Rating: 4/5
Review:
An enjoyable read
I enjoyed this book very much. It is a well-written, leisurely-paced mystery set on a small Greek island. There is a lot of description of local culture, atmosphere and characters and not a great deal of plot, but that was fine by me. My copy carried an endorsement from Alexander McCall Smith, and I can see why he would like it. Although very different from Smith's books in many ways, its pacing and morality put me in mind of Mma Ramotswe more than once.
The central character is an enigmatic detective who, like Mma Ramotswe, is interested in goodness, justice and the restoration of wrongs rather than the Law and the police. It is never made clear whom he works for, but he is an engaging character whose insight, powers of investigation and self-certainty in the dispensing of justice verge on the Olympian - perhaps hinting that his connection to the Messenger of the Gods extends further than just his name. He may not have wings on the heels of his shoes, for example, but he is inordinately careful about ensuring that they are immaculate at all times - but this never intrudes and is just an interesting background notion. I liked him a lot.
The plot revolves around an ancient, miraculous icon and some dark goings on among the inhabitants of the island where it is displayed in the church. I strongly recommend that you don't read the publisher's blurb on this page or on the back of the book - in a couple of sentences it gives away the entire plot of the first half of the book. This actually emerges with a pleasing slowness from the local atmosphere, which Zouroudi creates with great warmth and skill, painting the local characters with sympathy but an unsparing honesty, too.
This is an ideal summer read. It's not great literature, but it is well-written, charming, engaging and sun-soaked. Recommended.
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