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The Greek Detective #3
The Doctor of Thessaly
A jilted bride weeps on an empty beach. A local doctor is attacked in an isolated churchyard. Trouble arrives at a bad time to the backwater village of Morfi, just as the community is making headlines with a visit from a high-ranking government minister. Fortunately, where there's trouble, there's Hermes Diaktoros, the mysterious fat man whose tennis shoes are always pristine and whose investigative methods are always unorthodox.
Hermes must investigate a brutal crime, thwart the petty machinations of the town's ex-mayor and his cronies, and try to settle the troubled waters of two sisters' relationship. But how can he unravel a mystery that not even the victim wants solved?
Set against a radiant Mediterranean backdrop, THE DOCTOR OF THESSALY is a spellbinding mystery about the dark consequences of envy.
Hermes must investigate a brutal crime, thwart the petty machinations of the town's ex-mayor and his cronies, and try to settle the troubled waters of two sisters' relationship. But how can he unravel a mystery that not even the victim wants solved?
Set against a radiant Mediterranean backdrop, THE DOCTOR OF THESSALY is a spellbinding mystery about the dark consequences of envy.
258 pages, Hardcover
First published July 6, 2009
About the author
Anne Zouroudi
35 books145 followersBorn in rural Lincolnshire in 1959, Anne moved to South Yorkshire at the age of two. Following her education at Sheffield High School for Girls, she went into the IT industry, a career which took her to both New York’s Wall Street and Denver, Colorado. In America she began to take seriously her ambition to write fiction, and bought a typewriter for her first short stories.
On returning to the UK, she booked a summer holiday with her sister. The location they chose was a tiny island in southern Greece.
“We arrived at night; there was nothing to see,” she recalls. “But the next morning, I opened the shutters of our rented house, and bam! Love at first sight. The brilliant blue sea, the scent of herbs on the breeze, the timelessness of the place… It was the first moment of a love affair which has lasted twenty years.”
Anne spent a number of years living in the islands; she married a Greek, and her son was born there.
Returning again to the UK, she was still writing, but the short stories had grown into novels.
Anne“I wrote three, and whilst I was getting interest in my writing, those novels didn’t find publishers, though a northern-based thriller came close,” she says. “Then I decided to write a novel set in Greece, based on a character who’d come to my mind whilst I was living there. He became Hermes Diaktoros. I sent the manuscript to an agent, and went off to spend some time in Greece. When I returned, I got the call I’d been waiting for. I’d written the right book at last.”
Series:
* The Greek Detective
On returning to the UK, she booked a summer holiday with her sister. The location they chose was a tiny island in southern Greece.
“We arrived at night; there was nothing to see,” she recalls. “But the next morning, I opened the shutters of our rented house, and bam! Love at first sight. The brilliant blue sea, the scent of herbs on the breeze, the timelessness of the place… It was the first moment of a love affair which has lasted twenty years.”
Anne spent a number of years living in the islands; she married a Greek, and her son was born there.
Returning again to the UK, she was still writing, but the short stories had grown into novels.
Anne“I wrote three, and whilst I was getting interest in my writing, those novels didn’t find publishers, though a northern-based thriller came close,” she says. “Then I decided to write a novel set in Greece, based on a character who’d come to my mind whilst I was living there. He became Hermes Diaktoros. I sent the manuscript to an agent, and went off to spend some time in Greece. When I returned, I got the call I’d been waiting for. I’d written the right book at last.”
Series:
* The Greek Detective
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
September 5, 2011
This is a thoroughly good read, with Anne Zouroudi in top form. The third in her Hermes Diaktoros series finds our erstwhile fat detective in a small town in rural Thrace - where long forgotten by the tourist throng the local inhabitants scratch out a living. First impressions are that it is not a happy place and in true Zouroudi style the story soon becomes populated by an assortment of characters more often than not somewhat morose and suspicious at the fat man's presence. Why is he there? Well, we the reader have never been given an explanation as to who Hermes Diaktoros really is, precisely where he comes from and what directs him to turn up in the places we find him - and of course this is all quite intentional. But with every book that is published we are given another tantalising clue to enable our imagination to take flight, and Zouroudi does not fail us this time either. But enough said on that subject or it will become a spoiler.
The story is neither complex nor simple and revolves around the assault on a foreign doctor who is taken to the local hospital - and the web of characters and happenings that is spun around this event. But the beauty of the story is in the writing; there is something very honest, slightly challenging and non-conformist about her narrative. She never tries to seduce you with her characters, which are revealed to you in their uncompromising nakedness, exposing their weaknesses, flaws and bitterness at the world that is passing them by. But don't get me wrong - her writing is not depressive for there are often redeeming qualities in most of her characters and one knows that at some point we will be made to stumble upon a glittering jewel hidden amongst the cast populating this otherwise barren landscape. And her principal dramatis persona Hermes Diaktoros is a case in point. He is fat, enjoys his earthly pleasures and is somewhat indolent - not the most appealing of characteristics. A far cry from his more svelte, sexy and appealing Mediterranean counterparts; Aurelio Zen, Andreas Kaldis or Salvo Montalbano. And for these reasons, amongst others, I can never entirely warm to him despite knowing that he is a force for good. Such is Zouroudi's art and quirkiness. But I love her books for it, and for showing me a side to Greece that I, the transient tourist so easily miss in my flitting butterfly visits. I leave you with a passage where she describes a collection of old sepia photographs that the fat detective has stumbled upon:"There were ten black and white shots, all taken at the shore: the face of a young fisherman, whose old eyes looked far out to sea; a catch of dying fish, gasping in a dripping net; an upturned boat, long-abandoned and decaying on a winter beach. All captured both a moment and all time, an age already past but never passing in men's consciousness and dreams."
November 13, 2016
This is my first book by this author. It was a book needed for a book challenge I'm working on. It's in the crime/mystery genre and it is set in Greece. I'm between 3 and 4 stars on this.
I didn't love how the audio started. It sounded so formal and seemed overacted. But soon, that style was completely working for the story. It read almost like a play, which is why I think I had a hard time sinking into this at first. But when the story really started and I knew who was who, I was into it. I liked this detective guy, although, I'm not sure he really was a detective. He is shrouded in a bit of mystery as to who he really is and what he really does. I thought this would be made clear by the end, but it wasn't. And oddly enough, again, it worked. This book had surprises and better yet, I had no idea who did it. I needed to be told at the end. So what to do....3 or 4 stars. I'll go with 4 because it was memorable.
I didn't love how the audio started. It sounded so formal and seemed overacted. But soon, that style was completely working for the story. It read almost like a play, which is why I think I had a hard time sinking into this at first. But when the story really started and I knew who was who, I was into it. I liked this detective guy, although, I'm not sure he really was a detective. He is shrouded in a bit of mystery as to who he really is and what he really does. I thought this would be made clear by the end, but it wasn't. And oddly enough, again, it worked. This book had surprises and better yet, I had no idea who did it. I needed to be told at the end. So what to do....3 or 4 stars. I'll go with 4 because it was memorable.
September 28, 2015
Reading a series in order, I’ve decided, is too normal. Or at least that’s the best excuse I can come up with for starting the Hermes Diaktoros series at book number three - THE DOCTOR OF THESSALY.
Set in a tiny Greek village, a crying jilted bride, leads quickly to the discovery of the groom, and local doctor, horribly scarred and blinded by an attack on the morning of his wedding. Surprisingly almost sanguine about the attack, the doctor is rushed off to hospital, refusing to see his intended bride, as the village slips back into its day to day activities of sniping at the new young mayor and wait for something to happen to jolt it out of economic malaise.
Into this intrigue meanders Hermes Diaktoros, another of those cerebral private investigators who spends a lot of time in this book struggling with the dreadful food and lodgings provided to him by the only option in the village, wrestling with the vagaries of the car he’s borrowed for the purposes of getting here in the first place, and ensuring that his white tennis shoes remain pristine.
Needless to say a fair dollop of eccentricity in the central character, the village identities, the plot line and the investigation techniques.
There’s something wonderfully Greek about this book, and all of the characters in it, with a good plot that resolves itself neatly and not completely unexpectedly, with a slightly more shocking reason behind it all than you’d imagine possible from something that reads as gently and lightly as THE DOCTOR OF THESSALY.
Definitely a series I’d like to read more of (she says knowing that the house is already groaning under the weight of Mt TBR).
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...
Set in a tiny Greek village, a crying jilted bride, leads quickly to the discovery of the groom, and local doctor, horribly scarred and blinded by an attack on the morning of his wedding. Surprisingly almost sanguine about the attack, the doctor is rushed off to hospital, refusing to see his intended bride, as the village slips back into its day to day activities of sniping at the new young mayor and wait for something to happen to jolt it out of economic malaise.
Into this intrigue meanders Hermes Diaktoros, another of those cerebral private investigators who spends a lot of time in this book struggling with the dreadful food and lodgings provided to him by the only option in the village, wrestling with the vagaries of the car he’s borrowed for the purposes of getting here in the first place, and ensuring that his white tennis shoes remain pristine.
Needless to say a fair dollop of eccentricity in the central character, the village identities, the plot line and the investigation techniques.
There’s something wonderfully Greek about this book, and all of the characters in it, with a good plot that resolves itself neatly and not completely unexpectedly, with a slightly more shocking reason behind it all than you’d imagine possible from something that reads as gently and lightly as THE DOCTOR OF THESSALY.
Definitely a series I’d like to read more of (she says knowing that the house is already groaning under the weight of Mt TBR).
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...
June 21, 2026
4.5 ⭐️s
The Greek Detective #3
This series just keeps getting better. Hermes Diaktoros is phenomenal, and the latest instalment was just brilliant.
There is something extraordinary about how the unorthodox investigator (Hermes Diaktoros, referred to as the fat man) untangles the most complicated mysteries.
A beautifully penned book. Highly recommended
e-book - Kindle
The Greek Detective #3
This series just keeps getting better. Hermes Diaktoros is phenomenal, and the latest instalment was just brilliant.
There is something extraordinary about how the unorthodox investigator (Hermes Diaktoros, referred to as the fat man) untangles the most complicated mysteries.
A beautifully penned book. Highly recommended
e-book - Kindle
January 2, 2013
The Fat Man is back (and yes it seems the author has continued the use of the ‘fat man’ to refer to her protagonist). I accidently picked up this book not knowing it was the third in The Greek Detective series (I meant to read the second) but it must have been sitting on my shelves out of order so this is the one I read. It didn’t seem to matter though, because each of these books work well as a standalone. Again, I learnt little about the Fat Man, known as Hermes Diaktoros. This time around it didn’t really bother me because I quite enjoyed getting to know the characters that were connected with the crime he investigated.
On the day of his wedding, a foreign doctor is attacked resulting in facial disfigurement and blindness. His fiancé is distraught; a spinster who fears her last chance at a conventional life is slipping through her fingers. Set in the village of Morfi, Hermes infiltrates the community subtly without failing to make his presence known. The victim is reluctant to press charges but Hermes works for an authority outside the police force and his curiosity has been piqued by this crime.
Zouroudi has quite a unique writing style in crime fiction with narrative descriptions and a strong sense of place and mood on the Greek Islands. She masterfully unfolds the mystery behind the crime not so much through traditional crime investigation methods, but through the interactions Hermes has with the locals and the stories he discovers along the way. Once again, I was left guessing as to the identity of the perpetrator until the very end. Hermes’ unconventional methods allow the truth to be uncovered with a level of freedom of those involved to attain justice even if it is not by usual legal methods
3.5 stars
On the day of his wedding, a foreign doctor is attacked resulting in facial disfigurement and blindness. His fiancé is distraught; a spinster who fears her last chance at a conventional life is slipping through her fingers. Set in the village of Morfi, Hermes infiltrates the community subtly without failing to make his presence known. The victim is reluctant to press charges but Hermes works for an authority outside the police force and his curiosity has been piqued by this crime.
Zouroudi has quite a unique writing style in crime fiction with narrative descriptions and a strong sense of place and mood on the Greek Islands. She masterfully unfolds the mystery behind the crime not so much through traditional crime investigation methods, but through the interactions Hermes has with the locals and the stories he discovers along the way. Once again, I was left guessing as to the identity of the perpetrator until the very end. Hermes’ unconventional methods allow the truth to be uncovered with a level of freedom of those involved to attain justice even if it is not by usual legal methods
3.5 stars
February 26, 2014
2016: The basic premise of this series is that a "Detective" arrives when he's needed. He is not connected to the police in any way, but infers that he is sent by a group in charge of exerting justice.
This detective is a fat man (and referred to often in the story) who loves to keep his tennis shoes white...but there's a touch of magic about him, he goes about his business of righting a wrong very discreetly, and along the way makes a few other lives a bit brighter. Yes, it's a feel good series, but we all need those some times.
2024: Am re-reading the series and enjoying them just as much as the first read. But now I have the 7th book.
This detective is a fat man (and referred to often in the story) who loves to keep his tennis shoes white...but there's a touch of magic about him, he goes about his business of righting a wrong very discreetly, and along the way makes a few other lives a bit brighter. Yes, it's a feel good series, but we all need those some times.
2024: Am re-reading the series and enjoying them just as much as the first read. But now I have the 7th book.
November 12, 2020
Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars
In Greek mythology, Hermes is the Greek messenger God with the winged sandals. In Ms Zouroudi book's Hermes is still a Greek God, but he is in modern day Greece with his white sand shoes and his old style form of justice and vengeance.
In this, the third book, Hermes finds himself unraveling the mystery of who blinded the Doctor of Thessaly on the eve of his wedding. In usual Hermes (or more reminiscent Poirot) style, he manages to wrap up the case nicely (and all the clues were kind of there) as well as deal with about 10 side stories at the same time.
An enjoyable enough read and a really clever idea with the merging of ancient and modern, but this series has yet to wow me to the point of urgently needing to pick up the next book (unless of course I need a book where the author's surname starts with a Z for a reading challenge :-P).
Reading Challenge
Aussie Reader's 2020 A-Z Author Challenge: Read a book by an author with a surname starting with Z
Aussie Reader's 2020 November Challenge: Read a book where the author's initials are in the 2015 Melbourne Cup horse Prince of PenZAnce.
In Greek mythology, Hermes is the Greek messenger God with the winged sandals. In Ms Zouroudi book's Hermes is still a Greek God, but he is in modern day Greece with his white sand shoes and his old style form of justice and vengeance.
In this, the third book, Hermes finds himself unraveling the mystery of who blinded the Doctor of Thessaly on the eve of his wedding. In usual Hermes (or more reminiscent Poirot) style, he manages to wrap up the case nicely (and all the clues were kind of there) as well as deal with about 10 side stories at the same time.
An enjoyable enough read and a really clever idea with the merging of ancient and modern, but this series has yet to wow me to the point of urgently needing to pick up the next book (unless of course I need a book where the author's surname starts with a Z for a reading challenge :-P).
Reading Challenge
Aussie Reader's 2020 A-Z Author Challenge: Read a book by an author with a surname starting with Z
Aussie Reader's 2020 November Challenge: Read a book where the author's initials are in the 2015 Melbourne Cup horse Prince of PenZAnce.
September 18, 2017
Hermes Diaktoros sees into your soul
...so tell no lies
A crisp, well written story.
I look forward to reading about my friends, Hermes Diaktoros of Athens, next sojourn.
...so tell no lies
A crisp, well written story.
I look forward to reading about my friends, Hermes Diaktoros of Athens, next sojourn.
June 16, 2013
Compared to the first two books in the series, this third volume is shorter in length, and a somewhat sparer narrative, containing less imagery and details of the landscape, flora and fauna that characterized the uniqueness of the former. Despite that, the descriptions are precise and vivid. One can clearly picture the remote village and the villagers that Hermes Diaktoros interacts with.
He is once again possessed with an uncanny intuition, willing to forgive the faults and foibles of the goodhearted, yet unflinching in his meting out of justice to the wilfully meanspirited. You cannot but be won over by his stoicism at putting up with less-than-tolerable lodgings and barely palatable meals, only because his host is one of the more outgoing and hardworking personages in the village. The way in which he outsmarts the conniving plotters out to undo the new mayor is once again an opportunity for Hermes to exercise his talent for trickery and to provide moments of comic relief in a tale marked by melancholy and nostalgia.
The satirical scene in which the town prepares to welcome the visiting dignitary is classic, just like watching a b/w Greek movie of the 60's. Actually, the romantic subplot, opening with the jilted bride on the beach, and closing with her forgotten but loyal suitor is the stuff of vintage Greek popular cinema, complete with the standard conflicts of the time - the drama of the younger sister, who traditionally must wait till the elder one is married first, the drama of the hapless shepherd who dreams of his unattainable love.
He is once again possessed with an uncanny intuition, willing to forgive the faults and foibles of the goodhearted, yet unflinching in his meting out of justice to the wilfully meanspirited. You cannot but be won over by his stoicism at putting up with less-than-tolerable lodgings and barely palatable meals, only because his host is one of the more outgoing and hardworking personages in the village. The way in which he outsmarts the conniving plotters out to undo the new mayor is once again an opportunity for Hermes to exercise his talent for trickery and to provide moments of comic relief in a tale marked by melancholy and nostalgia.
The satirical scene in which the town prepares to welcome the visiting dignitary is classic, just like watching a b/w Greek movie of the 60's. Actually, the romantic subplot, opening with the jilted bride on the beach, and closing with her forgotten but loyal suitor is the stuff of vintage Greek popular cinema, complete with the standard conflicts of the time - the drama of the younger sister, who traditionally must wait till the elder one is married first, the drama of the hapless shepherd who dreams of his unattainable love.
June 18, 2011
The Doctor of Thessaly is the third in the series of the Mysteries of the Greek Detective, about Hermes Diaktoros, a mysterious fat man. I was never sure who he worked for, or how he knew of the mystery to solve. Each of the books in the series features one of the Seven Deadly Sins – in this one it is envy, a tale of revenge and retribution.
Set in the little Greek village of Morfi, it begins with Chrissa, a jilted bride weeping on the beach, and then moves on quickly to the discovery of the local doctor, the victim of an attack that has left him horribly scarred and blind. He is the absent bridegroom. Meanwhile Hermes has arrived in the village, and involves himself with the mystery of who attacked the doctor, made more puzzling because the doctor doesn’t want his attacker to be found. At the same time the village is expecting a visit from a government minister, an event that not all the locals want to be successful, and the family of the garage owner is going through some traumatic experiences. Hermes helps out in some unorthodox ways.
Just who is Hermes Diaktoros, I wondered as I read this book? My knowledge of Greek mythology is very rusty, but the clue is in his name, I think – Hermes, the messenger of the gods. He wore shoes with wings, and this Hermes is indeed fleet of foot in his pristine tennis shoes.
There are many things I like about this book, not just the mystery and the references to mythology, but also the characters and the setting which evoke the scenes of a little Greek village so well and the close-knit almost claustrophobic relationship of its inhabitants. And there is a map of the area and a list of characters.
Set in the little Greek village of Morfi, it begins with Chrissa, a jilted bride weeping on the beach, and then moves on quickly to the discovery of the local doctor, the victim of an attack that has left him horribly scarred and blind. He is the absent bridegroom. Meanwhile Hermes has arrived in the village, and involves himself with the mystery of who attacked the doctor, made more puzzling because the doctor doesn’t want his attacker to be found. At the same time the village is expecting a visit from a government minister, an event that not all the locals want to be successful, and the family of the garage owner is going through some traumatic experiences. Hermes helps out in some unorthodox ways.
Just who is Hermes Diaktoros, I wondered as I read this book? My knowledge of Greek mythology is very rusty, but the clue is in his name, I think – Hermes, the messenger of the gods. He wore shoes with wings, and this Hermes is indeed fleet of foot in his pristine tennis shoes.
There are many things I like about this book, not just the mystery and the references to mythology, but also the characters and the setting which evoke the scenes of a little Greek village so well and the close-knit almost claustrophobic relationship of its inhabitants. And there is a map of the area and a list of characters.
November 4, 2012
I won this book on the Givaways section.
pg 75-I am really liking this book so far. It's intriguing and keeps my curiosity up. I wonder why the inspector is suddenly in this little town in Greece. Why is he there?
I'm done! I really loved this book. It's a story about a wedding in a town called Morfi in Greece that has gone really bad. Chrissa is to marry the new doctor in town called Dr. Louis Chabrol. He never shows up to the wedding. Instead, he is found on a street badly burned and his eyes are white. He is taken to the hospital where they treat his burns and blindness. Chrissa is really upset because he does not want to see her. He says he does not want anyone to see him in this state. The same day as the wedding an Investigator Hermes Diaktoros from Athens shows up in town. Everyone is curious about him and what he is investigating. He is very vague about who sent him there. He is an interesting character as he is so similar to Sherlock Holmes type of investigating. I was hoping he would reveal himself at the end of the book but he doesn't. He eventually solves the assault and pulls some pretty funny scenarios to draw the assaulter out.
I really liked Anne's type of writing and she makes the mystery so entertaining. I can't wait to read more of her books. I highly recommend it.
pg 75-I am really liking this book so far. It's intriguing and keeps my curiosity up. I wonder why the inspector is suddenly in this little town in Greece. Why is he there?
I'm done! I really loved this book. It's a story about a wedding in a town called Morfi in Greece that has gone really bad. Chrissa is to marry the new doctor in town called Dr. Louis Chabrol. He never shows up to the wedding. Instead, he is found on a street badly burned and his eyes are white. He is taken to the hospital where they treat his burns and blindness. Chrissa is really upset because he does not want to see her. He says he does not want anyone to see him in this state. The same day as the wedding an Investigator Hermes Diaktoros from Athens shows up in town. Everyone is curious about him and what he is investigating. He is very vague about who sent him there. He is an interesting character as he is so similar to Sherlock Holmes type of investigating. I was hoping he would reveal himself at the end of the book but he doesn't. He eventually solves the assault and pulls some pretty funny scenarios to draw the assaulter out.
I really liked Anne's type of writing and she makes the mystery so entertaining. I can't wait to read more of her books. I highly recommend it.
November 4, 2012
Very cleverly written mystery. The main character is "the fat man" who seems to know the town well and observes even better. He is a cross between Columbo, Miss Marple, and Sherlock Holmes. In his quiet way, he goes about solving the mystery of Dr. Louis Chabrol's "accident"--an assault that leaves him burned and blind though he doesn't want to press charges.
I found myself continuing to read so I could understand where the fat man was going in his thinking. The author wonderfully weaves together characters, events, and solutions. Very good read.
I found myself continuing to read so I could understand where the fat man was going in his thinking. The author wonderfully weaves together characters, events, and solutions. Very good read.
July 24, 2013
These books make reference to the beauty of the Greek landscape and the delights of the good life there. But they spend even more time describing claustrophobic village societies; the sights and smells of poverty; and sexist assumptions about women's lives. I appreciate the ambivalence although sometimes I wish for less mildew.
Hermes Diaktoros is quite an appealing force outside of Christianity, conventional society or the law.
Hermes Diaktoros is quite an appealing force outside of Christianity, conventional society or the law.
April 7, 2019
I enjoyed the book. The descriptions - of food, scenery, etc - are a little sparer than the first two but she goes into detail on the personalities. The descriptions of village life are interesting. Hermes continues to mete out justice. She continues to call Hermes "the fat man" though his actual description isn't that fat.
April 24, 2019
This was a lovely, entertaining tale of a country doctor in a European village who was attacked while attending to a patient. Knocked off his bike, the doctor was found by another villager and taken into town, where he was cared for and the search began for the answer to the questions.
I must read it again. It's been too long.
I must read it again. It's been too long.
September 12, 2014
Review: The Doctor of Thessaly The setting of this novel was quite interesting, and it kept me reasonably interested at times in the story. I didn't feel that I connected properly with the characters, which is probably due to my not really getting into this book, rather than the book itself.
May 10, 2019
A fun little mystery. Great for a stay-cation, when you wish you could travel to the Greek islands, but instead are stuck on your back porch.
February 14, 2020
Another great story. Thank you
May 3, 2020
As part of keeping my spirits up during the COVID-19 pandemic, I've decided to reread two series of novels set in Greece. Why? Because my wife and I are holding out hope that our September/October trip to Greece still will happen...fingers crossed!
This series features the mercurial (wink, wink!) detective from Athens, Hermes Diaktoros (Hermes Messenger). Without giving too much away, I will tell you that he's not your typical detective. It is especially intriguing that he always responds to someone asking him who he's working for by replying: "I work for a higher authority." Hmm...his name is Hermes the Messenger and he works for "a higher authority"...like I said, intriguing, right?
Seriously, I've loved the Zouroudi series since I first discovered it years ago when I picked up this novel while traveling. Because she's lived on the Greek islands, she is able to paint life there in an authentic way - warts and all. And having visited a number of the Greek islands, I can tell you that they are simultaneously stunningly beautiful and stiflingly backward. And Ms. Zouroudi's writing brings out both characteristics in her descriptions of the locales and the locals.
If you enjoy modern mysteries that border on the esoteric, without ever crossing the line, then this series is for you. "Apoláfste, filoi mou!" ("Enjoy, my friends!")
Postscript: This is the first book in the series to receive four stars from me instead of five. I still thoroughly enjoyed this third entry, but I found the plot a little too unbelievable at times. More importantly, in the first two books in the series, Zouroudi did a masterful job of allowing the reader to see the same clues as the detective (which is a foundation of the mystery genre). I felt like in this one, she allowed Hermes to make connections and conclusions that we readers were not privy to. It's a minor complaint, but it's why I dropped this one down a star.
This series features the mercurial (wink, wink!) detective from Athens, Hermes Diaktoros (Hermes Messenger). Without giving too much away, I will tell you that he's not your typical detective. It is especially intriguing that he always responds to someone asking him who he's working for by replying: "I work for a higher authority." Hmm...his name is Hermes the Messenger and he works for "a higher authority"...like I said, intriguing, right?
Seriously, I've loved the Zouroudi series since I first discovered it years ago when I picked up this novel while traveling. Because she's lived on the Greek islands, she is able to paint life there in an authentic way - warts and all. And having visited a number of the Greek islands, I can tell you that they are simultaneously stunningly beautiful and stiflingly backward. And Ms. Zouroudi's writing brings out both characteristics in her descriptions of the locales and the locals.
If you enjoy modern mysteries that border on the esoteric, without ever crossing the line, then this series is for you. "Apoláfste, filoi mou!" ("Enjoy, my friends!")
Postscript: This is the first book in the series to receive four stars from me instead of five. I still thoroughly enjoyed this third entry, but I found the plot a little too unbelievable at times. More importantly, in the first two books in the series, Zouroudi did a masterful job of allowing the reader to see the same clues as the detective (which is a foundation of the mystery genre). I felt like in this one, she allowed Hermes to make connections and conclusions that we readers were not privy to. It's a minor complaint, but it's why I dropped this one down a star.
February 7, 2018
(Fiction, Mystery, Series #3)
I wasn’t sure what to expect of my first meeting with Hermes Diaktoros, but I was eager to make his acquaintance so when Netgalley offered these first three in the series, I jumped.
The series is set in Greece at an undetermined time – but in very real settings that make little or no use of modern technology. That could be mid-20th century, or it could be present day in an isolated rural area that is not up to date. To further confuse things, Hermes’ methods are very old-fashioned and a little bit unorthodox, and there is the tiniest bit of magical realism.
This series has everything: a setting that the reader longs to be part of, a likeable inscrutable protagonist, and good mysteries. There are seven books in this series, each dealing with one of the traditional seven deadly sins.
All of these books were excellent, although it is the story in this third one that has stayed with me three years later. There’s always justice in Zouroudi’s books although not always in the form you might expect.
I’m glad to be reminded to return to this series.
4½ stars
I wasn’t sure what to expect of my first meeting with Hermes Diaktoros, but I was eager to make his acquaintance so when Netgalley offered these first three in the series, I jumped.
The series is set in Greece at an undetermined time – but in very real settings that make little or no use of modern technology. That could be mid-20th century, or it could be present day in an isolated rural area that is not up to date. To further confuse things, Hermes’ methods are very old-fashioned and a little bit unorthodox, and there is the tiniest bit of magical realism.
This series has everything: a setting that the reader longs to be part of, a likeable inscrutable protagonist, and good mysteries. There are seven books in this series, each dealing with one of the traditional seven deadly sins.
All of these books were excellent, although it is the story in this third one that has stayed with me three years later. There’s always justice in Zouroudi’s books although not always in the form you might expect.
I’m glad to be reminded to return to this series.
4½ stars
January 26, 2025
This is another book that has been sitting on my shelf for years. And I was pleasantly surprised by it. This is a mystery story that intrigued me from beginning to end. It follows an investigator named Hermes, who is trying to figure out who blinded a local doctor. He's a know-it-all, but I found him very engaging to read about. I loved how he met so many different characters in the book as he tried to solve the mystery. What I was most surprised by was the ending. Most of this book reads like a warm and cozy mystery. Then, the ending comes out of nowhere, which is quite dark. I also did not predict the ending. It was a shock to me. This is also the third book in the series, and all books can be read as a standalone. I would be interested in reading more of them. The only issues I had with the story were some of the things Hermes says. He is quite judgmental towards people's appearances. And the overall message seems to convey that it's okay to harm someone who has harmed you. And Hermes isn't referred to as Hermes. He is constantly referred to as "the fat man." I didn't understand that aspect of the story. But I had a fun time trying to figure out the mystery in this one.
December 26, 2025
This is my sixth book out of the eight in the Greek Detective series, and it took me longer to finish than the rest. It’s a bit of a slow burn, and I found myself settling into it more gradually than I had in the other five books. But the payoff was worth it: the ending has been the best so far for me in the series--unexpected and deeply satisfying.
Like the other books, this one sits comfortably in the cozy-adjacent corner of crime fiction. There’s mystery, intrigue, and moral reckoning, but the tone is reflective rather than grim. Zouroudi’s prose remains wonderfully atmospheric. The setting is so vividly drawn that it pulls me back to my own travels in Greece: the heat, the light, the small-town rhythms.
What keeps me coming back to these novels, though, is the humanity. Zouroudi treats even flawed characters with tenderness, allowing space for compassion, frailty, kindness, and grace.
Like the other books, this one sits comfortably in the cozy-adjacent corner of crime fiction. There’s mystery, intrigue, and moral reckoning, but the tone is reflective rather than grim. Zouroudi’s prose remains wonderfully atmospheric. The setting is so vividly drawn that it pulls me back to my own travels in Greece: the heat, the light, the small-town rhythms.
What keeps me coming back to these novels, though, is the humanity. Zouroudi treats even flawed characters with tenderness, allowing space for compassion, frailty, kindness, and grace.
Read
June 4, 2026This third volume in the Hermes Diaktoros series begins with a jilted bride fleeing the wedding ceremony to which her intended husband has not shown up. The next morning, the groom - a French doctor - is found in a church yard, having been blinded and attacked with some sort of acid. Diaktoros arrives just as the doctor is found and makes it his business to investigate the crime.
This is my least favorite of the three Zouroudi books I've read, partly because there really weren't any likable characters and partly because of the nature of the crime.
I've now read all three Zouroudi novels that are available through my library. I would like to continue reading this series, if I can get my hands on subsequent volumes.
This is my least favorite of the three Zouroudi books I've read, partly because there really weren't any likable characters and partly because of the nature of the crime.
I've now read all three Zouroudi novels that are available through my library. I would like to continue reading this series, if I can get my hands on subsequent volumes.
May 6, 2020
The descriptions of the landscapes in this small Greek village are specific and vivid. The characters are interesting and believable but I just wonder what the detective is doing in the place and how he got there. What is his motivation for solving this mystery? It is the only part of the story that doesn't make sense. The crime is gruesome and the revenge is horrible. I will read another mystery in the series because of the descriptions and the characters plus the detective is a nice guy!!
October 16, 2021
Intriguing Third installment of this series of a mysterious man who travels around Greece solving mysteries and helping unfortunate people who have been met by misfortune or injustice. In this case a doctor has been disfigured on what was to be his wedding day; a bride was left at the altar. Other town folk in the tiny village have also had injustices perpetuated upon them. Excellent weaving of intertwining stories.
April 30, 2026
Hermes Diaktoros' brand of investigation and justice is growing on me. It still grates that he's consistently referred to as the fat man and a lot of the speaking characters are characterized by their negative physical attributes, but it's baked into these stories at this point and to be fair, Hermes doesn't really discriminate based on these attributes. He's concerned with more, which is to be expected, given who he is implied to be. I wonder if we'll ever get a backstory.
April 7, 2018
Brilliant! Best book I've read in ages. I'm to see how many other books she has written. The minute I finished it I gave it to my mother and made her read it straight away. Her verdict is the same as mine! The prose seems gentle but its fast moving and really paints a picture. All the characters are wonderfully written, and so easy to picture.
March 24, 2024
How did Hermes know about Orfeas' past? Why did he go to Morfi? He told everyone he was there to solve the mystery of what happened to Dr Chabrol but he was there before the Dr was found. A good mystery leaves you with questions, wanting more.
The deadly sin for this story is envy, but it's in the background.
The deadly sin for this story is envy, but it's in the background.
March 19, 2018
Another enjoyable book in the Hermes series.
Beautifully written, this conjures up the sights and sounds of the Greek Islands but exposes the hardships and superstitions and gossip of village life where saving face and appearances of respectability are all important.
Beautifully written, this conjures up the sights and sounds of the Greek Islands but exposes the hardships and superstitions and gossip of village life where saving face and appearances of respectability are all important.
December 25, 2018
Second one I read in the series. Another easy read. Smooth narration. Quirky characters. Alexander McCall Smith meets Agatha Christie. A touch of the greek slice of life. Easy read. Quite enjoyable.
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