The Messenger of Athens

I thoroughly enjoyed Anne Zouroudi's *The Messenger of Athens: A Novel*. Having been an avid reader for years and years, I'm constantly on the lookout for something different, something that stays with me. This book will do that. Ms. Zouroudi's descriptions of the remote Greek island of Thiminos, where the crime occurs, is breath taking. One can tell from her descriptions that she loves the locale. One can feel the air... Read Full Review

Hermes Diaktoros, aka The Fat Man, is quite the quandary of a man. He is most certainly not with any branch of law enforcement nor a certified private investigator. But he assuredly is man who can take a mystery, get the silent to start talking and solve the crime while keeping his shoes nice and white. This time the case presented to him is the mysterious death of a young married woman and trying to determine whether... Read Full Review

Anne Zouroudi takes us to a remote Greek island that seems barely touched by modern life. Now shake off those romantic notions. It means that the houses are crumbling from the damp and the wind blasts through the cracks. The old patriarchal notions of honor dictate quite harshly what one can and cannot do. And the very dirt holds prisoner the island residents. A young woman has been found at the bottom of a cliff, apparently... Read Full Review

I went into this book not really knowing what to expect, and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. I picked it solely based on cover. The small Greek island is set more or less in present day, but it's one of those timeless places that makes the story read more like a folk tale - which is good. When a man referred to mostly as 'the fat man' shows up to investigate the death of a local woman, he goes about his business despite... Read Full Review

I've visited the Greek islands, but had no idea what life was like beneath that placid surface... This is sold as a crime novel, but don't be expecting blood and gore - it's more in the line of Morse, or Poirot. But as much as anything, read it as a piece of travel writing, or an insight into a very foreign way of life brought to life with an unmistakable touch of authenticity. Thoroughly enjoyable.