Greece is just as beautiful as always in the eleventh book in Jeffrey Siger’s Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis mystery. But, as the title A Deadly Twist indicates, it’s just as politically corrupt and dangerous as in the other books in the series.

Crime reporter Nikoletta Elia is reluctant to go to the island of Naxos to cover the conflict between traditionalists opposed to development on the island, and the people who want to encourage tourism. It’s not her beat. But, the story of her life falls in her lap when a man, “the computer underground’s most successful hacker” tells her about his career providing services to those who want to use computers to cause “fatal accidents”. When Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis, head of Greece’s Special Crimes Unit, reads the story, he thinks the story is made up. Then, Nikoletta Elia disappears, and her frantic editor calls Kaldis.

Because he knows the view some groups hold of journalists, Kaldis sends Detective Yianni Kouros to Naxos. Yianni teams up with the local police as he follows in Elia’s footsteps. But, he hasn’t made any progress when his truck is forced off a dangerous mountain road. With the disappearance of a journalist, a murder on the same night she disappeared, and, now the attempt on the life of his detective, Kaldis is forced to gather a special team to investigate. Kaldis, his wife, Lila, Kaldis’ secretary, Maggie, along with her boyfriend, Tassos, who has been a mentor to Andreas and Yianni, head to Naxos, where they meet up with Yianni’s girlfriend. It’s an unusual team of savvy people with connections all over Greece. There’s a deadline hanging over Andreas’ head. And, there’s a dangerous person watching every step, someone who doesn’t want the island’s secrets revealed.

Followers of the series will feel as if this book is a reunion with old friends. They will also realize that, once again, Jeffrey Siger has his fingers on the pulse of the world. There are sentences that feel as if they could be written this week, however anyone familiar with publishing knows this book was written a year to a year and a half ago. Yet, Siger writes about lethal attacks on the media. And, there are comments such as, “There are places where officials are quick to embrace innocent excuses for anything that happens on their watch.” Or, maybe this one hits home. “If they thought their way of life was under attack, I’ve no doubt they’d do what they felt they had to do to protect it.”

Siger always puts the Greek islands under a spotlight. The beauty of Naxos is on display, the appeal to residents and tourists. At the same time, he reveals the ugliness of the country’s history, the corruption and the political games. As always, Siger’s love of the country and its people is on display. He’s created a recurring “family” of characters who exemplify the best of the people and the way of life in Greece. It takes someone who loves the country to show its good side and the bad, hoping the good can overcome the ugliness, the high-cost of crime and corruption.

And, a personal comment about this series. Mentally, I know I’m supposed to dislike villains in crime novels. But, this is the second time in the series that Siger has created a villain that makes me smile. The last page, the last paragraph, of this book is a killer.

If you haven’t yet started this series; if you’re not yet a follower, but you love international police procedurals, you can start with A Deadly Twist. All of Jeffrey Siger’s players, all of Andreas Kaldis’ team, are on stage for this intriguing Greek drama.

Jeffrey Siger’s website is http://www.jeffreysiger.com

A Deadly Twist by Jeffrey Siger. Sourcesbooks/Poisoned Pen Press, 2021. ISBN 9781464214257 (hardcover), 320p.

FTC Full Disclosure – I received a .PDF to review for a journal.