Santorini Caesars
Book 8
The fragile fabric of a nation hangs in the balance.
When a young demonstrator is publicly singled out and assassinated by highly trained killers in the heart of protest-charged Athens, Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis is convinced the killing was meant not to take out a target, but as a message. A message from whom? To whom? And why?
Kaldis’s search for answers leads him and his team to the breathtakingly beautiful island of Santorini, heralded in legend as the lost island of Atlantis, and to eavesdropping on a hush-hush gathering of Greece’s top military leaders looking to come up with their own response to the overwhelming crises and uncertainties their country faces.
Is it a coup d’état, or something else? Greece is no stranger to violence upending duly elected governments, and memories of the nation’s last junta dictatorship years still burn in the minds of all who lived through the Regime of the Colonels. The answer is by no means clear, but as suspects emerge and international intrigues evolve, the threat of another, far more dramatic assassination grows ever more likely—as does the realization that only Kaldis can stop it.
But at what price? Greece’s government is in chaos, its goals and leadership are suspect, and Kaldis is forever at odds with its methods. Life is not the same, nor is it likely to return to better days any time soon. With a new child on the way, and their young son coming face-to-face with the harsh nature of the world around him, Kaldis and his wife wonder if carrying on the fight matters any more.
It is a time for testing character, commitment, and the common good. And for saving the nation from chaos.
Full Praise
#1 Fiction Best Seller (Vroman’s Bookstore)
#2 Fiction Best Seller (Denver)
“As always, Siger provides readers with an action-packed plot, well-developed characters with lots of attitude, breathtaking Greek scenery, and a perceptive take on the current political and economic problems affecting Greece. International-crime fans need to be reading this consistently strong series.”
—Booklist
“An important meeting of career military officers…Siger uses…as an opportunity for his characters to discuss Greek democracy and…the government…[as] the picturesque Greek islands provide…welcome atmosphere.”
—Publishers Weekly
“I have adopted a practice of always beginning my summer reading with Jeff Siger’s latest mystery featuring Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis and his colorful cohorts.”
—Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine (Steele Curry)
“Santorini Caesars, a novel that’s both a rock-solid mystery and comments incisively about so many issues besetting Europe and the world today.”
—Huffington Post
“Put this one at the top of your reading list… As the plot unfolded, I could imagine it actually happening…(and hope it’s not). You won’t be able to put it down. Jeffrey Siger does not disappoint. I don’t know how he does it; each book is better than the last.”
—WindyCity Greek
—The National Herald
“Jeffrey Siger’s Inspector Kaldis stories take the reader on a tour of Greece….It is a story that not only explores the beauty of Santorini, but also touches on political unrest and the economic problems of Greece. This series has become one of my personal favorites.”
—Net Galley, FIVE STARS out of FIVE
“Riveting story… bridging the social climate in Greece into the narrative… boasts great dialogue, a likable cast, good camaraderie and an intriguing plot that was masterly accomplished.”
—Dru’s Book Musings
“Siger, a lawyer who quit his practice to move to Greece and write, observes the politics and ongoing changes in the country with a keen eye. …The humor in these books is reason enough to return to the stories about Andreas Kaldis…It’s a time of trouble, turmoil in Greece, and the world. Jeffrey Siger’s books may be set in Greece, but they deal with the world’s problems as well…It’s a message to the world.”
—Lesa Holstine
“Siger the Soothsayer has the uncanny knack of foreseeing chaos in the beautiful country that is Greece and then writing about it in such a way that readers see and hear and taste and feel that turmoil… and if you’re wondering, the Greeks themselves love his books. Combine the author’s talent for holding up a mirror to a troubled, beautiful country to his plots that make you feel as though you’re getting the latest news before everyone else and add an intelligent, funny, sexy cast, and what do you have? Some marvelous reading, that’s what. I never miss one of Jeffrey Siger’s books. Never!”
—Kittling Books/Net Galley, Cathy Cole
“Santorini Caesars is the eighth adventure starring Chief Inspector Kaldis and his likable team of Greek cops, who delve into the darkest corners of a troubled nation that is rich in history…a fast-paced tale packed with intrigue—in plot, characters, and underlying issues…. Santorini Caesars brings modern-day Greece, and its varied challenges, to life. This is in an exciting, engaging crime thriller textured by real-life issues, such as the spiderwebs entangling big business, politics, and citizens. A fine crime novel from a fine writer.”
—Crime Watch
“While British and Scandinavian authors tend to dominate the conversation about European crime writing, there are some very fine authors operating in other continental locales… Greece is packed with tourist hotspots. Thanks to Wall Street lawyer turned crime scribe Jeffrey Siger, it’s also home to a superb modern-day mystery series… starring Chief Inspector Kaldis and his likable team of Greek cops.”
—Craig Sisterson
“Jeffrey Siger (Devil of Delphi) has perfected a blend of humorous interludes and shocking political conspiracy. The situations that Kaldis and his team face are all too believable, and their race to save their country will keep readers on the edge of their seats, while chuckling at the antics of Kaldis’s temperamental secretary. Part of a series not to be missed, Santorini Caesars is a very appealing mystery with a delightful setting.”
—Shelf Awareness, Jessica Howard
“[Santorini Caesars] is a very topical novel, perhaps uncomfortably so for those familiar with Greek politics… Siger shows us just how difficult it is to remain upright and incorruptible in a world where nothing is certain and everything has become politicised…. For fans of political thrillers like The Day of the Jackal or Alan Glynn’s Blood Land, this will work well as a standalone [5 stars out of 5].”
—Crime Fiction Lover
“Santorini Caesars…Rating A- Greece is in turmoil…financial crisis…austerity measures…Syrian refugees…This up-to-the-minute setting is the backdrop for this excellent novel which not only entertains but informs.”
—Deadly Pleasures Magazine
“This wonderful little series…has quietly crept into [my] most-favored status…Always reflecting a total understanding of life in Greece today…Each book is a wonderful little story in itself…and each one a little nugget you’ll enjoy.”
—J Brendan Ryan
“If you want to keep up with current events in Greece … have fun and read the Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis mysteries, written by my talented friend Jeffrey Siger. I’ve just finished reading his latest, Santorini Caesars, and it was great. … Highly recommended.”
—Brendan DuBois
Excerpt
The last thing his mother told him when he left for school was, “Stay away from the demonstrations.” She’d been telling him the same thing for a week.
He didn’t mind the extra ten minutes the detour added to his walk. He had no interest in watching police in riot gear face down a herd of hooded demonstrators armed with paving stones and Molotov cocktails. He’d seen it all before and knew what tear gas smelled like. After all, he was eleven years old.
The Athens back streets edging around the battleground central square area stood quiet. Businesses stayed tightly shuttered during demonstration hours, at least those that might attract a rock through their windows and a quick grab and snatch by an opportunistic self-proclaimed champion of the long-suffering Greek people.
As the boy approached an intersecting narrow street winding back to the square, a slim figure burst around the corner and ran straight into him. The runner wore the standard demonstrator’s uniform of running shoes, jeans, and a loose fitting hooded sweatshirt covering all but the eyes.
The boy stumbled but stayed on his feet until knocked to the ground by two husky men in black charging around the corner close behind the runner, their faces covered in black balaclavas. Like the runner, neither stopped to look after the boy.
He stood, wiped his hands on his pants, dusted off his shirt, and resumed his walk to school. It wasn’t supposed to be like this anymore. His favorite teachers had told his class that all would be different once the new government was elected and assumed power. There’d no longer be any reason for demonstrations.
He caught a whiff of tear gas and heard spikes of shouting in the distance.
Maybe his grandfather was right. If politicians are involved, there’s no hope for change. They’re all alike.
© Jeffrey Siger
Interviews
An Interview with authors Jeffrey Siger and Mark Pryor
by Barbara Peters of Scottsdale’s Poisoned Pen Bookstore, October 15, 2016
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The Latest Mystery in the Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis Series, an Interview
The National Herald (Page 7), October 11, 2016
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A Conversation with Jeff Siger, author of Santorini Caesars
by Bill Buschel for Graffiti on Hellenic Public Radio, WNYE, New York City, September 29, 2016
Listen →
Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis Mysteries
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