An Evil Most Men Welcome

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY DEC 21, 2020

Serafim's gripping fourth Greek Islands mystery (after 2017's From the Devil's Farm) finds Melissa Costas, the chief police officer on the island of Spetses, facing her first murder investigation. American Hope Erickson, the wife of Thanasis Papadopoulos, has found her husband dead, his throat slashed with a broken wine bottle, in a cave near the home they share with Thanasis's family. Wanting to prove herself, Costas diligently interviews the family and gathers evidence. But her boss in Athens, Haralambos Stathis, wants the case closed quickly, with Hope's arrest. The teary-eyed American casts herself as a victim of police abuse, and soon videos of the woman being led away in handcuffs are trending on social media. Hoping to avoid an international incident, Stathis demotes Costas and sends in series lead Yiannis Patronas, the chief police officer on the island of Chios, who has a reputation for solving homicides. The tension builds as Patronas closes in on a deadly family secret. Serafim's firm grip on contemporary Greek culture enriches her characterization and lends veracity. Readers will hope to return to the islands soon.