Assassins of Athens [Paperback]

Jeffrey Siger (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2010

When the body of a boy from one of Greece’s most prominent families turns up in a dumpster in one of Athens’ worst neighborhoods, Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis of the Greek Police’s Special Crimes Division is certain there’s a message in the murder. But who sent it and why? Andreas’ politically incorrect search for answers takes him deep into the sordid, criminal side of Athens nightlife and on to the glittering world of Athens society where age-old frictions between old money and new breed jealousy, murder, revenge, revolutionaries, and some very dangerous truths.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Beware of Greeks bearing grudges, especially when they're as rich, resourceful and ruthless as the killers who dog Athens Chief Insp. Andreas Kaldis in Siger's speedboat-paced second mystery (after 2009's Murder in Mykonos). The case detonates with a sensational discovery: the body of golden boy Sotiris Kostopoulos, the teenage son of one of Greece's wealthiest wheeler-dealers, dumped behind a seedy gay bar. Within days his family flees the country. As bodies start dropping from Mykonos to Sardinia, Kaldis finds it increasingly difficult to dismiss hints of a colossal conspiracy—one that might stretch to the loftiest levels of Athenian society as well as way back into its bloodstained past. Readers may not totally buy the book's audacious premise or the spontaneous combustion between the straight-arrow inspector and a wealthy socialite, but that shouldn't spoil this suspenseful trip through the rarely seen darker strata of complex, contemporary Greece. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Siger’s Chief Inspector Kaldis returns in his second outing (following Murder in Mykonos, 2009). He is now head of Athens’ Special Crimes Division after his politically unfriendly investigative methods got him transferred. When a teenage boy’s body is found in a dumpster outside a gay bar in one of Athens’ seediest districts, Kaldis hopes it will turn out to be a simple, straightforward case. But this one is far from simple as the investigators soon realize: the body was dumped by the bar several hours after death, and the victim is the son of one of Athens’ prominent nouveaux riche families, whose members just happen to be feuding with one of Athens’ oldest families. Siger creates a heady mix of Greek politics and culture, drawing on the ancient practice of banishment, the country’s student revolutionaries, and its notoriously corrupt officials. Kaldis, assisted by fellow officer Kouris, super-secretary and gossip-fountain Maggie, and socialite and possible love interest Lila, must navigate these turbulent waters to solve the murder and save other victims from the same killer. This is international police procedural writing at its best and should be recommended, in particular, to readers who enjoy Leighton Gage’s Brazilian police stories (Buried Strangers, 2009) or Hakan Nesser’s Swedish inspector Van Veeteren (Borkmann’s Point, 2006). --Jessica Moyer --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 286 pages
• Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press (January 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590587073
• ISBN-13: 978-1590587072
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #772,974 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars GREEK POLITICAL SUSPENSE NOVEL, September 27, 2010

By 

ITZME "JEANNE" (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Assassins of Athens (Paperback)

Book 2 of the Chief Inspector Kaldis series. Begins with the dead body of one of Athen's richest families only son being found in a dumpster. This book is very political in its horror. Murder, deceit and the underbelly of Athens figure into this plot. Kaldis even gets to return to Mykonos for a brief time. Very interesting.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Top notch mystery, September 2, 2010

By 

Margaret Dybala "too many books, too little time" (Pearland, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Assassins of Athens (Paperback)

When I read the first book in this series, "Murder in Mykonos," last year, I enjoyed it so much that I was eager to see what the author would do next. He doesn't disappoint! "Assassins of Athens" has chief inspector Kaldis back again, this time transferred back to Athens. The story opens with the discovery of a young man's body in a dumpster -- turns out the young man has a rather unexpected background.

Oh, how to describe how fine this plot is done without giving a spoiler??! Let's just say that it is a wonderful story of revenge, xenophobia, duplicity, and greed! And, the best recommendation of all: I was sure through most of the book that a certain surprise twist was coming, and it never happened! I wasn't able to correctly guess the outcome, yet it all made perfect sense. I love that!

I recommend this mystery 100% and look forward to more! I love Kaldis and have high hopes for future books!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars enjoyable Greek police procedural Noir, January 8, 2010

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Assassins of Athens (Hardcover)

In Athens, Greece, Police Chief Inspector of the Special Crimes Division Andreas Kaldis arrives at a rundown part of the city to look at a corpse found amongst garbage in a dumpster. At GADA, Andreas' secretary Maggie Sikestis sees the photos of the victim and recognizes he is Sotiris Kostopoulos who is always in the tabloids as part of a ménage a trois with the granddaughter of the Linardos clan while his family and hers are at war.

Andreas visits Sotiris' adopted parents Zanni and Ginny, who say nothing to the news or the questions asked by the CI. An affluent publisher Zanni says the only suspects he can think of are Sarantis Linardos and his family as each covets the highly regarded The Athenian newspaper. Meanwhile clues lead the detective to hooker Anna Panitz who admits to taking cash from strangers to entice the victim to go with her to an isolated locale. With pressure mounting from high officials to close the case, Andreas keeps the pressure on the feuding families and their associates.

The latest Kaldis investigation (see Murder in Mykonos) is an enjoyable Greek police procedural Noir as the CI curses out incompetent cops and roughs up crooks while taking fans on a tour of Athens not seen by the Olympics crowd. The story line is fast-paced from the opening moment when Kaldis hammers a cop for tainting a crime scene and never slows down as he stares down everyone except Maggie. Although somewhat linear with no twists, fans will enjoy this tough cop's homicide investigation.

Harriet Klausner