The Wall Street Journal, and an Old Piano
July 17th, 2010 by adminI am absolutely thrilled to have a lovely review - by author Tom Nolan - in the Wall Street Journal, ahead of the publication of The Messenger of Athens in the States this coming week. Mr Nolan describes the book as ‘bucolic noir’, which seems very apt to me.
Here’s what he says:
‘Even further removed from modernity than Saint-Denis is the fictional Greek isle of Thiminos, the setting of Anne Zouroudi’s astringent “The Messenger of Athens.”
The island recalls “timeless, ageless Greece,” thinks an outsider, “as if ancient pan pipes might have played here, only moments ago.” Locals still slaughter their own goats, and those who transgress against centuries-old traditions of family honor may meet equally harsh ends.
The discovery of the corpse of a young married woman, said to have been having an affair, at the bottom of a Thiminos cliff is soon followed by the arrival of a stranger named Hermes Diaktoros. The corpulent, fastidious Hermes, a native of Athens, disagrees with the local authorities, who have ruled the woman’s death a suicide. But he is not a police detective: “I work for . . . a higher authority. Call me a private investigator, if you like.”
Patient and courteous (up to a point), the Athenian goes about his business with the prescience of an oracle and the diligence of a Fate. “I don’t just want to find out who killed her,” he says of the dead woman. “I want to know who was responsible for her death. Which is not necessarily the same thing.”
“The Messenger of Athens” is a cautionary tale about the deadly sin of lust—a riveting story told with the help of flashbacks and in a mix of first- and third-person voices. It proves as surprising as a classic detective story, and as sad and inevitable as an ancient Greek drama.
Mr Nolan, thank you.
I had a most enjoyable outing early this week, to the Ranmoor book group in my ex-home town of Sheffield. They were a lively and hospitable bunch, and Michael, at whose house we met, had a beautiful 1804 piano whose history held an intriguing - almost uncanny - tale. Thanks again to you all - and let me encourage other book groups to follow the Ranmoor group’s lead, and consider inviting the authors of books you’re reading to one of your meetings, if the author lives within a reasonable distance. Many authors I know would happily consider joining you, especially if there’s a glass of wine and a few peanuts thrown in - but do tread careful on the writer’s ego. You can usually track an author down through their publisher’s publicity department, or a quick Google should throw up an agent’s name.
On Saturday 24th July I’m off to the Harrogate Crime Festival, where I shall be hosting a table at the Murder Mystery dinner. I’m looking forward to it - a little practical sleuthing sounds great fun.