Mykonos After Midnight
Book 5
Scarface-like characters in a Casablanca-style setting.
On the celebrated Greek island of Mykonos a legendary nightclub owner is found bludgeoned to death in his home. In his lifetime he’d helped transform Mykonos from an obscure, impoverished Aegean island into a world-renown summertime playground for the world’s rich and powerful, and the Mykonian people into some of the wealthiest in Greece.
All evidence points to obvious killers, but the murder has put long hidden, politically explosive secrets in play and drawn a dangerous foreign investor to the island paradise. Andreas Kaldis, feared head of Greece’s special crimes division, is certain there’s a far more complex solution to the murder than robbery; one that will be found among ruthless opportunists who’ve come to prey on his country’s weakened financial condition.
Andreas’ impolitic search for answers cuts straight into the entrenched cultural contradictions that give Mykonos so much of its magic. He soon learns there is a high, unexpected price to pay for his curiosity as he becomes locked in a war with a powerful, clandestine international force willing to do whatever it takes to change and wrest control of Mykonos away from its old guard, no matter what the cost, no matter who must die.
Full Praise
2014 Nominee for Best Mystery in a Foreign Setting, Left Coast Crime
#5 Fiction Bestseller (Denver)
“On Mykonos, Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis plays a deadly cat-and-mouse game with a volatile crime kingpin…From the easy banter of its three cops to its clutch of unpredictable villains, Kaldis’ fifth (Target: Tinos, 2012, etc.) reads more like an Elmore Leonard caper than a whodunit.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Gorgeous Mykonos once again becomes a character when conflicting forces battle for the resort island’s future in Siger’s fifth series entry.”
—Library Journal
“Siger’s satisfying fifth mystery featuring Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis…keeps the reader engaged.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Acclaimed (particularly by Greek commentators) for their realistic portrayal of Greek life and culture, the Kaldis novels are very well constructed…solid…clever and intriguing.”
—Booklist
—Eurocrime
“[Siger] has so profoundly captured the essence of Modern Greece and its people, you can’t believe he isn’t Greek. The reader travels to Greece and is right in the center of the action…Siger is a gifted storyteller. His stories grab you and don’t let go.”
—The Greek Star, Chicago
“Mykonos After Midnight…tells of the transformation of a poor Aegean island into a tourist mecca…Any interested in international plots and murder will find this an intriguing mystery!”
—Midwest Book Review
“Author Jeffrey Siger is an expert at making idyllic locations super spooky… Jeffrey perfectly creates a truly Greek version of a modern-day Sherlock Homes.”
—Neos Kosmos, Australia
“Jeffrey Siger is a master at bringing Mykonos to life, showing the beauty and night life that attracts tourists…Siger’s knowledge of Greece, and his ability to keep the reader on the edge of the seat are two reasons to read these fascinating books…It’s a pleasure to read the latest book by the expert on Greek life and mystery.”
—Lesa’s Book Critiques
“I liked Mykonos After Midnight a lot….I love exotic locales and noir and Mykonos After Midnight delivers both.”
—Journalscape
“The novels are fun to read and convey [Siger’s] love of Greece and appreciation of its beauty and history.”
—Deadly Pleasures Magazine
“Jeffrey Siger always delivers…you are instantly transported to Greece…The plot of Mykonos After Midnight is fast-moving and hard-hitting…The story gathers speed like an avalanche rumbling down a mountainside…Kaldis and his men are smart, funny, honest, and dedicated to their jobs…but …there are two women I love even more…every bit as smart, brave, and determined as the men—and they are even funnier.”
—Kittling Books, Rating A
Excerpt
The man kept pressing on the doorbell. He’d come this far and was not about to leave without speaking to his friend. Maybe he’d been wrong to call Christos an “old fool,” but that was no reason for ending a fifty-year friendship. For two days in a row Christos had been missing from morning coffee in the harbor. That wasn’t like him.
They’d been friends since practically the day Christos got off the boat to open his nightclub here. And what a club it was. They all came: Brigitte Bardot, Grace Kelly, Sophia Loren, Jackie Onassis, Yul Brynner, Paul Newman, Gregory Peck. Christos’ place had changed Mykonos forever. The times and crowds were different now, but the club still prospered from its perch above the old port following Christos’ indefatigable philosophy: “I try to spend every day doing what others dream of doing just once in their lives.”
Trouble was, Christos’ approach to life had him falling for a twenty year-old Ukrainian pole dancer.
The man started pounding on the door with his fist. “Come on, Christos, it’s Ted. Open up.”
Ted had never actually called Christos an “old fool.” His exact words were, “The trouble with Viagra is it fucks up an old man’s mind a hell of a lot more than it ever gets up his prick.”
No answer…
Ted stared west at the sea beyond the treetops. He had to give his friend credit: Christos knew how to pick locations. This place was unlike any other on the island. It sat a little more than a half-mile from the old harbor, yet despite all the development pressing upon his property, when you looked west all you saw were rolling hills, the blue Aegean, and magnificent sunsets.
He turned his head and glanced around the backyard. Everything looked normal. “Probably out with the dog,” a yellow Labrador Christos had saved from starvation a dozen winters before, one of the many pets tragically abandoned at the end of each summer by self-indulgent, uncaring seasonal residents.
Yes, it’s Sunday, they must be out. Otherwise, the mutt would be barking up a storm at me.
He thought to take a peek in the windows but decided it wiser to leave. If Christos were inside and ignoring his shouts he was in no mood to be disturbed.
© Jeffrey Siger
Interviews
Mykonos After Midnight by Jeffrey Siger
The Big Thrill, August 31, 2013
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