Synopsis (from
the publisher):
A young woman on holiday to Mykonos, the most famous of Greece's Aegean
Cycladic islands, simply disappears off the face of the earth. And no
one notices.
That is, until a body turns up on a pile of bones under the floor of a
remote mountain church. Then the island's new police chief -- the
young, politically incorrect, former Athens homicide detective Andreas
Kaldis -- starts finding bodies, bones, and suspects almost everywhere
he looks.
Teamed with the canny, nearly-retired local homicide chief, Andreas
tries to find the killer before the media can destroy the island's
fabled reputation with a barrage of world-wide attention on a mystery
that's haunted Mykonos undetected for decades.,br>
Just when it seems things can't get any worse, another young woman
disappears and political niceties no longer matter. With the
investigation now a rescue operation, Andreas finds himself plunging
into ancient myths and forgotten island places, racing against a killer
intent on claiming a new victim who is herself determined to outstep
him.
— ◊ —
— ◊ —
Murder in Mykonos
An Andreas
Kaldis Mystery
Jeffrey
Siger
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-59058-581-X (159058581X)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-581-8 (9781590585818)
Publication Date: January 2009
List Price: $24.95
— ◊ —
Review: With its
plethora of jewelry stores and other shopping opportunities and
all-night bars and restaurants, Mykonos, one of Greece’s most
famous islands, thrives on the tourist trade. But there’s a
mystery afoot that if not kept from the media could jeopardize the
island’s very livelihood. New Police Chief Andreas Kaldis, exiled
from his beloved Athens homicide squad, has the responsibility of
keeping the island’s reputation safe.
But that becomes incredibly hard when two young women disappear and
police find the bones of other female victims in burial sites under
many of Mykonos’s family churches. Kaldis and the local homicide
chief partner to solve a crime that has haunted Mykonos for decades, a
mystery with far too many suspects.
Jeffrey Siger’s debut novel, Murder
in Mykonos, offers a terrific setting of the famous island of
Mykonos, cloaked in legend and mystery. This novel, the first in a
series, introduces readers to Andreas Kaldis, an Athens homicide
detective who did his job too well, so his bosses have sent him to
serve as police chief of Mykonos to get him out of Athens.
Kaldis is a solid character although a bit too much of a bully with
suspects, which could stem from unhappiness with his new position.
Readers also meet various restaurant, jewelry store and hotel owners;
Tassos, the local homicide chief; and Kouros, one of Kaldis’s
officers who I liked very much. After an embarrassing first encounter
with Kaldis, he treats his chief with respect but doesn’t lose
his ability to think independently. I appreciated this depth of
personality in contrast to most of the members of Annika’s family
who while concerned came off as one-dimensional. Also, Annika’s
cousin, Demetra, comes to Mykonos to meet Annika and shows some spunk
when she finds out her cousin has gone missing, but then we never hear
from her again.
Siger’s plot that revolves around disappearing women, a
decades-long mystery and the hunt for a killer sounds promising, but I
finished the book unsatisfied. Perhaps, I missed something, but I never
quite understood why the killer committed the crimes. That said, Siger
did a wonderful job of inspiring suspense and terror with many of the
scenes with Annika, one of the women who have disappeared and her
captor.
Siger sprinkles the novel with information on Greek history, customs
and legend, which show he has done his research and add authenticity to
the story. Readers who enjoy gaining knowledge through their fiction
will learn of the panegyria, celebrations of saints on their name days;
myths of the island of Delos; and secret passages on Mykonos. He adds
descriptions of churches, statues and temples, which bring the islands
to life. Siger’s plot has some interesting twists and turns, and
I look forward to reading the next book to see if I enjoy it more. I
try never to judge an author on one book alone.
Special thanks to Katherine Petersen for contributing her review of Murder in Mykonos and to Poisoned Pen Press for providing an ARC of the book for this review.
Review Copyright © 2009 — Katherine Petersen — All Rights Reserved — Reprinted with Permission
Have you read Murder in Mykonos? How would you rate it?
Mysteries in this series …
Murder in Mykonos
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), January 2009
ISBN-10: 1-59058-581-X (159058581X)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-581-8 (9781590585818)
Assassins of Athens
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), January 2010
ISBN-10: 1-59058-689-1 (1590586891)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-689-1 (9781590586891)
Omnimystery keywords for Murder in Mykonos ...
Location(s) referenced: Mykonos, Greece.
