Andreas Kaldis, chief of GADA’s Special Crimes Unit, likes being a cop, actually loves being a cop, mostly because of the camaraderie. His family and his gardening keeps him young, that and chasing bad guys. Siger intersperses the narrative with social events so readers get to know characters as people through their everyday activities with family and friends as well as through their professional duties.
“A Deadly Twist” finds Kaldis on Naxos to find a high profile reporter who is “missing” according to her editor. A controversial article about a mysterious Black Hat hacker put the reporter in danger, and a dead tourist and a missing reporter are not good for the island’s economy. Ancient culture plays a critical role in events on the island, and the Naxos harbor welcomes all with the massive marble Portara, the 2,500-year-old gateway. However, there is a war brewing among cultural preservationists, the tourism industry, and agricultural interests. Things proceed in a steady but casual pace with plenty of family events, social comradery and cultural references. However, as Kaldis and his team search for the reporter, they uncover something nefarious in the very roots of life on Naxos. The action intensifies and secrets from the past have current consequences for Naxos and its way of life. People do what they have to do to protect their friends.
“A Deadly Twist” balances a compelling police investigation with a celebration of life and culture on the island of Naxos. Kaldis strives for recognition of small victories amid an ever-losing battle with the dark side. There are as many twists as a pretzel right up to the very last line. I received a review copy of “A Deadly Twist” from Jeffrey Siger, Sourcebooks, and Poisoned Pen Press. I purchased my signed copy from Book Carnival, my local independent bookstore. It is a wonderful look at culture and family with mystery thrown in as a bonus. There is nothing like an Aegean sunset and a good book. ( )

I've been a fan of Jeffrey Siger's Andreas Kaldis mysteries from the very first book (Murder in Mykonos), and this eleventh book certainly does not disappoint. The author lives on Mykonos for part of the year, and I've learned more about that country through reading his books than I'd care to admit. Siger gives readers insight into the workings of not only the police but also of the Greek government and the country's nefarious underworld while always weaving a bit of Greek myth and history into each book.

Siger has also created a top-notch cast of characters headed by Kaldis, his wife, and the members of his team. After reading all eleven books, I feel as though these characters are good friends-- especially Maggie who's in charge of Kaldis's office. Maggie's more than capable of keeping everyone and everything in line, which makes me wonder if anyone's written anything about the women who rule some of our heroes' roosts (Maggie for Andreas Kaldis, Sheriff Virgil Dalton's Rosie, and Sheriff Walt Longmire's Ruby, for example).

The settings and characters are always what the doctor ordered in Siger's mysteries, but he knows how to write action scenes that a reader can get so wrapped up in that the pages won't turn fast enough. Then add to all that a mystery in A Deadly Twist that gets deeper the further Kaldis and his men investigate, and you've got a winner.

If you enjoy mysteries with an excellent sense of place, characters that can make you laugh and cry, mysteries that keep you guessing, and high octane action, pick up one of Jeffrey Siger's Andreas Kaldis mysteries. You can read A Deadly Twist as a standalone, but don't be surprised if you find yourself looking for the other books in the series.

(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley) ( )