Sunday, October 19, 2014

Sons of Sparta: A Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis Mystery-Jeffrey Siger

Sons of Sparta: A Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis Mystery
Jeffrey Siger
Poisoned Pen, Oct 7 2014, $24.95
ISBN 9781464203169

When his father’s brother asks Special Crimes Division Detective Yianni Kouros to come home to Mani in the Peloponnese, he does so immediately.  The family greets him as “Athens Yianni” except Uncle who hugs him warmly.  Soon after Yianni’s return, his Uncle informs him he has a land deal to end a long standing feud and make everyone rich.  However, instead of a glorious reconciliation, Uncle drives his car off the mountainous road.  Stunned like the rest of the family, Yianni cannot believe Uncle lost control as he witnessed the euphoric energy of his elderly relative just before the crash.

As the family feud’s cease fire is on the verge of exploding into a deadly war, Yianni investigates what he believes was a homicide with he assumes the motive being to end the land deal from happening.  His inquiry leads back to high level government corruption in Athens and a nebulous connection to mob chieftain Orestes, a personal friend of Yianni’s supervisor Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis.

The sixth Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis Greek police procedural (see Assassins Of Athens and Mykonos After Midnight) is a fabulous mystery enhanced by a picaresque tour of the ancient historical Peloponnese region and freshened by Yianni’s overall lead.  Mindful of Scottish clan wars and Mafia battles, the Greek family feud intensifies a tremendous whodunit.


Harriet Klausner

No comments: