The Mykonos Mob
Book 10
Retitled in paperback as Island of Secrets
The Aegean Greek island of Mykonos is a world-renowned, 24/7 hot-spot playground for the international rich and famous. When a corrupt former police colonel running the island’s protection rackets is gunned down, Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis finds himself face-to-face with the nation’s top crime bosses, all just as baffled as Andreas over who’s responsible for the assassination—and why.
While Andreas wrestles for answers in an effort to head off an all out war for control of the island’s vice operations, his wife, Lila, struggles to find a meaningful role for herself beyond wife and mother.
Andreas’ investigation and Lila’s search bring them to her parents’ summer home on Mykonos where she meets Toni, an American ex-pat with a contagious, iconoclastic zest for life, a reputation as a fixer and finder of stolen goods, and a late night gig as a piano player in a gender-bending bar. Together they hit upon a plan to mentor young island girls caught up in an exploitative culture, unaware that their well-intended plans are on a deadly collision course with Andreas’ investigation.
Full Praise
#3 Hardcover Fiction Bestseller (Vroman’s Bookstore)
“Each of these books is just a great read on its own and collectively they’re a wonderful way to take a vacation all around Greece.”
—J Brendan Ryan Newsletter
“Once more, Jeff Siger has penned an excellent mystery that has so much going for it. If you haven’t read any of his ten Greek Mysteries, dive in anywhere. His love of the islands is contagious…Jeff Siger has become a must read for me.”
—Deadly Pleasures Magazine (George Easter)
“All I can say is Jeffrey Siger has cemented himself as one of my favorite authors ever.”
—Windy City Greek
“No author mixes life in Greece with suspense like Jeffrey Siger. From the Parthenon in Athens to the party life of the mega-wealthy on the island of Mykonos, Siger immerses readers in all things Greek…Siger—we bestow upon you the honorary title of the ‘Greek Novel’ God.”
—The Big Thrill Magazine
“Armchair travelers will have fun [with] Siger’s entertaining 10th mystery featuring Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis…. Kaldis and Kouros are soon drawn into what is shaping up to be a turf war for control of the island’s many lucrative and shady dealings—from prostitution to exploitive real estate deals…. Siger seasons Kaldis’s investigation with abundant slices of Greek history and island mores.”
—Publishers Weekly
—Library Journal
“Mykonos Mob eerily similar to subsequent real-life events in Greece”
—The Times of Northwest Indiana
“Jeffrey Siger’s mysteries featuring Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis comprise one of the most consistently strong series in our genre. Jeff has a way of predicting political, social, and cultural aspects of Greece before they happen—so when his books are released that are incredible relevant and always fascinating. And it never hurts to spend some time in paradise… well, except for the dead bodies.”
—Bolo Books
“I can’t think of any other series that brings present-day Greece to life like Jeffrey Siger’s Andreas Kaldis mysteries. I love these books, and The Mykonos Mob is an excellent addition… The pitch-perfect setting, an intriguing mystery, a humdinger of a showdown at book’s end, AND some fantastic characters. Is The Mykonos Mob a winner? You’d better believe it!”
—Kittling Books (Cathy Cole)
Excerpt
He never wondered about the purpose of life or how he turned out as he had. It all just sort of happened. He became a cop because he saw it as the surest way for a kid born into Greece’s working class in the tumultuous early 1960s to make a living. He got lucky when, after the fall of the Military Junta in 1974, he joined the youth movement of a left-wing political party that came to power in 1981 and remembered to reward its loyal friends.
As he rose in rank, the more friends and money he made, the more power he amassed. He kept careful track of where the bodies were buried and possessed an uncanny instinct for digging up the ones he needed to achieve his purposes. An effort by the opposition party to paint him as corrupt failed when the prosecution’s main witness died in a boating accident. An investigation into the witness’s death faded away soon after he announced his decision to retire from the Hellenic Police force with the rank of colonel.
That’s when he began to make truly big money, capitalizing on his contacts and former position as head of police for the South Aegean Region, home to Greece’s most popular tourist islands for the rich and hard-partying globetrotting crowd.
Tonight, the Colonel was far away from all that glitz and glamour. He sat in a restaurant in a nondescript, middle-class eastern suburb of Athens, virtually equidistant from downtown Athens, its port town of Rafina, and Venizelos International airport.
“A convenient place for a meeting,” said the one who’d arranged it.
“Am I keeping you awake, Colonel?”
“Barely.”
Ruddy-face smiled. “How do you like my place?”
The Colonel leaned forward. It was long past time to get down to business. “If this is your joint, why don’t you just tell me why you wanted to meet? You sure as hell don’t need my services to run this operation.”
“You’re right, it’s a dump.” Ruddy-face paused. “But I have plans.”
“What sort of plans?”
“I’m buying a club on the islands. It’s going to be first-class in every way.” He nodded toward the bar. “Including the girls.”
“Which island?”
“One you control.”
“Control is a mighty big word.”
Ruddy-face smiled. “Let’s just say, I don’t like the idea of getting involved in a business where my investment isn’t secure.”
“That’s prudent of you.”
“Can you help me?”
“If you’re asking for security, the answer is yes.”
“I’m talking about protection for all aspects of my business.”
The Colonel shrugged. “It’s all a matter of price. You tell me what you want, and I’ll tell you what it will cost you.”
“I hear you’re pricey.”
“You heard right. But I make sure things run smoothly.”
“How do you do that?”
“I don’t have competitors stirring things up, jockeying for business. I maintain order among the chaos.”
“They might see things differently.”
“If by they you mean competitors, there are no they on my island. I’m the only game in town.”
“I get your point,” said the man. “I’m sure we’ll come to terms.”
“If you want to open a club where I’m in business, I’m sure we will.”
The Colonel declined an offer of coffee, and the two men agreed to talk again once ruddy-face had a better idea of what he might need from the Colonel.
He walked the Colonel to the front door, shook his hand, thanked him for coming, and wished him safe travels. “Kalo taxidhi.”
But the Colonel only made it as far as the front door of his Mercedes.
© Jeffrey Siger
Interviews
The Mykonos Mob—a Shelf Life Interview
by Jane Simon Ammeson, May 20, 2019
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Author Jeffrey Siger Presents His Latest Book, The Mykonos Mob, in New York
The National Herald interview by Vasilis Voultsos, May 3, 2019
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International Suspense, Latest Books, The Mykonos Mob by Jeffrey Siger
The Big Thrill Magazine, by K.L. Romo, May 1, 2019
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Suspense Magazine, April 24, 2019
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Jeffrey Siger discusses The Mykonos Mob
with Barbara Peters of Scottsdale’s Poisoned Pen Bookstore, April 24, 2019
Watch:
Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis Mysteries
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