Ashes

by Σέργιος Γκάκας, Sergios Gakas

Translation of Stachtes, published by Kastaniotis Editions, Athens, in 2007.

When Sonia Varika is pulled from the fire, her body is burned almost beyond recognition. For her ex-lovers, Police Colonel Chronis Halkidis and Simeon Piertzovanis, the landlord of the gutted property, her fate is a heavy reckoning. Fuelled by their twin addictions to cocaine and alcohol, they are gripped by a fanatical desire to uncover the truth behind the blaze and hold those responsible to account. A classic noir thriller, unflinching in its examination of violence and corruption, but tender in its treatment of human weakness.

Genres: Greece, Crime, Mystery

309 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2008

About the author

Ο Σέργιος Γκάκας (English: Sergios Gakas) γεννήθηκε στην Αθήνα το 1957 και σπούδασε Θέατρο στο Πανεπιστήμιο PARIS VIII. Από το 1979 εργαζόταν ως σκηνοθέτης και είχε σκηνοθετήσει δεκάδες θεατρικά έργα, ενώ παράλληλα διετέλεσε πρόεδρος του Συλλόγου Νέων Χαλανδρίου και ήταν ενεργός σε πολλούς πολιτιστικούς φορείς της περιοχής.

Το συγγραφικό του έργο περιλαμβάνει μυθιστορήματα, θεατρικά έργα και διηγήματα, με τα βιβλία του να έχουν μεταφραστεί σε πολλές γλώσσες και να κυκλοφορούν διεθνώς. Η δράση του ως αντιδήμαρχος Πολιτισμού του Δήμου Χαλανδρίου μέχρι το 2023 έδειξε την αδιάκοπη δέσμευσή του στην προώθηση του πολιτισμού και της τέχνης.

Reviews

[Effie Saxioni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Μετά την γνωριμία με τη γραφή του κ. Γκάκα με το Κάσκο, όπου έμεινα άφωνη με το επίπεδο γραφής (μιας και το ελληνικό νουάρ σαν είδος είναι μεγάλη συζήτηση), οι Στάχτες έρχονται να επιβεβαιώσουν ότι ο συγγραφέας έχει πάρα πολλά να προσφέρει στο είδος, και είναι μεγάλο κρίμα που δεν το κάνει.
Πολύ διαφορετικό από το προηγούμενο, με μεγαλύτερη συναισθηματική ένταση όμως,πρόκειται για μια αδιανόητη ιστορία αγάπης πνιγμένη στο έγκλημα.
5/5⭐

[Lefteris Bouros · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ο Συμεών Πιετζοβάνης είναι μακράν ο πιο συμπαθητικός μεθύστακας/δικηγόρος που έχω διαβάσει ποτέ.
Στα βιβλία του Σέργιου Γκάκα υπάρχει ατμόσφαιρα, αληθοφανείς χαρακτήρες και σπουδαίο ύφος, τόσο σπουδαίο που ίσως θα έπρεπε να ''διδάσκεται'' σε υποψήφιους συγγραφείς.

[Maria Altiki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ένα κατάμαυρο μυθιστόρημα βουτηγμένο στην απαισιοδοξία, στην αυτοκαταστροφικότητα, στην διαφθορά, στο αλκοόλ, αλλά και σε παράφορες αγάπες χωρίς αίσιο τέλος. Δεν νομίζω ότι έχω ξαναδιαβάσει ένα τόσο νουάρ μυθιστόρημα από καμία άλλη ελληνική πένα. Εύγε κύριε Γκάκα μας!

[Mary Bookitsa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Μετα το Κασκο οι Σταχτες...
Αν δεν εχετε διαβασει το Κασκο πρωτα ισως χαθείτε λιγο σε καποια σημεία που γινεται αναφορα στη ζωη του Συμεων παλαιοτερα. Ευτυχως ειχα διαβασει το Κασκο προσφατα και τα ειχα στην μνημη μου οποτε και οι αναφορες μου θυμισαν την αναγνωση του πολυ εντονα.
Σκοτεινες υποθεσεις, συμφεροντα, προσωπα κλειδια, αλκοολ που ρεει αφθονο, ενδιαφεροντες ηρωες, ενωνονται ολα μαζι για να μας δωσουν ενα δυνατο βιβλιο. Αρωμα Αθήνας σακατεμενες ψυχες που περιπλανιουνται ζητωντας δικαιωση.
Η γλωσσα κοφτερη, οι διαλογοι απολαυστικοι, η αγαπη πλαναται σε ολες της τις μορφες και σε κανει να αναρωτιεσαι ως που μπορεις να φτασεις τελικα για χαρη της... Αν θελετε και σεις να μαθετε δεν εχετε παρα να το ξεκινησετε.

[Calzean · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is told through two alternate narrators - a cocaine fuelled cop and an alcoholic lawyer. They are connected through an arson attack when the beautiful Sonia, a fallen actress, is seriously injured and three others die. Sonia's voice is also heard and the two men find they both were her lovers at some stage and both still love her.
It's pre-Athens Olympics and in Greece corruption is a national sport. This corruption as a norm and the fallibility of the two men stand out in this crime novel. The good parts were let down by how easily women were attracted to this pair and how they seemed to easily solve the whodunit and why.

[Erasmia Kritikou · Rating 3 out of 5]

Στην ελληνική νουαρ πεζογραφία, νομιζω ο Γκακας ξεχωρίζει.

Κι αυτο δεν ηταν ενα κακό βιβλίο, απλώς επεσε στην αναποφευκτη σύγκριση με το Κάσκο, που με ειχε πραγματικά εντυπωσιάσει, και οι προσδοκιες ηταν ανώτερες.

Αυτά οσον αφορά το συγκριτικό κομμάτι, οπως ειπαμε.

Αντικειμενικά μια πολύ τιμια προσφορά στα ελληνικά γραμματα. Κριμα που σταματησε να γραφει ο Γκάκας.

[Ευαγγελία Τσουκαλά · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ενώ στην αρχή λίγο με "έχασε" τις τελευταίες 100 σελίδες τις διάβασα χωρίς να το καταλάβω

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I loved:
- Athens; the neighborhoods and events past (the second half of the 20th century) and present (2004) that took place in them
- A Savvopoulos song, a Rembetiko singer, the grittiness of the present interspersed with what is still beautiful from the not very distant past as well as from the ancient past
- Sonia, in spite of the tinge of triteness.
That said, I had a hard time with the two main protagonists, Halkidis and Pierztovanis - although the alcoholic lawyer became a little more fleshed out and sympathetic as time went on. The cokehead cop unfortunately just became more annoying. Somehow his suffering is more profound, I suppose, because ... why? He loved more deeply/cared more ethereally/is more alone than anyone else? And this perhaps justifies his out of control drug habit and extreme violence; he is righteous? I mean, y’know, for a “deeply flawed” “good guy”. And besides, who will bring about any justice if he doesn’t do his own avenging? While doing a few lines of cocaine and a joint every couple of hours, of course.
(I apologize for the snark.)
Either the writing was not very good, or the translation was faulty. But that strangely enough didn’t harm my enjoyment of this book; there were some wonderful parts of the narrative, some creative turns in the plot, and some terrific political discussions.
In spite of any grousing on my part I would love to read something else by this writer.

[Chumba Tribes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Το δεύτερο και τελευταίο, μέχρι σήμερα, βιβλίο του Σέργιου Γκάκα είναι στο ίδιο επίπεδο με το πρώτο - αυτό του αρχετυπικού νουάρ με τον σωστό ρυθμό, τους σωστούς κατεστραμμένους χαρακτήρες, τη σωστή μαυρίλα. Και όλα αυτά χωρίς υπερβολές, χωρίς φλυαρία, χωρίς ούτε μια λέξη πρόχειρη, με μια ιστορία καλοδουλεμένη και ρεαλιστική. Αυτά τα μοναδικά για ελληνικό νουάρ στοιχεία, ο Γκάκας τα έδειξε στο Κάσκο, τα επιβεβαιώνει και στις Στάχτες. Εδώ πάει όμως κάνα δυο βήματα παραπάνω όσον αφορά την πραγματικά τολμηρή ιστορία. Ο συγγραφέας κοιτάει στα ίσια τους μεγάλους Γάλλους και Αμερικανούς ομοτέχνους του και κατονομάζει τους πραγματικά ισχυρούς που τροφοδοτούν τη διαφθορά και κινούν τα μαφιόζικα πολιτικοοικονομικά κυκλώματα. Διαβάζεις, διαβάζεις, απολαμβάνεις και κάπου εκεί στις τελευταίες εκατό σελίδες σου πέφτει το σαγόνι, όχι τόσο από την αποκάλυψη αλλά για τα κότσια του συγγραφέα. Και κάπως έτσι λύνεται η απορία γιατί αυτές οι εξαιρετικές ιστορίες δεν έγιναν ποτέ σενάρια σειράς, ταινίας, κόμικ κλπ. Σε κάποια άλλη χώρα θα μιλούσαν για τον συγγραφέα-φαινόμενο, εδώ έβγαλε ένα βιβλίο το 2001 κι ένα το 2008 και σχεδόν κανείς δεν ασχολήθηκε. Ένα μεγάλο μπράβο στον Σέργιο Γκάκα τα βιβλία του οποίου έφτασαν στα χέρια μου από καθαρή τύχη. Είναι ωραίο να είσαι τυχερός.

[Hermien · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book has an interesting structure. There are two first person narratives and the thoughts of a third person. The crime solving becomes more interesting as the book progresses.

[Paola · Rating 1 out of 5]

Είναι ένα κακό αστυνομικό έτσι κι αλλιώς αλλά πολύ περισσότερο αυτό φαίνεται αν το συγκρίνω με το πρώτο μυθιστόρημα του συγγραφέα, το Κάσκο (όπου πρωτοεμφανίστηκε ο ήρωας Συμεών Πιερτζοβάνης) το οποίο είναι ένα καταπληκτικό νουάρ.
Στις Στάχτες, καταρχάς, απουσιάζει το λογοτεχνικό στίγμα - αντίθετα το Κάσκο είχε διακριτό λογοτεχνικό ύφος.
Επίσης, ο Συμεών Πιερτζοβάνης στις Στάχτες είναι ένας αδιάφορος τύπος ενώ στο Κάσκο θεωρώ ότι κέρδιζε τον αναγνώστη.
Αλλά βασικά το πρόβλημα στις Στάχτες είναι η ιστορία: υπάρχει μία αναιτιολόγητη υπερβολή σε όλα τα στοιχεία του. Υπερβολή στο πόσο κατεστραμμένοι είναι οι χαρακτήρες (η Σόνια, ο Χολίδης είναι παντελώς ανερμάτιστοι, καθώς ουδέποτε εξηγείται γιατί κατάντησαν όπως κατάντησαν), υπερβολή στον χαρακτήρα της Ράνιας της οποίας το ενδιαφέρον για τον Πιερτζοβάνη παραμένει ανεξήγητο, υπερβολή στον μηδενισμό απέναντι σε όλους και σε όλα, υπερβολή ως προς τα αριστερά συμπλέγματα και απωθημένα κλπ κλπ. Τέλος, και το αστυνομικό κομμάτι λύνεται ξαφνικά με μια δευτεροκλασάτη ευκολία. Το αποτέλεσμα ήταν ότι το βιβλίο με κούρασε, το τελείωσα με το ζόρι.

[Pelio Papadia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Αθήνα, χειμώνας του 2004. Λίγο πριν από τους Ολυμπιακούς Αγώνες, μια παλιά μονοκατοικία καίγεται μαζί με τους τέσσερις ενοίκους της. Ένας αποτυχημένος, αλκοολικός δικηγόρος, ο Συμεών Πιερτζοβάνης, κι ένας σκληρός, κοκάκιας, μπάτσος, ο Χρόνης Χαλκίδης, προσπαθούν να βρουν τους ενόχους και ταυτόχρονα να πνίξουν τις ενοχές τους. Παράλληλα, διεκδικούν την ίδια γυναίκα· μια μοιραία, ξεπεσμένη ηθοποιό που στοιχειώνει το παρελθόν τους. Τη Σόνια, τη μοναδική διασωθείσα από τη φωτιά, που βρίσκεται σε κώμα. Όταν συνειδητοποιούν πως μπλέχτηκαν σε μια σκοτεινή ιστορία, αναγκάζονται να σκαλίσουν τις στάχτες και να "λερώσουν" τα χέρια τους. Δυο πρωτοπρόσωπες αφηγήσεις και μια τρίτη, εμβόλιμη σαν σκέψη. Ένα κλασικό νουάρ, με κοφτερή γλώσσα, δυνατούς διαλόγους και καυστικό χιούμορ, που παρουσιάζει με απολαυστικό τρόπο τη σύγκρουση μεταξύ (ανύπαρκτης) δικαιοσύνης και (εκδικητικής) πραγματικότητας στη διεφθαρμένη πρωτεύουσα της προηγούμενης δεκαετίας, που σταδιακά καταρρέει...

[Gerasimos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Διεφθαρμένοι μπατσοι, αλκοολ, ναρκωτικα και χαρακτηρες που παλεύουν με τα σκοτάδια τους και τα βάζουν με δυνατότερους αντιπάλους.

Άλλο ένα εξαιρετικό νουαρ μυθιστόρημα από τον Σέργιο Γκακα! Έχοντας διαβάσει και το Κάσκο ήμουν προισεασμενος για το τι να περιμένω από τον συγγραφέα.

Ο αγαπημένος μας αλκοολικος δικηγόρος μπλέκει για άλλη μια φορά αλλά τώρα το θέμα τον αφορά λίγο παραπάνω. Για χάρη μιας παλιάς αγάπης θα αναγκαστεί να συνεργαστεί με ένα μπάτσο.

Η αφήγηση μέχρι την μέση γίνεται εναλλάξ από τους δύο πρωταγωνιστές κάτι που είναι πολύ ενδιαφέρον μιας και μαθαίνουμε περισσότερα για τους χαρακτήρες τους.
Έχει γρήγορο ρυθμό με αρκετά χιούμοριστικα στοιχεία και αρκετά ενδιαφέρουσα πλοκή έτσι όπως εξελίσσεται.

Αναρωτιέμαι και εγω γιατι ο συγγραφέας δεν έχει γράψει κάποιο άλλο βιβλίο.

[Charles Kerns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gakas does mystery differently, but only in the telling: two alternating first-person voices and interspersed, short, dialog flashbacks carry you through the book. Otherwise Ashes is pure noir: drunk, dead, destroyed, and bankrupt, Greece, a cop a lawyer, and their ex-actress lover have given up. Greece wallows. The lawyer drinks. The lover dies as the book starts. The cop fights as he snorts his way thru the investigation. Half-crazed to start, he makes it to the final pages, looking for vengeance, not justice. (Justice is no longer possible in Gakas' Greece.)

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad read and novel. The setting is interesting - Athens prior to the hosting of the 2004 Olympics. The novel centers on the 2 lead characters relationship to an actress who was badly injured in a fire and the subsequent investigations into the fire. The plot moves along with each chapter the viewpoints of one of the 2 lead characters. Not a bad debut.

[Σπύρος · Rating 5 out of 5]

Επάξια συνέχεια του Κάσκο. Η γραφή -και όχι η δράση- είναι καταιγιστική στο «χαρακτηρισμένο» σύμπαν των κυνικών ηρώων με τις ματαιωμένες ζωές του Γκάκα. Ίσως αυτό βοηθάει στην ανάγνωση των δύο βιβλίων του συγγραφέα, κερδίζοντας με διαφορά τη διάσπαση της προσοχής απ’ την οποία πάσχουμε γενικώς.

[Mikros Beethoven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Στην αρχή με ενθουσίασε, δεν ξέρω γιατί μετά το έχασα, ενώ η πλοκή δεν έκανε καθόλου κοιλιά ή να παρουσιαστεί κάποιο άλλο πρόβλημα. Δεν κατάλαβα το τέλος...

[Λότσος Πουτσουράκης · Rating 1 out of 5]

Τραγικό... Δυστυχώς τραγικό, αν και αναμενόμενο για όσους ξέρουν τη συγκεκριμένη πένα. Σαν κακόγουστη φάρσα η υπόθεση.

[Δήμος Καραχάλιος · Rating 4 out of 5]

Αγαπάμε Συμεών Πιερτζοβάνη!

[Fotis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Υπερβολές, συναισθηματική ένταση ο χαρακτήρας "άτονος" και κάτι λίγο απο αστυνομικό μυθιστόρημα. Περίμενα περισσότερα

[D.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Πολύ καλό, όχι όμως σαν το ''Κάσκο''.
Λίγο κουραστικοί οι διάλογοι-αναπολήσεις με italics.
Θλιβερό και πραγματικό το τέλος, αν και πέθαναν τα καλό πιόνια, το σχέδιό τους επικράτησε.

[Nancy Oakes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ashes is set in Greece, and is a story that focuses on a country falling apart, in part due to its often morally-bankrupt caretakers as well as other forces that have sent society spiraling down into a decline from which it may or may not recover. As a social commentary, it's a winner, and as a novel of crime fiction, it's also pretty awesome.

As the novel opens two things are going on in Athens: preparations are underway for the Olympic Games, and a rather non-descript house burns down, taking with it the lives of a young woman and her three-year-old daughter. The fire also sends a former actress by the name of Sonia Varika to the hospital with severe burns. Sonia once played Medea, but her career began to slide as she turned to alcohol, leading her to live a more quiet and lonely life away from the crowds and former acquaintances. When the fire is deemed to have been the result of arson, Police Col. Chronis Halkidis asks to take charge of the case, even though he works in internal affairs. His chief owes him a favor, and grants him permission to take on the investigation. One of the first things he does is to contact the owner of the house, lawyer Simeon Piertzovanis, who, along with Halkidis, has a personal involvement with the actress. Both of these men have self-destructive tendencies, and while both agonize through their respective feelings of guilt, they turn to revenge against those responsible. The case is just starting to get somewhere when Halkidis is informed that the word from above is that the case is over, but as he tries to discover who's put the lid on his investigation, things actually begin to heat up.

Told through three distinct voices -- of Halkidis, Piertovanis, and Sonia (now laying in a coma in a hospital bed), Ashes is probably the first crime novel I've ever read where the entire story is analogous to the story of a society in crisis. Certainly many authors have used the vehicle of crime fiction to vent their displeasure with the existing social and political systems of their own respective countries, but Gakas has elevated this trend into a story that transcends individual nations, relevant almost anywhere. As the country faces a downhill slide into ruin, the forces that have sent it that far are mirrored in the novel's characters and in the story of these deaths: drugs and alcohol take their respective tolls; Halkidis finds himself hamstringed as politics and corruption triumph over justice and truth; even the church is not spared and has a role in this story; money is king and those that have it will stop at nothing until they have more, while those who don't have it seek their share by doing whatever it takes to get paid. Seriously, change the names and the place and this could be a novel about any other nation in the current global climate.

If you're thinking about reading this one, and you're not so much into the allegory of it all, the crime aspects of the novel are also done quite well. Each step of the case reveals new connections in the crime, and the actual solving of the case takes Halkidis, Piertovanis and a couple of other characters into some rather humorous situations that allow the reader breathing space away from all of the intensity of the personal tragedies at work here. At the same time, the reader's desire to know who did this horrible thing and why grows at each new revelation, as does the atmosphere of suspense crafted by the author. And while the ending is a bit depressing, it's totally appropriate to the overall story. Although one could argue (and hope, for that matter) that maybe all will not be as it seems, considering alternative connotations of the word ashes -- you know, phoenix rising and all that.

I really liked Ashes; sadly had it not been on Euro Crime's CWA International Dagger eligibility list, I probably would never have read it. What a tragedy that would have been! This book probably won't be to everyone's taste in crime fiction, but if you like a social commentary in your crime, this one will be definitely right up your alley. It's also extremely intelligently written, and could easily be appropriate for more "literary"-minded fiction devotees as well as for crime fiction readers.

[Ellie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A house in Athens is burned to the ground, three are dead and one women is left fighting for her life. The women, Sonia, was once a great actress and her ex-lovers, her alcoholic landlord and a policeman, are the only ones who wish to find out what really happened the night of the fire.

I liked the idea, the narrative is split between Halkidis and Piertzovanis, the two ex-lovers, interspersed with memories of Sonia. However I found that I was missing the inflections we are used to in speech to know what the character is feeling. There is a point near the start where Halkidis is questioning Piertzovanis about the crime, and it seems fairly genial until the end where it is explained that they were being quite hostile to each other. It really did not come across that way in the wording, perhaps it's been lost in translation but it happens again throughout the book. Now I know one of the characteristics of the noir sub-genre is a tough guy protagonist but I would still expect some sort of emotional response.

The women came across as much more rounded characters, the prostitute, Rina, that takes a liking to old Piertzovanis and Sonia herself, although she is mostly a memory, I found her interactions with the men charming. Sonia might be a little stereotypical but she was a breath of fresh air as I was struggling to connect to the men.

The resolution of the crime mystery aspect also seemed a bit out of place. The actual culprits didn't really feature in the story until the reveal and I didn't find it very plausible. Maybe I'm just not familiar enough with Greek culture.

To be fair to the book, I was left feeling very much the same as I did when I tried to read James Patterson's Alex Cross series...which is hugely popular and Ashes may well appeal to the same audience.

[Rob Kitchin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ashes is a fine slice of Greek noir. All of the principle characters and institutions are deeply flawed. Although in charge of internal affairs, Colonel Halkidis is addicted to cocaine and is prepared bend the law in savage ways, though he does so for justice not financial gain. Piertzovanis is an alcoholic and prone to depression and melancholy. Raina is cheating on her boyfriend. Sonia is vain and a lush. Just about all the other characters are corrupt or prepared to turn a blind eye. The police, the government, the Church and businesses are all riddled with taken-for-granted corruption and cronyism. The story is well plotted, though it does become a little unconvincing in the latter pages as Halkidis' revenge spirals out of control and goes unchallenged. The story is told in the first person from three perspectives - Halkidis and Piertzovanis in alternating chapters, and Sonia whilst in a coma. This works surprisingly well, with Gakas able to maintain three distinct voices whilst revealing what each thinks of the other, as well as fleshing out their back stories. Indeed, the characterisation is strong throughout. There is a good sense of place and as well as being a fine crime story, Ashes is a searing social commentary on the Greek society and its institutions. Having read the novel it is certainly much easier to understand the events in the country over the past couple of years. I thoroughly enjoyed Ashes and if any of Gakas' other books are translated I intend to give them a go.

[Raven · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know when you hit a period of reading crime books and you just think 'yadda yadda yadda- read it all before' well, I have just broken my recent cycle of this by discovering the marvellous 'Ashes' What a breath of fresh air and a brilliantly realised crime novel with a completely authentic portrayal of Greek society. The translation was excellent and I loved the coke-sniffing , revenge-seeking policeman Chronis and the way his relationship developed with the borderline alcoholic lawyer Simeon (linked by their involvement with the enigmatic but damaged Sonia)- what great examples for the legal system they both were and the joys of clean-living....not! I enjoyed the little snippets of both their lives with the mysterious Sonia and the way her voice penetrated the book despite her being an almost spectral figure in her hospital bed. In the central storyline there was a brilliant dissemination of the greed of property developers with the dark shadow of the Church and their sinister monetary influence looming large in the generally underhand dealings going on. I thought the writing was crisp and sharp and I'm a huge fan of George Pelecanos so the inherent 'Greekness' of this and similarity of a pared-down style really appealed to me. An excellent read and an author I would certainly seek out again...

[RestfulReviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

In most noir fiction, there is a lot of corruption. Entire stories are built out of it. Ashes goes one better by going past the point where anyone pretends this is a surprise. Corruption is the default state of being, with pretty much everyone taking this for granted. A mysterious fire in a house that kills four people, badly injuring a once famous actress. A policeman investigates (he's the head of internal affairs, but that doesn't matter, as the Chief of police owes him a favour), joining forces with an alcoholic lawyer that owned the house in a quest for the truth. The usual political cover up ensues. Bribes and blackmail are routine, and in the end the investigating officer just murders the guilty parties because he knows anything by the book isn't going to work .

I don't know anything about modern Greece, so I don't know if this is accurate, but it certainly makes this book stand out. The rest is fairly conventional, with the whole affair caused by the usual scummy land deal . There are three main perspectives, the policeman, the comatose actress, and the lawyer that owns the house. I occasionally got the two investigators mixed up as I read, moving from one first person perspective to another, but that could just be me not being used to the format.

A good read overall, notable mostly for the well constructed setting.

[Kate Gardner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I took this book on holiday with me because crime is usually a good bet for an absorbing throwaway read. This book didn’t quite live up to that expectation, being both better than expected but also in some ways worse. I probably need to explain.

For a start this is one of the more literary police procedurals I have ever read, inasmuch as the writing is very good, a little experimental even, and it doesn’t follow the expected rules of the genre. Now that may partly be because it’s Greek, and perhaps they have their own set of rules. I’m not familiar enough with Greek literature to know. But this certainly didn’t read like it was slotting into a template.

My full review: http://www.noseinabook.co.uk/?p=2751

[Χρήστος Γιαννάκενας · Rating 3 out of 5]

A neat noir tale from Greece. Good pacing, bleak characters, black humor and dark twists. But the political background seems at times hurried (as in almost every Greek noir tale), even though at times feels very relevant to the situation at Greece at this point, and it makes the story tiring instead of compeling. But still, this is one of the better noir books made by Greeks in recent memory, just because Gakas plays great with his characters and narrative, in a way you ask for more.

[Ann Tonks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new writer for me and one who has created a fascinating group of characters in contemporary Athens. A book with heart as well as politics, murder and corruption.