At Any Cost

Andreas Kaldis #13

by Jeffrey Siger

Greece is burning . . . and Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis is determined to save his country from disaster in the new novel in Jeffrey Siger's critically acclaimed, internationally bestselling mystery series

"Thoughtful police procedurals set in picturesque but not untroubled Greek locales" The New York Times
"A new Kaldis case is always a treat, and this one is no exception" Booklist Starred Review
"Terrific novels which take place on the Greek islands" Readers Digest

Chief Inspector Kaldis is initially dismayed to be asked to investigate a series of suspicious forest fires that took place last summer. In Greece, forest fires are an inevitability, and he fears he and his team are being set up to take the political blame for this year's blazes.

He quickly becomes suspicious, though, that the forests were torched for profit - and for a project on a far grander scale than the usual low-level business corruption. There are whispers on the wind that shadowy foreign powers intend to establish a surreptitious mega-internet presence on the island of Syros, with the intent to weaponize the digital world to their own dark ends.

Can Kaldis and his team stop the hostile foreign takeover of the idyllic island - or will the rise of the metaverse set not just Greece, but the whole world, on fire?

With its gorgeous Greek locations, engaging characters and fast-paced plotting, this international crime series is a perfect pick for fans of Donna Leon, Louise Penny, Martin Walker and David Hewson.

268 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 6, 2024

About the author

I am an American living on the Aegean Greek island of Mykonos. A Pittsburgh native and former Wall Street lawyer, I gave up my career as a name partner in my own New York City law firm to write mystery thrillers that tell more than just a fast-paced story. My novels are aimed at exploring serious societal issues confronting modern day Greece in a tell-it-like-it-is style while touching upon the country's ancient roots.

Some Mykonian friends told me if I started sprinkling murders with a message across my adopted country's tourist paradises, I'd likely be banished, if not hung. No one was more amazed than I when my debut novel, Murder in Mykonos (a sort of Mamma Mia setting for a No Country for Old Men story), became Greece's #1 best selling English-language novel (and a best-seller in Greek, as well).

As of September 2016 I have eight Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis novels out there and receive no more than the customary number of death threats. I'm diligently trying to improve my percentage in that regard with posts about Greece each Saturday on the Murder is Everywhere blogsite I share with nine renowned mystery writers from around the world.

It's been a remarkable journey, punctuated most notably by The New York Times selecting the fourth in my Andreas Kaldis series (Target: Tinos) as one of its five "picks for the beach" while calling the entire series, "thoughtful police procedurals set in picturesque but not untroubled Greek locales;" Left Coast Crime's nomination of the fifth in the series (Mykonos After Midnight) in 2014 as Best Mystery in a Foreign Setting; a 2016 Barry Award Best Novel Nomination for my seventh in the series (Devil of Delphi); starred reviews and official government citations; and this quote from Fodor's Greek Islands Travel Guide under a section titled "Mykonos After Dark," which colleagues say I should consider the equivalent of winning an Oscar: "Some say that after midnight, Mykonos is all nightlife—this throbbing beat is the backdrop to Jeffrey Siger's popular mystery, Murder in Mykonos."

My work is published in the US, UK, Germany (German), and Greece (Greek and English), and I'm honored to have served as Chair of the National Board of Bouchercon, the world's largest mystery convention, and as Adjunct Professor of English at Washington & Jefferson College, teaching mystery writing.

Reviews

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read in the A Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis Mystery series, but it can easily stand alone. Not sure why I missed the earlier books in this series, but had never heard of them. When I saw it was up to number thirteen I thought I had better check it out to see what I was missing.

Description:
Chief Inspector Kaldis is initially dismayed to be asked to investigate a series of suspicious forest fires that took place last summer. In Greece, forest fires are an inevitability, and he fears he and his team are being set up to take the political blame for this year's blazes.

He quickly becomes suspicious, though, that the forests were torched for profit - and for a project on a far grander scale than the usual low-level business corruption. There are whispers on the wind that shadowy foreign powers intend to establish a surreptitious mega-internet presence on the island of Syros, with the intent to weaponize the digital world to their own dark ends.

Can Kaldis and his team stop the hostile foreign takeover of the idyllic island - or will the rise of the metaverse set not just Greece, but the whole world, on fire?

With its gorgeous Greek locations, engaging characters and fast-paced plotting, this international crime series is a perfect pick for fans of Donna Leon, Louise Penny, Martin Walker and David Hewson.

My Thoughts:
This book was fast-paced and kept my attention. With a potential international disaster as the central theme it was engrossing and I was rooting for Inspector Andreas to prevent the scenario being set up. The Inspector had courage and determination in his favor, but the deck was stacked and it was very tense throughout the investigation. I found the exploration of the possible abuses of AI and the Metaverse fascinating. I loved the beautiful setting in Greece and I would love to go there some day and see it for myself. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys international intrigue and highly tense scenarios.

Thanks to Severn House through Netgalley for an advance copy.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Andreas Kaldis Mystery series as the novels always make me travel to different parts of Greece and the mystery are solid and gripping.
This is another good addition to this series and i thoroughly enjoyed the plot and catching up with the characters.
Well plotted, entertaining.
Excellent novel: highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Terri Giffin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do really enjoy this series, and this one has some interesting topics related to technology - AI and the “metaverse” - but the premise of Andreas’ niece being engaged to be married at eighteen years old, and the way the plot plays out from there, was a bit hokey. The wrap up was rushed and extra far fetched, even when I am already prepared to suspend disbelief in the name of a good thriller.

I still like reading about all of the different, less well known Greek islands so that part is interesting, even though the series’ job as a “travel guide/history lesson” becomes more and more obviously written in each book. And I do really like the characters. So I’ll keep reading, but hope that the next one has a bit more meat to it.

[Helena.Kojevnikov · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been a longer wait than usual for this 13th book in Jeffrey Siger's Andreas Kaldis series, but it was worth it for, as usual, the author does not disappoint his public.
This time, action is split between New York and the island of Syros, which made newspaper headlines worldwide due to the forest fires that ravaged Greece last summer. Syros has been around a very long time, long enough to figure in Homer's "Odyssey" as the home of Eunaeus, at once Odysseus' slave, swineherd, and faithful friend, who kept Penelope's importuning suitors at bay. Swine and swineherds have had a mixed press through the ages. There is the terrifying example of the satanic Gadarene Swine calling themselves "Legion" in the New Testament; closer to our time there is the perceptive prince in Hans Christian Andersen's "The Swineherd", in which the haughty princess receives a salutary lesson; and the frighteningly prophetic pigs in Orwell's "Animal Farm."
The pigs Andreas Kaldis faces this time are not two-legged villains, but shadowy foreign powers aiming to use this delightful island, described with Siger's customary flair and keen eye, as a base for a truly malignant internet presence, weaponizing the digital world to create a sinister metaverse to manipulate at their own will. And indeed, the dire political straits gripping the world these days do not exclude a scenario in which the looming metaverse may change the entire future of mankind.
The prospect of people voluntarily relinquishing the reality of their lives with the genuine ups and downs that shape them as unique individuals in exchange for some imaginary paradise and degenerating into grinning idiots, is too blood-chilling to contemplate. One must hope that the old gods of Olympus (or at least Odysseus!) will rouse from centuries of sleep and wreak a truly Olympian vengeance on those threatening to defile their ancient fief!
The struggle against the potential threat spawned by the already existing Artificial Intelligence and its unpredictable sweeping development is aided by two new characters alongside Kaldis' usual team and family; Andreas'niece Anna and her prospective husband Jack, coming from New York to enlist Jack's formidable digital skills. It would be nice to meet Anna and Jack again in a future story. There may be readers who, like the present reviewer, find themselves somewhat lost in the exhaustive discussions of the metaverse, but there is plenty of compensation for the digitally unlettered to be found in traveling around the island through the author's eyes, enough to make those who have been there once, consider a nostalgic revisit - next summer, perhaps?
Furthermore, there is always the engaging interaction between the series' regulars such as the redoubtable Maggie and the rest of the team, as well as updates on the Kaldis family. After all, they are firmly fixed in our very own literary universe. As usual, the action is fast-paced, and observations on the political and social scene percipient. Rush out and buy it!
Book 14 is awaited eagerly...

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and Severn House Publishers for an advance copy of At any Cost, the thirteenth novel to feature Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldas of the Hellenic Police.

Andreas is tasked with discovering who was behind a series of suspicious wild fires over the summer and bringing the perpetrators to justice. He quickly hears rumours of organised arson for profit with high stakes and potential foreign government involvement with the aim of powering a high tech metaverse project.

I thoroughly enjoyed At Any Cost, which is a high tech thriller with political overtones. The main thing is the thriller bit with plenty of action and tension while the high tech concept is explained in simple enough, if terrifying language for a technophobe like me. The politics are more geopolitical and well known to anyone who reads the news, although the author puts quite a spin on it.

I was glued to the pages as Andreas runs a fast investigation with assistance from an unexpected source and continued obstruction from the deputy minister, who, much to my joy, gets his comeuppance in no uncertain terms. What he discovers is mind blowing to read, but on reflection seems like a simple and far from far fetched extrapolation of where the world is just now in tech terms. How he deals with it is exciting and gutsy. He is never unaware of the danger from his adversaries who want their project to succeed at any cost. The nuance lies in the difference between a strategic at any cost and a boots on the ground at any cost, added to by the all important plausible deniability and, at one point, diplomatic immunity. In terms of readability the novel has a bit of everything, excitement, drama, tension, high stake stand offs, fun, humorous dialogue and picturesque scenery.

I never read one of these novels without having the urge to visit. This time the setting is split between Athens and the island of Syros, which the author brings alive with his descriptions of the scenery and history. Maybe I’ll just wait for the Metaverse to take me, or maybe not.

At Any Cost is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

[Jean Kolinofsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a fan of Donna Leon’s Inspector Brunetti mysteries set in Venice then it is time to take a trip to Greece with Jeffrey Siger’s Inspector Andreas Kaldis. After a number of wildfires have erupted, Kaldis is tasked with discovering who is behind them. The destroyed lands are being bought up by a consortium that intends to create a super metaverse. As Kaldis is trying to make sense of what he has found, he is also confronted with a family crisis. His niece, who is studying in New York, has announced her engagement. Her mother opposes the engagement. The fiancé is Greek, but was raised in America. To appease his sister, Kaldis convinces his niece to return to Greece with her fiancé Jack to meet the family. Jack is a consultant who works with computers and is familiar with the metaverse and Kaldis asks for his help. He raises fears after explaining how virtual reality can be weaponied by introducing propaganda and indoctrinating its’ users. The consortium was organized by Russians, Chinese and a. Middle Eastern nation but the lawyer who is representing them is Greek. It is through the lawyer that Kaldis hopes to find a way to stop their plan. His actions bring him closer to a solution while also putting his family in danger.

Syros, the island where Kaldis’ friend Tassos is the Chief Homicide Investigator, is targeted for the consortium’s headquarters. From the whitewashed traditional homes and narrow medieval streets to the more modern areas developed for tourism, Siger’s love for Greece is obvious. In Athens he surrounds Kaldis with a team that is loyal to him and they work well together. He also gives the reader a look at Kaldis’ home life, where his wife Lila often uses her connections to Greek society to further his investigation. Jeffrey Siger’s series is a true treat, offering a look at the culture and foods of Greece as well as an excellent mystery. I would like to thank. NetGalley and Severn House for providing this book for my review.

[David Knapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mostly was unimpressed with the first half or so of this latest novel in the Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis series. There was not much action. And the topic driving the plot (the metaverse) does not hold a lot of appeal to me.

Consequently, I was getting ready to give my second straight three-star rating to a novel in this series. But the action picked up tremendously over the final third of the novel, earning this 13th entry in the series four stars.

As you know, I never go deeply into plots in these reviews to avoid spoilers. But here's the jacket description:

"Chief Inspector Kaldis is initially dismayed to be asked to investigate a series of suspicious forest fires that took place last summer. In Greece, forest fires are an inevitability, and he fears he and his team are being set up to take the political blame for this year's blazes.

He quickly becomes suspicious, though, that the forests were torched for profit - and for a project on a far grander scale than the usual low-level business corruption. There are whispers on the wind that shadowy foreign powers intend to establish a surreptitious mega-internet presence on the island of Syros, with the intent to weaponize the digital world to their own dark ends.

Can Kaldis and his team stop the hostile foreign takeover of the idyllic island - or will the rise of the metaverse set not just Greece, but the whole world, on fire?"

One of the most intriguing aspects of the novel for me was the introduction of a number of characters that I'd love to see in future novels. That includes Kaldis' niece Anna and her high-tech genius fiance Jack. Also, their eccentric (and stunningly beautiful) Ukrainian New York friend Solona could be the protagonist in her own series!

So now I've read or reread the entire series. I have loved reading these novels and will continue to read future entries. Perhaps before and/or during my next visit to Greece?

[Terry Halligan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley and Severn House, for my complimentary digital copy for review purposes.

Once again Jeffrey Siger has written a book about Greece that is very evocative of the countries traditions and he describes the beauty of the country and it's people with a love that shows that he has been living there on and off for so many years. The plot of his latest book involves an attempt by foreign nationals to exploit the countries advantages for financial reward. This is linked to a scheme of artificial intelligence that would make it necessary to install much infrastructure to provide much more terminals for electricity and to enhance the system.

The main characters that have to wrestle with this new storyline are Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis, his longtime assistant Maggie and others. I found the police procedural story immensely gripping and fast moving and the pages just whizzed by. All the characters are richly described and full of life.

The plot with it's dramatic twists and turns often kept me reading far longer than I intended. I was completely transfixed and kept guessing until the final page. Extremely highly recommended.

[Ganesh Subramanian · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent thriller set in Greece, where the Chief Inspector, Andreas investigates a series of forest fires suspected to be a case of arson, deliberately setting fire to the forests to clear the land and make them available for development. The story is straightforward forward with Andreas unravelling a plot to corner huge tracts of land for setting up wind farms that would provide the required energy to have a metavese farm on the island. This is done by a conglomerate of Chinese, Russian and Middle Eastern business groups who appoint a lawyer in Greece as their frontman to get the desired results. Inevitably, all the riddles are solved and the guilty are brought to the books. The novel is particularly interesting because of the detailed description of Syros Island in Greece, an area very few may have heard of or even been aware of. It is an interesting read and keeps you engrossed right till the end.
Thank you ‎for providing this book for review via Edelweiss  All opinions are my own.

[Janereads10 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley and Severn House, for my complimentary digital copy for review.

This detective novel takes readers on a thrilling journey as Chief Inspector Kaldis and his team delve into a series of arson cases. As they dig deeper, they uncover a world of technological advancements and power struggles that add an intriguing layer to the story.

The book excels in showcasing the police procedural, highlighting the unique strengths of each team member and their endearing camaraderie. Including Kaldis' family dynamics adds depth and richness to the narrative, exploring the complexities of in-laws and new family members.

With the backdrop of today's AI-driven world, the book feels timely and relevant. While some of the technical discussions may leave readers feeling out of their depth, the author cleverly employs a character to translate the complex concepts, ensuring accessibility for all readers.

The exploration of the use and potential misuse of AI and the Metaverse raises thought-provoking questions and evokes a sense of unease. Overall, this book is a quick and engaging read that combines elements of mystery, family dynamics, and technological intrigue.

[Cathy Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always look forward to a new Andreas Kaldis mystery from Jeffrey Siger. I can rely on him for a fast-paced thrill ride of a story steeped in the culture of ancient and present-day Greece. By the time of this, his thirteenth Kaldis novel, his characters had become part of my fictional family, and in At Any Cost, I became much better acquainted with Andreas' sister, Gavi, and her daughter, Anna.

Although the premise of building a mega-internet presence that could take over the digital world was a bit difficult for me to wrap my head around, I've come to trust this author's prescience. I just sank into the story and enjoyed the ride. While I did that, I was in for a pleasant surprise. Greek food has been mentioned here and there throughout the series, but in At Any Cost, the author took a page from Martin Walker's Bruno Chief of Police series and sat me down right in the middle of a Greek feast. Yum!

Story... check. Food... check. But what keeps me coming back for more are the characters. As I said before, Andreas Kaldis, his family, and his team have become part of my fictional family. They make me laugh, they make me cry, they take me in and make me feel welcome among them. I feel that I know them very well-- so much so that when a member of his family was in danger, I smiled and thought, "Those bad guys aren't going to know what hit them."

Even though you can pick this book up, not having read any of the others in the series, and not feel lost, it would be a shame to miss everything that has gone before. (The first book is Murder in Mykonos.) Now I find myself in the familiar position of being forced to wait for the next book. Ah well.

(Review copy courtesy of Net Galley)

[M. O'Gannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

At Any Cost – A Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis Mystery – Published 2024 - **** - Inspector Kaldis and crew are back at it. This time against international powers trying to establish a huge AI operation on a Greek Island with evil intent. The characters are still lovable, the bad guys bad, the setting interesting and beautiful, the light humor fun. But there is a lack of suspense that is present in his other books that is missing with this book. First time with a Siger book that I felt at times like skimming. Still an enjoyable read but really three and a half stars rounded up to four. Will gladly read his next book with hopes for a better effort.

[Eileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend newest Chief Inspector Kaldis book

This series keeps getting better. While it can be read as a stand alone book, it's definitely better to have read previous books to fully enjoy the interaction between the regular characters.

In addition to a family crisis, the book deals extensively with the metaverse and its ramifications. Several new characters are introduced whom I hope are in future books. And there are marvelous descriptions of Greece which could have you planning a trip.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

The two new characters are so suspiciously convenient that I spent the whole book being sure they're actually the bad guys. Either all will be revealed in the next book because they're playing a long con, or the writing is just that bad?

[Marguerite · Rating 2 out of 5]

2nd book by this author. Did not like as much as the first. A rather convoluted premise and frankly pretty boring. Book did not pick up until towards the end, and it was rushed. I thought the ending was a little ridiculous and the author was just looking for a way to end it.

[Sheila Pulford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author is FANTASTIC!

I have read all of this author’s book and they are excellent! This book had a stunning ending. I can’t say enough good things about

[Dawn Stockley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great story

Another fabulous read in the Kaldos series and an atmospheric trip around yet another Greek Island. I an never get bored of these characters.

[M · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just okay.

[Laurie Dohmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all the books in this series.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Someone who knows more about metaverse might enjoy this book more than I did.