saucepotrach's review
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
kateduv's review
dark
mysterious
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
An unusual whodunit in which the sleuth is almost as mysterious as the mystery itself. The mystery scenario (doubts are cast on a supposed suicide) is initially crisply established but then flashbacks follow, introducing a fairly complex network of characters, related by blood or marriage or simply by the shared experience of growing up on a remote island. At this particular point the pace is quite slow and I have to confess that I felt a bit impatient. But I'm really glad I stuck with it. There are vivid, gritty descriptions of a Greek island in winter - you'll feel like you're there. Hermes Diaktorous 'the fat man' gets to the heart of the matter by unusual methods - that's all I can say without spoilers. The story portrays the devastating consequences of breaking (or even just being seen to break) the social mores of a small, oppressively judgmental community. Overall, I found the pacing a bit uneven but I loved the writing and have already ordered Book 2.
phaneem's review
2.0
The Messenger of Athens is a book we have had lying around the house for quite a few years and that my brother had read it and hadn't enjoyed it. I would like to clarify that I did not start reading this book expecting it to be bad, nor was I in any way influenced by my brother's opinions on it.
So, now that's clear, I have to day I did not enjoy this book. But it was not a bad book, per se. I remember that we bought this book because it sounded quite interesting and something we could relate to, in a way (as we live in Greece). The story does sound quite interesting, from the description on the back cover. There has been a death of a young woman on a Greek island which is dismissed as an accident. But obviously, someone suspects foul play, so a detective from Athens is sent over to investigate the case.
So, there's a death AND foul play suspected. You think that might make an interesting story. Well, it's not really. This book is so very slow in its narrative, that it made me want to read it just so that I could finish it. I really don't like leaving books unfinished (even though I have done it sometimes). Just to explain why I found it slow, by the time I reached page 150 (out of the approximately 250 pages of the whole book), the detective had only found out two things about the whole case. Which probably makes you wonder what was going on in those 150 pages.
The book was not bad in every aspect. The characters were quite well developed, but I think that's what made the book progress in such a slow way. There was also one thing I liked about the narrative. I think that the alternating chapters set in the present (when the detective was investigating) and the ones set in the past (before the death). Another thing I liked about the book is that the author actually gave Greek names to her characters. I remember reading other books, that weren't necessarily set in Greece, but they featured Greek characters, but with Anglicised versions of Greek names or even just plain English names. I'm sorry, but that's just not realistic.
This was the first book in the (quite successful) Mysteries of the Greek Detective (or Greek Detective, for short) Series, followed by The Taint of Midas, The Doctor of Thessaly and The Lady of Sorrows, all featuring the Greek detective Hermes Diaktoros. I am not sure I will be reading any of the follow-up books in the near future, but I have to admit, the covers are quite pretty. I like the fact that they are simple, consistent and look good as a full series.
So, now that's clear, I have to day I did not enjoy this book. But it was not a bad book, per se. I remember that we bought this book because it sounded quite interesting and something we could relate to, in a way (as we live in Greece). The story does sound quite interesting, from the description on the back cover. There has been a death of a young woman on a Greek island which is dismissed as an accident. But obviously, someone suspects foul play, so a detective from Athens is sent over to investigate the case.
So, there's a death AND foul play suspected. You think that might make an interesting story. Well, it's not really. This book is so very slow in its narrative, that it made me want to read it just so that I could finish it. I really don't like leaving books unfinished (even though I have done it sometimes). Just to explain why I found it slow, by the time I reached page 150 (out of the approximately 250 pages of the whole book), the detective had only found out two things about the whole case. Which probably makes you wonder what was going on in those 150 pages.
The book was not bad in every aspect. The characters were quite well developed, but I think that's what made the book progress in such a slow way. There was also one thing I liked about the narrative. I think that the alternating chapters set in the present (when the detective was investigating) and the ones set in the past (before the death). Another thing I liked about the book is that the author actually gave Greek names to her characters. I remember reading other books, that weren't necessarily set in Greece, but they featured Greek characters, but with Anglicised versions of Greek names or even just plain English names. I'm sorry, but that's just not realistic.
This was the first book in the (quite successful) Mysteries of the Greek Detective (or Greek Detective, for short) Series, followed by The Taint of Midas, The Doctor of Thessaly and The Lady of Sorrows, all featuring the Greek detective Hermes Diaktoros. I am not sure I will be reading any of the follow-up books in the near future, but I have to admit, the covers are quite pretty. I like the fact that they are simple, consistent and look good as a full series.
kimberwolf's review
4.0
The Messenger of Athens is an atypical mystery novel steeped in the generational traditions of a Greek island, relatively untouched by the modern world, called Thiminos. The book has the loose structure of a police procedural but doesn't adhere entire to the rules of the genre. A mysterious man arrives from Athens to investigate the death of a local woman whose presumed fall from a cliff has been ruled an accident by the shady local police officer. He interviews many of the island's residents during the course of his investigation and learns their secrets. In the end, much is revealed, but not all mysteries are solved.
This is a new author for me to follow. The story was dark and sometimes brutal and there were moments when I wanted to shield my brain from what was happening in this atmospheric, extremely well-crafted, tale. The emotions and actions of the author's characters were realistic. There was a great passage describing the feeling of falling out of love. I really loved the main character, Hermes Diaktoros (named, but referred to throughout the book as “the fat man”) whose origins remain mysterious, and who had just a touch of the mythic about him. Skeins of symbolism ran through the story, along with a smidgeon of magical realism. This is a first in a series featuring the same main character, and I believe I will keep reading. The darkness and depth of the story reminded me a bit of John Dunning's mystery novels.
This is a new author for me to follow. The story was dark and sometimes brutal and there were moments when I wanted to shield my brain from what was happening in this atmospheric, extremely well-crafted, tale. The emotions and actions of the author's characters were realistic. There was a great passage describing the feeling of falling out of love. I really loved the main character, Hermes Diaktoros (named, but referred to throughout the book as “the fat man”) whose origins remain mysterious, and who had just a touch of the mythic about him. Skeins of symbolism ran through the story, along with a smidgeon of magical realism. This is a first in a series featuring the same main character, and I believe I will keep reading. The darkness and depth of the story reminded me a bit of John Dunning's mystery novels.
mohogan2063's review
3.0
I read this quickly.and found it easy to read. My disappointment most likely has to do with my misunderstanding the content. Are all men really so bad? Is justice still served vigilante style? I loved the descriptions of flowers and of place. Not so keen on the view of life and relationships. Very dark and dreary.
rosseroo's review
3.0
As an aficionado of foreign-set mysteries, and 1/4 Greek, I couldn't pass up this first book in the "Mysteries of the Greek Detective" series (since followed by The Taint of Midas, The Doctor of Thessaly, and The Lady of Sorrows). It takes place on the fictional Greek island of Thiminos, a small, unprepossessing island that lies dormant most of the year, until the tourists show up for the summer. And did I mention how bleak it is? Damp pervades the houses, the social mores are stifling, and life couldn't get much drabber. It reads like something from a century ago, as the women's lives are given entirely to tending to their men, and the men's lives are given entirely to doing as little as possible and indulging their stomachs (and other organs).
One day, a young wife is found dead at the base of a cliff, and the cops and locals rule it an accident. However, the next ferry from the mainland brings with it the stout but dapper Hermes Diaktoros, who airily informs one and all that he's been sent to look into the death. And so the story very slowly unfolds, as the interloper pokes his nose about the island, prying into private affairs, lending a sympathetic ear here, laying on the flattery there, and threatening the recalcitrant. The author writes exceptionally well about both the physical and psychological makeup of the island and its people. However, the pace of the story is very very slow, and there's no hint of danger or menace anywhere. In that sense, it's highly unlikely to appeal to the typical mystery reader. Which is not to say that it doesn't have its charms, just that anyone expected a gripping read should turn elsewhere.
Probably the most interesting thing about the book is its protagonist, the shrewd and mysterious Hermes Diaktoros. His name, of course, is that of the messenger of the Greek gods, the son of Zeus. Hermes many epithets, since he was the patron of many aspects of society (including thieves), but "Diaktoros" is the one that refers to his role as messenger from the gods to mortals. So, the author is playing a coy game of suggesting that the character is perhaps a supernatural being in human guise, sent to right wrongs. It's a cute conceit (perhaps too cute), but clues to the true origins of the character can be found in not only his distinctive name, but his rotund build, fastidious hygiene, and appreciation for good food. These are all traits he shares with two of the greatest European detectives ever known, and whom surely inspired the author: Hercule Poirot (Belgium) and Nero Wolfe (Montenegro). While the character is all set to be as memorable as those two predecessors, he'll first need some more challenging mysteries to untangle than are present in this debut.
One day, a young wife is found dead at the base of a cliff, and the cops and locals rule it an accident. However, the next ferry from the mainland brings with it the stout but dapper Hermes Diaktoros, who airily informs one and all that he's been sent to look into the death. And so the story very slowly unfolds, as the interloper pokes his nose about the island, prying into private affairs, lending a sympathetic ear here, laying on the flattery there, and threatening the recalcitrant. The author writes exceptionally well about both the physical and psychological makeup of the island and its people. However, the pace of the story is very very slow, and there's no hint of danger or menace anywhere. In that sense, it's highly unlikely to appeal to the typical mystery reader. Which is not to say that it doesn't have its charms, just that anyone expected a gripping read should turn elsewhere.
Probably the most interesting thing about the book is its protagonist, the shrewd and mysterious Hermes Diaktoros. His name, of course, is that of the messenger of the Greek gods, the son of Zeus. Hermes many epithets, since he was the patron of many aspects of society (including thieves), but "Diaktoros" is the one that refers to his role as messenger from the gods to mortals. So, the author is playing a coy game of suggesting that the character is perhaps a supernatural being in human guise, sent to right wrongs. It's a cute conceit (perhaps too cute), but clues to the true origins of the character can be found in not only his distinctive name, but his rotund build, fastidious hygiene, and appreciation for good food. These are all traits he shares with two of the greatest European detectives ever known, and whom surely inspired the author: Hercule Poirot (Belgium) and Nero Wolfe (Montenegro). While the character is all set to be as memorable as those two predecessors, he'll first need some more challenging mysteries to untangle than are present in this debut.
ninabrown's review
4.0
I found this book haunting and lyrical. Everyday life on a small Greek island. Sounds romantic, doesn't it? Only - it isn't. It's hard work, it's poverty, it's insecurity. Fishing may be good today, but who knows what tomorrow will bring. In the system where the resources are scarce, people cling to a certain way of living, living that gives survival, but the price of such survival is high, even that they don't know it. Their own integrity is the price. Close-mindedness, cruelty, secrecy grows when the moral backbone is broken.
And then, two people fall in love. Doomed, forbidden love, as both are married. It won't be long before one of them dies. Death that is being dismissed as suicide by the local police way too easily. Until someone from Athens arrives, and starts asking questions.
But don't be mislead, this book is not a thriller, or a crime book, or a romance. This is not a 'genre' book at all.
Read it on a rainy afternoon, when you don't have any other plans. Don't rush. It is written in a beautiful, slow language and this is how it should be read.
Spoiler
There is a predator amongst them. It is easy to prey on people who want to keep secrets at all costs.And then, two people fall in love. Doomed, forbidden love, as both are married. It won't be long before one of them dies. Death that is being dismissed as suicide by the local police way too easily. Until someone from Athens arrives, and starts asking questions.
But don't be mislead, this book is not a thriller, or a crime book, or a romance. This is not a 'genre' book at all.
Read it on a rainy afternoon, when you don't have any other plans. Don't rush. It is written in a beautiful, slow language and this is how it should be read.
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