jamiezaccaria's review against another edition
3.0
Great atmosphere and characters but the pacing was off and the reveal unclear.
usbsticky's review against another edition
3.0
3 stars = I liked it by GR's rating system.
Spoilers ahead:
This is my first book by this author. A serial killer is killing tall blonde tourists in this island paradise. Chief Kaldis has been banished from Athens to this post as a downwards promotion and now he has to solve this murder without tarnishing the reputation of the town.
Everything needed to make a good book is in place, for example the usual suspects of major characters like a politically savvy mayor who wants this solved quietly, an experienced detective who is willing to risk his pension to catch the killer, a smart and gorgeous victim, a dedicated protagonist who will go all lengths to solve the crime and a host of interesting side characters.
Other things are well done: The setting is well written. The writing is easy to read and get into. I got into the book right away. The characters are pretty well fleshed out and interesting. The author tries hard to hide the killer's identity when writing from his point of view but persists too long and we don't get to know until the last page but by that time the book was over already and it didn't really matter anymore. Some of the sequences ended up being too long such as the chase and despite hiding the i.d. of the killer, the suspense was not high enough.
In summary I felt that everything was in place for a very good book but the writer didn't go hard enough in the right places. But he did a good enough job that I'm reading book #2 right now.
Spoilers ahead:
This is my first book by this author. A serial killer is killing tall blonde tourists in this island paradise. Chief Kaldis has been banished from Athens to this post as a downwards promotion and now he has to solve this murder without tarnishing the reputation of the town.
Everything needed to make a good book is in place, for example the usual suspects of major characters like a politically savvy mayor who wants this solved quietly, an experienced detective who is willing to risk his pension to catch the killer, a smart and gorgeous victim, a dedicated protagonist who will go all lengths to solve the crime and a host of interesting side characters.
Other things are well done: The setting is well written. The writing is easy to read and get into. I got into the book right away. The characters are pretty well fleshed out and interesting. The author tries hard to hide the killer's identity when writing from his point of view but persists too long and we don't get to know until the last page but by that time the book was over already and it didn't really matter anymore. Some of the sequences ended up being too long such as the chase and despite hiding the i.d. of the killer, the suspense was not high enough.
In summary I felt that everything was in place for a very good book but the writer didn't go hard enough in the right places. But he did a good enough job that I'm reading book #2 right now.
cmaranski's review against another edition
4.0
So I chose this because it was set in Greece on an island I knew pretty well. I mean, at least I'd know the places they were talking about right?
What a surprise to find a well written novel with a great cast and well rounded characters. I enjoyed this far more than I thought I would when I first bought the book. Now I'm hooked for the rest of the series!
What a surprise to find a well written novel with a great cast and well rounded characters. I enjoyed this far more than I thought I would when I first bought the book. Now I'm hooked for the rest of the series!
breannamm's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
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? No
2.5
steph1rothwell's review against another edition
2.0
This is a strange book for me to review. I liked the story to begin with, full of twists and I had no idea who the culprit could be. However didn't like the way that is was written and I didn't like the ending at all.
2 1/2 stars
2 1/2 stars
emsmeat's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence and Murder
gawronma's review against another edition
4.0
What a wonderful debut for a series about Greece. Wonderful mystery, great characters and excellent descriptions about the Greek Isles. I am looking forward to reading more about Inspecter Kaldis.