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The Black Monastery
When Nikos, a detective in the final years of his career, is persuaded back to his home town he is faced with the gory murder of a young boy near the old monastery. Echoing two murders committed 33 years previously in the exact same spot, and a mass cult suicide, it brings back a part of the island's history that it has tried hard to forget.
There is a lot at stake - the island's lucrative tourist trade and the open secret of the drugs trade that goes hand in hand with the hordes of mainly young British holiday makers.
As Nikos begins his investigation, two British crime writers arrive on the island. The best selling Kitty Carson, on a break from the pressures of writing and her strained relationship, and Jason an aspiring writer whose aim is to strike up a friendship with her and convince her to help him get published.
As the two writers are thrown together in an unexpected way, another murder is committed and Jason and Kitty are drawn into an investigation of their own. As they discover more about the island's dark past what began as a diversion becomes a dangerous pursuit . . .
There is a lot at stake - the island's lucrative tourist trade and the open secret of the drugs trade that goes hand in hand with the hordes of mainly young British holiday makers.
As Nikos begins his investigation, two British crime writers arrive on the island. The best selling Kitty Carson, on a break from the pressures of writing and her strained relationship, and Jason an aspiring writer whose aim is to strike up a friendship with her and convince her to help him get published.
As the two writers are thrown together in an unexpected way, another murder is committed and Jason and Kitty are drawn into an investigation of their own. As they discover more about the island's dark past what began as a diversion becomes a dangerous pursuit . . .
384 pages, Paperback
First published April 2, 2009
12 people are currently reading
119 people want to read
About the author
Stav Sherez
25 books76 followersBorn in 1970, Sherez grew up in London and attended Latymer Upper School and the University of Leeds.
Stav Sherez is a British novelist whose first novel The Devil's Playground was published in 2004 by Penguin Books and was shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey Dagger.
Sherez's second novel, The Black Monastery, is published by Faber & Faber in April 2009.
From 1999 to 2004 he was a main contributor to the music magazine Comes with a Smile.
From December 2006 he has been literary editor of the Catholic Herald.
Stav Sherez is a British novelist whose first novel The Devil's Playground was published in 2004 by Penguin Books and was shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey Dagger.
Sherez's second novel, The Black Monastery, is published by Faber & Faber in April 2009.
From 1999 to 2004 he was a main contributor to the music magazine Comes with a Smile.
From December 2006 he has been literary editor of the Catholic Herald.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
February 15, 2013
I wanted to like this book, it seemed to have so much promise, but... To me it was tedious until three quarters of the way through, and then it all happened. The end was great, although more of the same. I just couldn't plough through it like the blurb told me I would, and the writing style, in the third person???? seemed to read like I was in a fog. Perhaps it was just me. This isn't a bad book, I liked it, but I was a bit disappointed as there was an expectation set, Greek islands, mystery, cults, religion and what is with the centipedes.... I also couldn't like the characters or care about their lives, don't get me wrong, read it, you may well have a different opinion!
April 14, 2024
Have you ever enjoyed a book that has such a low average rating, you start to wonder if you have bad taste in books?
Weirdly, I agree with a lot of the criticisms the negative reviews of this bring up. It really was false advertising to pitch this as a cult thriller. Like most people, I picked it up BECAUSE it told me it was a cult thriller, and the fact that the cult was a footnote that was hardly mentioned was quite disappointing. I think because I was forewarned by reading everyone's reviews before I started, I was able to brush it off. I also agree that but again, I knew it was coming.
How much would I have enjoyed this if I didn't know what the terrible parts were beforehand? That spoiler stuff would probably have been a deal breaker. But as it was, I really enjoyed it as a small town, crime drama. The heat. The insular locals. The crawling masses of centipedes.
Go into it with low expectations. Read the 1 and 2 star reviews to know what you're getting into. You might enjoy it despite its many flaws.
Weirdly, I agree with a lot of the criticisms the negative reviews of this bring up. It really was false advertising to pitch this as a cult thriller. Like most people, I picked it up BECAUSE it told me it was a cult thriller, and the fact that the cult was a footnote that was hardly mentioned was quite disappointing. I think because I was forewarned by reading everyone's reviews before I started, I was able to brush it off. I also agree that but again, I knew it was coming.
How much would I have enjoyed this if I didn't know what the terrible parts were beforehand? That spoiler stuff would probably have been a deal breaker. But as it was, I really enjoyed it as a small town, crime drama. The heat. The insular locals. The crawling masses of centipedes.
Go into it with low expectations. Read the 1 and 2 star reviews to know what you're getting into. You might enjoy it despite its many flaws.
November 2, 2022
Really this should be a 2.5 because what I really wanted was a book about a cult, which this book promised me and then WENT OUT OF ITS WAY TO NOT DELIVER. It gave me everything BUT cults. Drug trafficking. Paedophile priests. Stalkers. Revenge plots. Hippie communes. No cult. Denied.
I'm also mad that Jason got his book published and the fact that he was stalking Kitty was never properly addressed. The real killer at the end seemed to be a bit frigging tenuous tbh but I mean, ok. By that point I was like ok, at least it was a character that we'd met before and not just completely pulled out of thin air, but I was still kind of meh on it.
All in all, I just wanted it to be about a messed up cult and not an elaborate anything-but-a-cult. Disappointing.
I'm also mad that Jason got his book published and the fact that he was stalking Kitty was never properly addressed. The real killer at the end seemed to be a bit frigging tenuous tbh but I mean, ok. By that point I was like ok, at least it was a character that we'd met before and not just completely pulled out of thin air, but I was still kind of meh on it.
All in all, I just wanted it to be about a messed up cult and not an elaborate anything-but-a-cult. Disappointing.
April 20, 2017
THE BLACK MONASTERY is Stav Sherez's second crime novel, following his debut THE DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND, which was shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey Dagger back in 2005 (there was a five-year gap, and a change in publishers, between Sherez's first and second novels).
Sherez's style leans towards literary at times, perhaps even becoming over-wordy occasionally, but I really enjoyed the read. He evokes a nice sense of the Greek Island setting, and the changes some such places have endured in the past decades, shifting from history-filled rural getaways to booze and drug-filled party places for yobbish British tourists.
Nikos, Kitty and Jason are an interesting trio of main characters, and Sherez does a nice job giving each of them some substance, and creating tension, drama and intrigue both between them, and between each of them and other characters. The mystery plot bubbles away, keeping the reader interested, and overall I found it a book well worth reading.
Recommended for those that like a bit of atmosphere, history, and societal comment or insight woven into their mysteries.
Sherez's style leans towards literary at times, perhaps even becoming over-wordy occasionally, but I really enjoyed the read. He evokes a nice sense of the Greek Island setting, and the changes some such places have endured in the past decades, shifting from history-filled rural getaways to booze and drug-filled party places for yobbish British tourists.
Nikos, Kitty and Jason are an interesting trio of main characters, and Sherez does a nice job giving each of them some substance, and creating tension, drama and intrigue both between them, and between each of them and other characters. The mystery plot bubbles away, keeping the reader interested, and overall I found it a book well worth reading.
Recommended for those that like a bit of atmosphere, history, and societal comment or insight woven into their mysteries.
February 8, 2019
Murder mystery on a Greek Island. Readable.
March 18, 2021
Police officer Nikos is getting close to retirement, but as his final assignment he is returning to his home, the Greek island Palassos, to track down drug traffickers. However his arrival coincides with the brutal ritualistic killings of two teenagers, reminiscent of killings some thirty years or more ago. Successful crime Kitty is escaping work and an inattentive husband to Palassos to for a well earned rest; wannabe crime writer Jason has other motives in going, not entirely unconnected with Kitty's. Their lives are due to become dangerously intertwined.
What results is a gripping and imaginative drama, as present day events become more and more related to what happened on Palassos in 1974. The characters are well drawn, and there are plenty of twists and a number of red herrings as the plot unfolds. There is also more than enough gore, and the writer seems to have a fascination with vomit. The build up to the climax is a real page turner, the outcome difficult to predict, and there is a poignant coda. Good stuff!
(pre-publication review copy)
What results is a gripping and imaginative drama, as present day events become more and more related to what happened on Palassos in 1974. The characters are well drawn, and there are plenty of twists and a number of red herrings as the plot unfolds. There is also more than enough gore, and the writer seems to have a fascination with vomit. The build up to the climax is a real page turner, the outcome difficult to predict, and there is a poignant coda. Good stuff!
(pre-publication review copy)
August 16, 2016
I didn't buy the book or choose it specifically, rather I went to one of those book exchange closets and putting some of my books in there had a look at what could be interesting for me. Rarely there are books that I would've chosen to buy, but they make for a good mix-up of my reading habits. This one is no exception - it was different, as it's been some time since I've read a crime/mystery novel and not something I would've deliberately chosen. However, I started reading it on a whim and it didn't disappoint; I finished by the next day. I will say, if you do not like gruesome depictions of gore, you should not read this book or skip some paragraphs once you see it's headed for the dead bodies.
The story starts a bit slow, with a (fictional) island somewhere in Greece that is struck with tragedy, as a teenager gets killed in a very gruesome way that is reminiscent of crimes long past. Enter three very different characters that will interact with each other: Nikos, a soon to retire chief of police of the small island; Kitty, a mystery novel author and Jason, a rather peculiar guy who's infatuation with Kitty borders to the extreme. Being part of the police, Nikos is the first character to see the crime scene and we understand that something truly horrible has happened again. Connected to crimes from 30 odd years ago as well as one year ago, Nikos has to find out how everything is connected. Deeply connected to what happened when he was a rookie cop, he struggles to make sense of his memories and how all of this - bodies that show a very similar MO that did the ones when he was young - could possibly connect.
Jason, obsessed with Kitty, follows her everywhere, which includes her trip to Greece to the ill-fated island. They somehow get together and finding out about the murders happening on the island, get involved in research. Their research takes them to the scene of the crime - the black monastery - and though they are faced with danger, they do not give up easily. At some point they will cross lines with Nikos, but the connections aren't easily seen at first, as they are pursuing the murders on different ends of the line and only interact when they find common ground where everything is revealed for what it is .
The ending was definitely bittersweet, but I find that I liked it that way . There is also character development, even though it's only one book. Especially Jason, creeper of the year, gets his shit together after some time . Kitty, a bit too curious for her own good, finally found a way to finding a healthy path for her life . Nikos finally finds the answer to many mysteries that shrouded his whole life and has now a new place to start in his life.
In short, this book has suspense, mystery, a weird love story and tragic secrets that get resolved by the end. For something that I picked up and wouldn't have chosen to read myself, I was truly surprised to like it so much, let alone read it so fast (I've been in a bit of a "reader's block"). I think it therefore deserves four shining stars.
The story starts a bit slow, with a (fictional) island somewhere in Greece that is struck with tragedy, as a teenager gets killed in a very gruesome way that is reminiscent of crimes long past. Enter three very different characters that will interact with each other: Nikos, a soon to retire chief of police of the small island; Kitty, a mystery novel author and Jason, a rather peculiar guy who's infatuation with Kitty borders to the extreme. Being part of the police, Nikos is the first character to see the crime scene and we understand that something truly horrible has happened again. Connected to crimes from 30 odd years ago as well as one year ago, Nikos has to find out how everything is connected. Deeply connected to what happened when he was a rookie cop, he struggles to make sense of his memories and how all of this - bodies that show a very similar MO that did the ones when he was young - could possibly connect.
Jason, obsessed with Kitty, follows her everywhere, which includes her trip to Greece to the ill-fated island. They somehow get together and finding out about the murders happening on the island, get involved in research. Their research takes them to the scene of the crime - the black monastery - and though they are faced with danger, they do not give up easily. At some point they will cross lines with Nikos, but the connections aren't easily seen at first, as they are pursuing the murders on different ends of the line and only interact when they find common ground where everything is revealed for what it is .
The ending was definitely bittersweet, but I find that I liked it that way . There is also character development, even though it's only one book. Especially Jason, creeper of the year, gets his shit together after some time . Kitty, a bit too curious for her own good, finally found a way to finding a healthy path for her life . Nikos finally finds the answer to many mysteries that shrouded his whole life and has now a new place to start in his life.
In short, this book has suspense, mystery, a weird love story and tragic secrets that get resolved by the end. For something that I picked up and wouldn't have chosen to read myself, I was truly surprised to like it so much, let alone read it so fast (I've been in a bit of a "reader's block"). I think it therefore deserves four shining stars.
September 2, 2019
This is a tale set in exotic location of Greek island ( good venue for Greek tragedies?) , and venue for some very horrific murders. The drama and the social events in the island play out well - however the main protagonists (barring the inspector) are a trifle unbelievable in their pursuits; there are some loathsome descriptions too. The core of the plot is however strong and it is indeed a good mysterious tale with a decent climax.
May 29, 2020
This was a bit of a let down because I've loved the other Stav Sherez books. This one was ok - I wasn't bored - but it didn't hold me particularly. It was never so that I couldn't wait to see how it ended. The characters weren't either that interesting. Not a bad book by any means, just not close to Sherez's best.
May 14, 2018
A little difficult to get into as there are several story lines going independently with the narration of each intermingled, but a different look at cults, Greece, and improper behavior of Catholic clergy. Improbably it all makes sense in the end. I like Sherez 's Carrigan and Miller series better.
December 10, 2018
I have given this book 2 stars, I just did not find any of the main characters very empathetic and I had worked out what was happening almost from the beginning and felt that the main protagonists were just a bit slow on the uptake.
June 21, 2019
I enjoyed The Black Monastery - but it didn’t entice me to read it as quickly as other books.
July 10, 2020
Entertaining enough. No gripping book with lots of unexpected twists and turns but not was it dull.
September 7, 2025
First 150-200 pages are a bit of a slog and the switching POVs can make the story hard to keep track of but those last 100 pages make up for the immensely
July 24, 2009
Forget Zorba the Greek, blue skies and white sandy beaches with dolphins cavorting off shore, bazouki music, Greeks playing backgammon with a glass of ouzo on the side, and dancing in the streets. The Black Monastery is a noir tale of a Greek island, the fictitious Palassos, where the murders of two boys in what seems like a cult sacrifice took place back in 1974, and where the same ritual murders are once again happening.
And why were the murders all near the Black Monastery, a structure in the interior of the island that has been closed for years and turned into a tourist venue?
The book brings police chief Nikos back to his hometown after years on the police force in Athens. He is haunted by the 1974 murders and cult suicides and wants to resolve the new cases that seem so similar to the ones in the past. Two other people are interested and delve into the mystery even at their own risk - two writers who meet on the island and become involved, Kitty and Jason.
Don't try this book unless you are really into noir. It seems very spooky throughout, but the ending and the mystery solved is very real and done by people with real motives.
You will like Nikos though, the police chief, a sympathetic character with angst about his island, the people, the visitors and tourists, and an old crime. Compelling, gripping, and a little horrifying, Sherez has written a very different take on paradise in his novel, The Black Monastery: Paradise Can Be Murder.
And why were the murders all near the Black Monastery, a structure in the interior of the island that has been closed for years and turned into a tourist venue?
The book brings police chief Nikos back to his hometown after years on the police force in Athens. He is haunted by the 1974 murders and cult suicides and wants to resolve the new cases that seem so similar to the ones in the past. Two other people are interested and delve into the mystery even at their own risk - two writers who meet on the island and become involved, Kitty and Jason.
Don't try this book unless you are really into noir. It seems very spooky throughout, but the ending and the mystery solved is very real and done by people with real motives.
You will like Nikos though, the police chief, a sympathetic character with angst about his island, the people, the visitors and tourists, and an old crime. Compelling, gripping, and a little horrifying, Sherez has written a very different take on paradise in his novel, The Black Monastery: Paradise Can Be Murder.
May 29, 2015
This was a very enjoyable book which I almost read non-stop, only sleep forcing me to have to put the book down. It is not what you expect from the title, and must admit didn't read the blurb! I was expecting a codey type book and got a murder mystery set on a Greek Island which has its root cause in events that happened back in 1974. It is not the book for you if you don't want to read about centipedes or if you are going on holiday to a Greek Island - don't think it will be recommended reading for the Greek Tourist Board! There was good characterisation in the story and good interplay between them. It does also have quite a shocking ending. I'd be happy to recommend the book to anyone, and do want to read more by this author is was unknown to me. I picked the book up based on the title, having walked past it in the library! 4.5 Stars.
September 21, 2015
I have no idea how this book came to be on my kindle! However I am glad it was. I started to read it more through curiosity, to see if I recognised what it was about- and I was hooked from the start.
It ia a police procedural novel with a twist - set on a Greek Island, lots of sub plots, throw in a couple of mad priests and some drug dealers and Bob's your uncle.
Very readable, although I may not be going to a Greek island on holiday any time soon, until I have forgotten the plot.
I didn't give it 5 stars because a couple of loose ends were not tied up for me, but I will certainly be reading more by this author.
It ia a police procedural novel with a twist - set on a Greek Island, lots of sub plots, throw in a couple of mad priests and some drug dealers and Bob's your uncle.
Very readable, although I may not be going to a Greek island on holiday any time soon, until I have forgotten the plot.
I didn't give it 5 stars because a couple of loose ends were not tied up for me, but I will certainly be reading more by this author.
August 25, 2012
Well... currently bed bound so accepting and reading all sorts of book offerings from friends and relatives. This is not a book I would have chosen for myself - I am not a great one for Crime/Thriller. However, I did enjoy this book: it was a fast, relatively easy read (great for me at the moment);it wasn't TOO predictable and while all the characters were essentially rather sad (in all meanings of the word)they weren't unlikeable. Some revolting detail might put off more 'delicate' readers.
January 1, 2013
A crime novel with the unusual setting of a Greek island which holds a dark past. The local police chief has his own secrets, but must investigate a series of crimes which echo previous incidents. Others become interested in what has gone on and come to the island and make their own investigations.
Really encjoyed this book and it kept me guessing till near the end. The setting makes it different from the usual crime novels I read and the characters are well-drawn and life-like.
Really encjoyed this book and it kept me guessing till near the end. The setting makes it different from the usual crime novels I read and the characters are well-drawn and life-like.
December 19, 2013
I wanted to like this book based on my enjoyment of his other books, and stuck with it for way too long...the characters aren't likeable, their relationships aren't believable, and the plot is scattered and vague, until all of a sudden it isn't. Graphic scenes seem to be thrown in just to fascinate the reader, without being necessary or enhancing the narrative. I was disappointed -but I would still recommend his other books. This seems to be an anomaly.
March 10, 2016
This is a beautifully written noir, set on an enchanting Greek island that's been destroyed by tourism. But the real rot in the heart of the community comes not from the mindless, drunken tourists, but by a shocking crime that repeats itself a generation later. Some scenes are truly shocking in their description of violence, but despite these two or three scenes, the book maintains its faith in the nobility, and adaptability of people and the mystery of the heart.
January 30, 2017
A crime committed in 1974 is recreated in the present on the Greek island of Palasso. A young, green cop is saved from corruption by his more senior, more cynical colleagues. Decades later, two years from Police Chief Nikos Yannopoulis's planned retirement, the past cracks open and spills into his life, wiping away the best parts of his life. Stav Sherez's book "The Black Monastery" is a vivid and terrible story of vengeance. This is a masterful work about the corrosiveness of secrets.
June 23, 2012
This book just never captured me. I just didn't care what happened to any of the characters. am sure it was clever and dark for sure but without engagement on my part in the people I just read on without enjoyment. Please don't let this stop anyone from giving it a go a very personal viewpoint and I will read 'A dark Redemption'
December 22, 2012
Three and a half stars for this second tale from Stav. The first third lacked the depth and beguiling mystery of The Devil's Playground, but it started to click into gear once Kitty and Jason hooked up properly. Problem for me lay in the fact I didn't really care for these two characters unlike Nikos and Alexia, who I felt were the beating heart of the story
May 23, 2015
I really wanted to enjoy this book. I've been waiting eagerly for it to climb my too read list as it sounded so good, and I was disappointed.
From a technical point of view this is a great book. Well written characters and a mystery that keeps you guessing. But I just couldn't get into it. I felt as if I was dragging myself through the pages.
From a technical point of view this is a great book. Well written characters and a mystery that keeps you guessing. But I just couldn't get into it. I felt as if I was dragging myself through the pages.
February 2, 2014
Found this book a disappointment having read and really enjoyed two other books by the same author, A Dark Redemption and Eleven Days.
Wish I'd given up on it earlier, far fetched plot and unconvincing relationships between the main characters, none of whom I warmed to at all.
Wish I'd given up on it earlier, far fetched plot and unconvincing relationships between the main characters, none of whom I warmed to at all.
March 30, 2014
This book was quite a surprise. I liked that it took place on a Greek island even though it was a fictional island. The book is very dark and the descriptions are at time gruesome, but the story is well told.
December 18, 2009
Excellent crime novel set on a Greek Island. Fast moving plot that compels you to keep reading. Not for the squeamish, though. There are a lot of centipedes.
February 11, 2015
Murder mystery set on a small Greek island with some dark events buried in its history. A compelling story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews