killer. Meanwhile the daughter of a politically connected diplomatic family
has taken her broken heart to Mykonos to recover, and hasn't been heard from since...
This is a vivid, highly suspenseful thriller that nicely balances showing us the Mykonos of the tourists with
that of the natives. Kaldis isn’t a warm, fuzzy guy but he is an appealing protagonist to follow through this sort
of tale—tough and tough minded with integrity to go with intelligence, a sense of humor and a very human
personality. He may be good at his job, but he’s not some cold superhero type. The story is filled with the
people and their interactions rather than the sort of unbelievable action sequences that dominate too many
thrillers today, although it ends with a breathtaking chase after the killer across land and sea. And there’s a
final, nicely surprising twist at the very end.
A pulse pounding, suspenseful, sun drenched antidote to the gloomy winter blahs. |
The Book |
January 10, 2009 |
Poisoned Pen Press |
Hardcover |
978-1-59058-581-8 |
Mystery / Suspense |
More at Amazon.com |
Excerpt |
NOTE: Some language and a lot of sexual undertones |
The Reviewer |
Kim Malo |
Reviewed 2009 |
NOTE: |
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