PUBLISHERS WEEKLY JUNE 23, 2014 The Devil Takes Half: A Greek Islands Mystery by Leta Serafim
Coffeetown
(www.coffeetownpress.com), $14.95 trade paper
(248p) ISBN 978-1-60381-965-7
The beautiful but ominous setting of this impressive debut, a
series opener, overcomes its occasional carelessness. The discovery of a
severed hand lying in a pool of blood brings Yiannis Patronas, the chief police
officer on the island of
Chios, to an archeological dig near a remote and almost deserted
monastery. After a young worker at the site gets his throat cut, more violent
assaults follow. The ensuing police procedural is improvised and uncertain
because Yiannis is a troubled, bumbling hero who has had no experience with
murder cases or sadistic criminals. He's also burdened with incompetent subordinates,
and his only real assistant is an elderly priest who's watched too many
American detective TV shows. Serafim has a good eye for people and places, and
sheds light on the centuries of violent passion that have created
an oppressive atmosphere hanging over the sunny Greek landscape.
Agent:Jeannie Loiacono, Loiacono Literary Agency.
(Aug.)
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