American writer Jeffrey Siger's debut novel, MURDER IN MYKONOS, received widespread, critical acclaim as a "brilliant," "can't put down" mystery-thriller, giving "an insider's view of the island paradise of Mykonos," and skyrocketed to rank as the #1 best selling English-language book in Greece!
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. 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.
Sort of a 'Mama Mia' setting for a 'No Country for Old Men' thriller.
Poisoned Pen Press published MURDER IN MYKONOS in the United States in January, 2009.
Aikaterini Lalaouni Editions of Athens simultaneously released Greek- and English-language versions in Greece. It was the first time a foreign work of fiction debuted there in both languages. Goldmann Publishing/Random House will publish MURDER IN MYKONOS in Germany in July 2010 (titled OPFERGABEN) and Piatkus Books/Little Brown will publish the novel in the UK and Commonwealth.
Siger is a former attorney on Wall Street and now lives almost exclusively in Mykonos where he has been a full or part time resident for almost 25 years. His passion for Greece shows in his writing.
"Murder In Mykonos" is a terrific read. Kaldis finds himself 'promoted' to Police Chief on Mykonos after having been a hot shot detective in Athens for the homicide division. (Apparently he stepped on a few toes)
Kaldis is not happy about the transfer... NOTHING HAPPENS ON MYKONOS!
Well not exactly. Kaldis immediately finds himself in the midst of a case that entails a twenty year killing spree on the Island in which a serial killer has been killing tall, blond and young women and burying them in a ritual style in the many chapels found on Mykonos.
Kaldis is terrific as he has to work within the framework of the local politics, the massive ego's of the politicians as well as those of the powerful locals to solve the case. The book is filled with the beauty and history of the Greek Cycladic Islands and especially Mykonos.
Kaldis provides a strong cast of interesting characters: Annika, a strong headed young woman who finds herself as the next potential victim; the mayors cousin who happens to run a local hotel but also enjoys secretly videotaping his female guests, and other Greek men mostly interested in how to score with the never ending influx of female tourists.
Filled with extraordinary scenery and visuals, coupled with interesting facts about the politics and history of the island and throwing in a number of twists throughout the story I think this is a great debut of what promises to be a pretty rewarding series.
Signed hardcovers seem to be readily accessible at this point at a very good price. (I was even able to get a signed book from Amazon without even knowing it was signed when I ordered it.)
The press runs should be pretty low I would guess and Siger appears committed to keep the series going strong. It looks like a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor with this one.
—BOOK COLLECTING TIPS
