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When the Devil's Idle
In the Book of Revelation, written by St. John on the Greek island of Patmos, it was said a pale horse would appear whose rider was death, others would cry out for vengeance, and the stars of heaven would fall to the earth. Death does indeed come to Patmos when a German tourist is found murdered in the garden of one of the island’s fabled estates. Yiannis Patronas, Chief Officer of the Chios police, is called in to investigate. He summons his top detective, Giorgos Tembelos, and his friend and amateur sleuth, Papa Michalis, to assist him. What the policemen discover will disturb them long after the conclusion of the case. Only six people were at the house at the time of the murder—the gardener and housekeeper, the victim’s son and his wife and their two children, a boy of seven and a teenage girl of sixteen. All appear to be innocent. But access to the isolated estate is severely restricted. Surrounded by high walls, it has only one a metal gate that was bolted at the time of the crime. Patronas can only conclude that one of the six is a killer. He continues to probe, uncovering the family’s many secrets. Some are very old, others more recent. All are horrifying. But which of these secrets led to murder? Book 2 of the Greek Islands Mystery series, which began with The Devil Takes Half.
194 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 5, 2015
1 person is currently reading
50 people want to read
About the author
Leta Serafim
8 books39 followersAcclaimed writer, novelist, and playwright Leta Serafim was a journalist at the Los Angeles Times Washington Bureau before moving to Greece, where she taught art and illustrated books. On her return to the U.S., she wrote features for The Boston Globe before turning to fiction, where her Greek Islands Mystery series has captivated readers and mystery fans worldwide. She is also the author of the historical novel To Look on Death No More, the children's book Molly Saw a Bear, and the new play Requiem, a two-act drama about Russian poet Anna Akhmatova. She teaches creative writing in the Boston area and continues to spend her summers in Greece.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 13, 2015
A murder in the quiet town of Patmos, Greece. Who would want to murder a 90-year-old German?
A murder in an enclosed compound with no one but family and the family's gardener and housekeeper around. How did the murderer get into the secure compound? One of them had to be the killer since it was difficult to get into the compound, but who and why?
WHEN THE DEVIL'S IDLE is set in Greece with interesting characters and a wonderful glimpse at Greece's culture.
The main character Patronas was quite likable and a bit comical despite the seriousness of the situation he and his fellow policemen were investigating. He was a great character to keep the book interesting and moving along.
Along with the beauty of Greece, WHEN THE DEVIL'S IDLE brought up the horrors of WWII and what happened to the children of Aghios Stefanos. Could this be the reason someone wanted Gunther Bechtel dead after all this time?
The ending was a bit odd, but the crime was solved. :)
WHEN THE DEVIL'S IDLE dragged a bit and was difficult to follow at first with all the Greek names, but I enjoyed the book and became attached to the characters as I continued reading. 4/5
This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.
A murder in an enclosed compound with no one but family and the family's gardener and housekeeper around. How did the murderer get into the secure compound? One of them had to be the killer since it was difficult to get into the compound, but who and why?
WHEN THE DEVIL'S IDLE is set in Greece with interesting characters and a wonderful glimpse at Greece's culture.
The main character Patronas was quite likable and a bit comical despite the seriousness of the situation he and his fellow policemen were investigating. He was a great character to keep the book interesting and moving along.
Along with the beauty of Greece, WHEN THE DEVIL'S IDLE brought up the horrors of WWII and what happened to the children of Aghios Stefanos. Could this be the reason someone wanted Gunther Bechtel dead after all this time?
The ending was a bit odd, but the crime was solved. :)
WHEN THE DEVIL'S IDLE dragged a bit and was difficult to follow at first with all the Greek names, but I enjoyed the book and became attached to the characters as I continued reading. 4/5
This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.
February 22, 2017
When the Devil’s Idle is a dark detective novel centered around Yannis Patronas, an esteemed Greek policeman. An elderly German tourist is found dead in his rented gardens, a Swastika carved into his forehead. When the local police force asks for help, Patronas is sent to the small village of Chora on the Greek island of Patmos to lead the investigation. His investigation quickly turns into an investigation into Greece’s World War Two past and many of the atrocities the Nazis perpetrated during the occupation.
I didn’t realize until I’d started it that this is the second book in a series of three. There are occasional references to Patronas’ previous name-making case, yet it easily reads as a stand-alone.
I wanted to review this book for Mystery Thriller Week because I was interested in learning more about the history of Greece during World War Two. It did not disappoint. The story is steeped in Greek history, the political climate, resistance movements, impact on local citizens and disturbing examples of the Nazis’ sadistic abuse of power. The author had clearly spent much time and effort studying this era and her extensive research adds depth to the story and characters.
I read a lot of travel fiction because I love to learn about other countries and cultures. This book’s strength is its detailed descriptions of Greece itself: the people, places, churches, politics, culture and modern history. Her affection for Greek culture shines through.
One of the struggling points I had with this novel were the often racist remarks made by Greek characters when discussing pretty much every other European nationality. Though several of the characters openly wonder why they harbor ill feelings towards citizens of other countries, they continued to make discriminatory remarks throughout the story. I wondered why the author found it necessary to include so many of these types of comments in her dialogue when they weren’t important to the storyline. As a citizen of another European country, I truly hope this doesn’t reflect the mindset of the average Greek citizen! This also made it difficult for me to connect with the characters.
The author’s attention to detail, of both historical fact and descriptions of the local landscape, make it a pleasurable read. It’d recommend this book to mystery fans interested in learning more about Greek history or the country.
3.5 out of 5 stars (rounding up to 4 stars)
I didn’t realize until I’d started it that this is the second book in a series of three. There are occasional references to Patronas’ previous name-making case, yet it easily reads as a stand-alone.
I wanted to review this book for Mystery Thriller Week because I was interested in learning more about the history of Greece during World War Two. It did not disappoint. The story is steeped in Greek history, the political climate, resistance movements, impact on local citizens and disturbing examples of the Nazis’ sadistic abuse of power. The author had clearly spent much time and effort studying this era and her extensive research adds depth to the story and characters.
I read a lot of travel fiction because I love to learn about other countries and cultures. This book’s strength is its detailed descriptions of Greece itself: the people, places, churches, politics, culture and modern history. Her affection for Greek culture shines through.
One of the struggling points I had with this novel were the often racist remarks made by Greek characters when discussing pretty much every other European nationality. Though several of the characters openly wonder why they harbor ill feelings towards citizens of other countries, they continued to make discriminatory remarks throughout the story. I wondered why the author found it necessary to include so many of these types of comments in her dialogue when they weren’t important to the storyline. As a citizen of another European country, I truly hope this doesn’t reflect the mindset of the average Greek citizen! This also made it difficult for me to connect with the characters.
The author’s attention to detail, of both historical fact and descriptions of the local landscape, make it a pleasurable read. It’d recommend this book to mystery fans interested in learning more about Greek history or the country.
3.5 out of 5 stars (rounding up to 4 stars)
October 6, 2015
When an elderly German, visiting the island of Patmos, is murdered and a swastika carved into his forehead, the police fear that the local anti-German sentiment is growing too strong. They send for Yiannis Patronas, head of the police on neighboring Chios, who has solved one murder--one more than most Greek policemen. He discovers that the crimes of the past cannot easily be forgotten.
October 8, 2015
Serafim does a great job with knitting together the past and present, and does not allow you to see who did what until the very end. Magnificent writing! More!
— CJ Loiacono
— CJ Loiacono
July 29, 2017
I love reading about the Greek Isles which does include history, in this case, ancient history and WWII occupation by the Nazis. The description of the beautiful landscapes is a plus.
However, I didn't like the denouement of the murder.
However, I didn't like the denouement of the murder.
November 22, 2015
When the Devil’s Idle by Leta Serafim is more than a detective story. Before reading this novel, I knew nothing about Greece. Leta Serafim’s descriptions of the country, her explanations of historical events intermingled with Greek mythology, made me fall in love with Greece. The setting is on the island of Patmos. You will learn that the evangelist, St. John wrote the Book of Revelation here. The island is very popular with Greek tourists. It’s like the snow birds in the US going south for the winter. German tourists fly to Greece. It must be a “deal” financially. It is here that a crime takes place. A German tourist is murdered with a swastika carved on his forehead.
The detectives are a team. The leader is Yiannis Patronas. His cohorts are a fellow policeman and a priest: Giorgos Tembelos and Papa Michalis. There’s another. For comic relief add Evangelos Demos.
Evangelos is a screw-up. He is described as “Fat and incompetent, he’d been forced out of the Chios Police Directorate after panicking during a stakeout and shooting up a herd of goats.” And he is the one who was called in first to investigate the murder. Evangelos knew enough to call in a more experienced detective. And that was Patronas. With Patronas, came the other detective and the priest. The other detective, Tembelos , helps investigating. The priest adds an objective, fair, and non-judgmental opinion on history and theology. Yes, theology! This is Greece, full of Greek mythology and the history of early Christianity.
Let me be honest. I don’t usually like novels I can’t identify with. So I expected to be bored by story. I thought it would be a lot of background of Greek history, mythology and religion. Greece never interested me. I never would want to go there. So I was taken by surprised by the author, Leta Serafim’s seduction of my senses. She so deftly interwove the background into the story that I craved to learn more. The island of Patmos is famous because one of the apostles lived and died there. St. John was exiled to the island. The island had currently become a popular tourist spot, especially frequented by Germans. This fact added a special twist of irony. The Germans during World War II tried to conquer Greece. “Couldn’t get here with Hitler, so they bought their way in this time.” P. 4. At this time, the Greek economy was hitting bottom, so the Greeks had to put up with these “one time enemies.”
The first suspect, Maria Georgiou seemed to be the most likely. She was a amicable character, so I didn’t want her to be the murderer. But the deeper the investigation got, the more likely she looked. She had every reason to hate and seek revenge on the victim. Maria was even arrested for the crime. No one else could have done it. I won’t spoil the plot for you. Tracking down the history of the victim and Maria will hook you into wanting to know more. You will enjoy every well-crafted word.
The detectives are a team. The leader is Yiannis Patronas. His cohorts are a fellow policeman and a priest: Giorgos Tembelos and Papa Michalis. There’s another. For comic relief add Evangelos Demos.
Evangelos is a screw-up. He is described as “Fat and incompetent, he’d been forced out of the Chios Police Directorate after panicking during a stakeout and shooting up a herd of goats.” And he is the one who was called in first to investigate the murder. Evangelos knew enough to call in a more experienced detective. And that was Patronas. With Patronas, came the other detective and the priest. The other detective, Tembelos , helps investigating. The priest adds an objective, fair, and non-judgmental opinion on history and theology. Yes, theology! This is Greece, full of Greek mythology and the history of early Christianity.
Let me be honest. I don’t usually like novels I can’t identify with. So I expected to be bored by story. I thought it would be a lot of background of Greek history, mythology and religion. Greece never interested me. I never would want to go there. So I was taken by surprised by the author, Leta Serafim’s seduction of my senses. She so deftly interwove the background into the story that I craved to learn more. The island of Patmos is famous because one of the apostles lived and died there. St. John was exiled to the island. The island had currently become a popular tourist spot, especially frequented by Germans. This fact added a special twist of irony. The Germans during World War II tried to conquer Greece. “Couldn’t get here with Hitler, so they bought their way in this time.” P. 4. At this time, the Greek economy was hitting bottom, so the Greeks had to put up with these “one time enemies.”
The first suspect, Maria Georgiou seemed to be the most likely. She was a amicable character, so I didn’t want her to be the murderer. But the deeper the investigation got, the more likely she looked. She had every reason to hate and seek revenge on the victim. Maria was even arrested for the crime. No one else could have done it. I won’t spoil the plot for you. Tracking down the history of the victim and Maria will hook you into wanting to know more. You will enjoy every well-crafted word.
December 14, 2015
Posted first to Blog Critics as Book Review: 'When The Devil's Idle, a Greek Island Mystery,' by Leta Serafim.
In When The Devil’s Idle by Leta Serafim, we follow the scene of a murder that is both troubling and odd. An elderly man is found on an isolated estate brutally murdered. The place this murder occurs is highly restricted to outsiders, and at the time of the murder the gate is bolted.
The family living there consists of a husband and wife and their two younger children. The murder victim is the grandfather of those children on the husband’s side. In residence at the time of his death the only other people there at the time are the gardener and the housekeeper.
Yiannis Patronas, of the Chios police, summons his top detective Giorgos Tembelos, to assist. In the Greek city of Patmos, when a German tourist is murdered it can only bring problems to the island. Giorgos brings his friend and amateur sleuth, a priest, Papa Michalis to help.
As they dig deep into the family history and the background of the victim, they find a past that is brutal. A Nazi and a killer, the old man has escaped his past to move to the island and live out his life with his family. But is his past behind him. Can it shed light on the brutality of his murder? As Giorgos and his friend Michalis travel to find answers, they uncover the story of his life and even darker rumors of a crime more brutal.
With so many red herrings and possible murderers, how can the Police decipher the real reason for his death? Until they can separate the darkness the surrounds the victim and the sickness and brutality of his past, they can only assume to understand what has happened. There is a deeper and darker grief at work and they must decipher the past and delve into the present to discover if that past is responsible, or if a new wave of secrets is behind brutal murder.
The characters are mysterious, and stay to themselves. While they avow no knowledge of what has transpired, it is obvious they are in hiding for some reason. With no friends, they are an island to themselves. While all appear very innocent, Serafim takes us into their own secrets to flush out the possible motive.
The detectives are an admirable mix of determination and steadfastness. The addition of the priest brings a bit of humor to the situation as well as distraction, for he takes away a bit of the fear of the police. His help is invaluable to this story.
If you enjoy mystery and murder this is a rare find. The descriptions of Greece are wonderful and help to take you there as you journey into the horror and history of the Nazi regime. This would be a great book for a reading club with a great deal of background to decipher.
In When The Devil’s Idle by Leta Serafim, we follow the scene of a murder that is both troubling and odd. An elderly man is found on an isolated estate brutally murdered. The place this murder occurs is highly restricted to outsiders, and at the time of the murder the gate is bolted.
The family living there consists of a husband and wife and their two younger children. The murder victim is the grandfather of those children on the husband’s side. In residence at the time of his death the only other people there at the time are the gardener and the housekeeper.
Yiannis Patronas, of the Chios police, summons his top detective Giorgos Tembelos, to assist. In the Greek city of Patmos, when a German tourist is murdered it can only bring problems to the island. Giorgos brings his friend and amateur sleuth, a priest, Papa Michalis to help.
As they dig deep into the family history and the background of the victim, they find a past that is brutal. A Nazi and a killer, the old man has escaped his past to move to the island and live out his life with his family. But is his past behind him. Can it shed light on the brutality of his murder? As Giorgos and his friend Michalis travel to find answers, they uncover the story of his life and even darker rumors of a crime more brutal.
With so many red herrings and possible murderers, how can the Police decipher the real reason for his death? Until they can separate the darkness the surrounds the victim and the sickness and brutality of his past, they can only assume to understand what has happened. There is a deeper and darker grief at work and they must decipher the past and delve into the present to discover if that past is responsible, or if a new wave of secrets is behind brutal murder.
The characters are mysterious, and stay to themselves. While they avow no knowledge of what has transpired, it is obvious they are in hiding for some reason. With no friends, they are an island to themselves. While all appear very innocent, Serafim takes us into their own secrets to flush out the possible motive.
The detectives are an admirable mix of determination and steadfastness. The addition of the priest brings a bit of humor to the situation as well as distraction, for he takes away a bit of the fear of the police. His help is invaluable to this story.
If you enjoy mystery and murder this is a rare find. The descriptions of Greece are wonderful and help to take you there as you journey into the horror and history of the Nazi regime. This would be a great book for a reading club with a great deal of background to decipher.
July 30, 2015
Leta Serafim her new book, “When The Devil’s Idle” Book Two in the Greek Islands Mystery series published by Coffeetown Press gives us another mystery with Yiannis Patronas.
From the back cover: In the Book of Revelation, written by St. John on the Greek island of Patmos, it was said a pale horse would appear whose rider was death, others would cry out for vengeance, and the stars of heaven would fall to the earth.
Death does indeed come to Patmos when a German tourist is found murdered in the garden of one of the island’s fabled estates. Yiannis Patronas, Chief Officer of the Chios police, is called in to investigate. He summons his top detective, Giorgos Tembelos, and his friend and amateur sleuth, Papa Michalis, to assist him.
What the policemen discover will disturb them long after the conclusion of the case. Only six people were at the house at the time of the murder–the gardener and housekeeper, the victim’s son and his wife and their two children, a boy of seven and a teenage girl of sixteen. All appear to be innocent. But access to the isolated estate is severely restricted. Surrounded by high walls, it has only one entrance: a metal gate that was bolted at the time of the crime. Patronas can only conclude that one of the six is a killer. He continues to probe, uncovering the family’s many secrets. Some are very old, others more recent. All are horrifying.
But which of these secrets led to murder?
This is a murder mystery done old-school classic style. We are on an island. There are a limited amount of suspects. The investigation is not simple nor is it easy. Yiannis Patronas is a wonderful character and I liked him immediately. Him, Giorgos and Papa are top-notch investigators and this murder mystery has them at the top of their game. “When The Devil’s Idle” is loaded with twists and turns and red herrings that will leave you guessing all the while you are flipping pages to find out what happens next. Ms. Serafim has provided us with a marvelous whodunnit and I am already looking forward until the next book in this series comes out.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Coffeetown Press. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
From the back cover: In the Book of Revelation, written by St. John on the Greek island of Patmos, it was said a pale horse would appear whose rider was death, others would cry out for vengeance, and the stars of heaven would fall to the earth.
Death does indeed come to Patmos when a German tourist is found murdered in the garden of one of the island’s fabled estates. Yiannis Patronas, Chief Officer of the Chios police, is called in to investigate. He summons his top detective, Giorgos Tembelos, and his friend and amateur sleuth, Papa Michalis, to assist him.
What the policemen discover will disturb them long after the conclusion of the case. Only six people were at the house at the time of the murder–the gardener and housekeeper, the victim’s son and his wife and their two children, a boy of seven and a teenage girl of sixteen. All appear to be innocent. But access to the isolated estate is severely restricted. Surrounded by high walls, it has only one entrance: a metal gate that was bolted at the time of the crime. Patronas can only conclude that one of the six is a killer. He continues to probe, uncovering the family’s many secrets. Some are very old, others more recent. All are horrifying.
But which of these secrets led to murder?
This is a murder mystery done old-school classic style. We are on an island. There are a limited amount of suspects. The investigation is not simple nor is it easy. Yiannis Patronas is a wonderful character and I liked him immediately. Him, Giorgos and Papa are top-notch investigators and this murder mystery has them at the top of their game. “When The Devil’s Idle” is loaded with twists and turns and red herrings that will leave you guessing all the while you are flipping pages to find out what happens next. Ms. Serafim has provided us with a marvelous whodunnit and I am already looking forward until the next book in this series comes out.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Coffeetown Press. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
December 27, 2015
This is really more of a 3.5 star book...I'd like to check out the first book in the series since I enjoyed this one. The characters are interesting. (Even if I wouldn't choose to live with their quirky views of women!) And the setting is unique. The plot was sufficiently complex to keep me thinking, & the historical context added to my engagement as a the reader. Basically a good read in a small package...I'd recommend it to any lover of the mystery genre.
February 22, 2016
The full spectrum of Greek experience is here, from the glories of ancient history to the angst of a society squeezed by austerity and strained by refugees - and, in between, the horrors of World War II. Somehow, the author has managed to weave all of this into a compelling detective story about a mysterious death. This book would be the perfect read for someone headed for Greece, but it's equally good for an armchair traveler. I'll look forward to the next in the series.
May 6, 2016
When the Devil's Idle by Leta Serafim is the second book in the Greek Islands Mystery series. Once again an engaging mystery by Ms. Serafim. Her Chief Officer Patronasis once engaged in a homicide, but this time it involves the death of a German old man which unravels to terrible secrets from 1943 revolving around Gestapo in a Greek village during WWII.
Excellent writing by the author and look forward to Book 3. Highly recommend this series!!
Excellent writing by the author and look forward to Book 3. Highly recommend this series!!
February 19, 2018
So so!
Author use of humorous incidents add little interest. She also made very big error regarding Greek Independence. Bryon died from malarial fever effects Turks did not kill him. She contradicted in a number of situations causing confusion. Her priest as a character adds little other than to ad content.
Not as good as I expected personally.
Author use of humorous incidents add little interest. She also made very big error regarding Greek Independence. Bryon died from malarial fever effects Turks did not kill him. She contradicted in a number of situations causing confusion. Her priest as a character adds little other than to ad content.
Not as good as I expected personally.
September 26, 2017
Four and a half stars
This is the second book in this series and I found it even better than the first. Murder, mystery, greek history and humor wrapped up in this neat package. Anyone planning to visit the Greek Islands should read this series of books.
This is the second book in this series and I found it even better than the first. Murder, mystery, greek history and humor wrapped up in this neat package. Anyone planning to visit the Greek Islands should read this series of books.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews