The unravelling of the mystery in this not-always gentle tale is almost secondary to the portrayal of life in a Greek coastal village during the heat of summer when the affliction of tourism is at its height. This is what sets the book apart for me.Corruption, fraud and greed are at the heart of the story which winds like one of the mountain roads travelled by the enigmatic mystery solver, the Fat Man, the police, and the villains. And there is no doubt at all about who the villains are; they are nasty from the beginning and continue that way till their unrepentant endings. Definitely a morality tale, as the title foreshadows. I'd like to give it 3.5 but decided to err on the side of generosity this time. I've not read a book quite like this before and enjoyed it very much as a light read in our summer heat. I'll seek out more from this author for light reading in this genre. It is the second book of this writer and the second one I read. Anne Zouroudi has become one of my favourite writers. I really like the type of Hermes Diaktoros, a character that seems to be combining the greek reality nowadays with a sense coming from the gods of Ancient Greece. In this story a death is going to reveal the tragedy of a family who was hit by "theia diki" devine justice because of wanting to gain everything even by false means. I love the descriptions of the landscapes.
I enjoyed this mystery set in Greece and will hopefully follow the series.
—moniss
Very enjoyable book. I'll have to read some of her other titles now.
—Jilly
A Greek cosy with a visit from one of the gods.
—pitapita123
Liked this one better than the first.
—abc12345
Elegantly written mystery.
—Niss
