Athenian Blues

Sometimes the stars align and you find a real gem of a book. That’s how I felt about Athenian Blues. In this tale set in Greece, we meet Stratos Gazis, who likes to refer to himself as a caretaker. He can’t stand to be called a hitman. In his mind, he is providing justice for both his victims and his clients. So, when a famous actress, Aliki Stylianou, tries to hire him to kill her abusive husband, he wants to know more before taking the case. After all, her husband is one of Athens’ most respected lawyers.

Things take an unexpected turn when an attempt is made on Aliki’s life and she goes into hiding. Her husband wants to hire Gazis to find her. Gazis isn’t sure which party to believe. Is the husband abusive and does he want to kill his wife, or is she making it all up? As the story develops and Gazis, with the help of his friends, tries to piece together the complex ties between husband and wife, he finds more questions than answers. As more secrets emerge, Gazis is more determined than ever to find Aliki. If only he’d known he would be putting himself and his closest friends in danger.

Pol Koutsakis is a fascinating storyteller able to transport readers right into Stratos Gazis’ world.