Wednesday, April 24, 2019

It's Greek to him--and that's a good thing!


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((and the winner of Caught Up In It from yesterday is Beverly Fontaine! Email Hank via her website!)

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN:  Can you imagine a more glorious historic romantic suggestion than—let’s go off to the Greek Isles? Have you ever been there? We’ve talked about setting in mystery, of course and chosen the places we’ve adore to go.

But whoever chose the Greek Isles—you win. Because the amazing Jeff Siger will take us there. In his books, of course, but hey. We love that.

(Do you know Jeff? He’s absolutely fascinating, with a jaw-dropping resume, and you can see all that below).

But we are so thrilled to have him here today. Got your passport? Let’s go to Greece.

HANK: When you made the decision to start a crime series, why did you choose Greece as the setting?

JEFF: When I started writing about Andreas Kaldis with Murder in Mykonos, I thought I’d be writing a stand-alone novel telling the story of a Greek island I had come to know intimately over the course of several decades. I wanted to write about the people, culture and politics of Mykonos, and only settled upon the mystery format because it struck me as the best vehicle for exploring how a tourist island society might respond to a threat to its newfound economic glory.  

Mykonos 
Greece provides an inexhaustible source of material for the two central elements of this series:  a serious, modern day issue that my characters must confront and overcome, and  a perspective on that issue to be found in the ancient past.  There is no place on earth more closely linked to the ancient world than Greece—it is the birthplace of the gods, the cradle of European civilization, the bridge between East and West. 

Spartan courage, Athenian democracy, Olympic achievement, Trojan intrigue—all sprung from this wondrous land.  

As for Greece’s place in the modern world: just look at a map, and you'll immediately realize how many of the greatest issues facing the modern world are centered in Greece’s Mediterranean neighborhood.  I’d venture to say no western country is closer to what challenges our planet today than Greece.

HANK: And your setting shifts from one Greek island to another. I’m losing my geography here—but seems like you won’t soon run out of new places.
 JEFF: In order to run out of Greek island locales —not to mention the plethora of utterly intriguing mainland venues—I’d have to live more than a thousand years… and that would be at a two-book-a-year pace!

HANK: Okay, then! Setting solved. But you also use of timely contemporary issues as a centerpiece. In THE MYKONOS MOB, it’s the island’s ever-expanding popularity with the tourist trade upon the lives of its native occupants. What else are you thinking about?

JEFF: So many things happening in our world call out for Kaldis to intervene, but at the moment there’s an idea percolating in my mind that's got its hooks deeply into me.  It’s a battle raging on an island close by Mykonos that has islanders seeking to preserve their agrarian ways pitted against those seeking to maximize tourism profits.  It is a dilemma facing many of the world’s tourist paradises, but particularly so the Greek islands. And it can lead to murder.  That's all I have to say on that for now. Stay tuned....

HANK: How about you--who do you read? Who do you revere as an author? Who has influenced you? 
JEFF: That’s such a hard question for me to answer, because those I think of as having most influenced my style of writing are not commonly associated with the crime writing genre.  Cormac McCarthy is a favorite of mine on so many levels, as is Steinbeck, and I admire the pacing of Tom Clancy—but in my approach to dialog I think of myself as influenced more by the cadence of poets (Robert Frost, believe it or not) and the decisive rigor of playwrights (such as August Wilson).

I see Inspector Kaldis and his crew as having naturally evolved without any conscious input on my part.  Having said that, my work is most often compared to that of Ed McBain and Donna Leon, two literary legends to whom I am deeply honored to be compared.

HANK: Whoa. That’s quite the pedigree! Okay, now I can’t resist. Were Netflix or HBO to come calling with a plan to develop an on-location film or miniseries based on one of the Kaldis novels, which one would you suggest they start with?  And play casting director for a moment.

JEFF: Funny you should mention that. Let’s just say that I don’t count my film deals—or leading actors—until they’re hatched. :) However, and hypothetically speaking, I’d say the place to start is with the first in the series, MURDER IN MYKONOS, because it plumbs the spirit of Greek islands in general, and Mykonos in particular, while establishing the personal integrity of Andreas Kaldis that carries forward throughout the series. As for lead actors, I’m so bad at that, but others have suggested Clive Owen or Bradley Cooper.  

HANK:  Hmm. Investigative reporter me is hearing…secrets.
So, Reds and readers, do you imagine Greece? Or have you been there? Like to go?
And a copy of  THE MYKONOS MOB  to TWO  lucky commenters!


THE MYKONOS MOB

When corruption lies deep beneath the surface, how can truth come to light?

"A perfect setting and first-rate storytelling."
   Ragnar Jonasson

The Mykonos Mob, the tenth book in the Greece-based Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis mystery-thriller series, reveals the wildly lucrative dark side of an internationally renowned Aegean Island playground for the world's rich and famous, those battling for control of its vices, and the innocents affected by it all.



Jeffrey Siger   
Jeffrey Siger is an American living on the Aegean Greek island of Mykonos. A Pittsburgh native and former Wall Street lawyer, he gave up his career as a name partner in his own New York City law firm to write mystery thrillers that tell more than just a fast-paced story. His Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis novels are aimed at exploring serious societal issues confronting modern day Greece and the world at large, while touching upon Greece’s ancient roots.
The New York Times Book Review honored his work by designating Jeff as Greece’s thriller novelist of record, the Greek Government’s General Secretariat of Media and Communications selected him as one of six authors—and the only American—writing mysteries that serve as a guide to Greece, and Library Journal named his ninth book in the series, An Aegean April, as one of the best mystery books of 2018. He’s also received Barry and Left Coast Crime Best Novel award nominations.
Jeff’s work is published in the US, UK, Germany and Greece He is honored to have served as Chair of the National Board of Bouchercon, the world's largest mystery convention, and as adjunct professor of English at Washington & Jefferson College, teaching mystery writing.
His new novel, The Mykonos Mob, is the tenth in the widely praised Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis series, and explores the wildly profitable dark side of this renowned 24/7 island playground for the world’s rich and famous, the forces battling for control of its vices, and the innocents affected by it all.
Jeff blogs about Greece every Saturday onwww.murderiseverywhere.blogspot.com and can be reached atwww.jeffreysiger.com, on Facebook @jeffrey siger, and on Instagram at jeffrey_siger
The Mykonos Mob: A Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis Mystery—the tenth in the series—will be published on April 2 by Poisoned Pen Press, an imprint of Sourcebooks.






126 comments:

  1. Congratulations on the new book, Jeff . . . I’m looking forward to reading it.
    I’ve never been to Greece, but I’d love to spend some time there . . . .

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    1. Thanks, Joan--and Hank! You'd love Greece, I'm sure. It offers so much, and best of all, on the off chance that let's say a particular island doesn't appeal to you, just jump on a ferry and head to one of the hundreds others. Then there's the mainland, and all its many intriguing villages, towns, and cities literally living among antiquity.

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  2. Right about now, I'd love to go to any place on vacation at all. The Greek Islands would be a wonderful place to start. Sunshine. Surf. What could be better?

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    1. Doesn’t that picture of Mykonos look amazing?

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    2. Mark, I'm honored to be here at Hank's invitation, so the very least I can do is invite you (and Hank), to visit Greece and discover for yourselves that those pictures do not even begin to do it justice. And no, I'm not a shill fo the Greek National Tourist Organization. At least not a paid one. :)

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  3. The books sound intriguing, Jeff, and I can understand why you'd want to live there. Forty years ago I spent an idyllic week in Thessaloniki and then a beach a few hours drive east of there. I was visiting a Greek friend, and got to eat his mother's cooking and spend hours talking over delicious seafood. I floated in a cove so warm and salty you hardly had to do anything to stay afloat. We went to an outdoor movie theater and sat under the stars to laugh at Jerry Lewis. We drank rich dark coffee in the late morning and Metaxa until the wee hours. I still need to get to the islands, but those memories have sustained me for a long time!

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    1. My oh my, Edith, I couldn't evoke the spirit of Greece any better than you just did! But you have expressed the magic that land can have on your soul. By the way, from the description of the place you visited, it sounds as if you were in Halkidiki, perhaps on either Kassandra or Sithonia peninsulas, which played a part in my third book, "Prey on Patmos."

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    2. Am off to order it, Jeff! One of these days I should ask Marios where we went to the beach. It was magical.

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    3. Thanks, Edith. There are many magical places in Greece, and each newcomer discovers the magic anew for herself!

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  4. Greece is on my short list! Congratulations on your latest release.

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  5. So--so far, no one has been to Greece?

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  6. always wanted to visit Greece but haven't gotten there yet! cannot wait to read this book!

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    1. Yes, it is so tempting to go, isn’t it?

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    2. Charlene, Greece can be addictive...which is not to suggest that a warning label be affixed to my book covers. :)

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  7. Jeff certainly knows how to bring the Greek Islands to life and always manages to weave in the most contemporary plots that lead to murder. It's a true gift, but a bit of a scary one. ;)

    (Jeff - if only you could predict the lottery as well as you have your pulse on the political and societal issues on those islands!)

    And I agree with you Hank, I sensed a bit of developing news in that answer about televison/movies. Color me intrigued and very excited!

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    1. Agreed! And I wonder if those oh so random actor names were actually oh so random?

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    2. Between your and and Hank's kind and most appreciated remarks, Kris, I feel as if I just won an Oscar. Oh, perhaps I shouldn't have said Oscar...as it might foster even more speculation on the vagaries of the film business and Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis.

      And a big yes on that if-only-I-could-predict-the-lottery wish.

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  8. How wonderful! Greece is such an amazing place, and my daughter and I just decided we will go there in a couple of years to celebrate my 70th.

    We came thisclose to going several years ago, but ended up going to France instead. It was my husband's first time in Europe, and I think it was a good choice. At least we could read the signs! But Greece is singing her siren's call, and this blog entry is adding to the pull. Good to know there is a great series to prepare for it!

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    1. It is so exotic to go someplace where you cannot read the signs… I love that!

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    2. I get the sense that you'll be making it to Greece, Karen, and when you do you'll be pleasantly surprised to learn that most signs are transliterated so that ΑΘΗΙΝΑ will also appear as ATHENS.

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    3. Is this a recent innovation? It was about 15 years ago that we thought of going.

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    4. Signage has always been a "relative" thing in Greece, but the transliteration has been around for decades.

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  9. I was lucky enough to go to Greece with my sisters eons ago. We did get to Mykonos where we were overwhelmed by the blue sky, blue sea, and white houses. It was glorious and I will never forget how beautiful!
    Thank you for reminding me of a special time with my siblings. I look forward to all of the books. I can't imagine how I have missed them until now. That can be remedied and will soon.

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    1. Oh, what a great memory! I am sure the books will take you right back there…

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    2. Atlanta, thank you for saying precisely the sort of things that keep we writers writing! Here's hoping that my words complement your memories, for Mykonos remains physically as beautiful as you remember.

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    3. I can hardly wait to start reading. We were young and silly and it was a very special time for us in a very special place. Mykonos is indeed magical.

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    4. Young and silly is a state of mind that Greece tends to bring out in people of all ages. :)

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  10. As a college English major and fan of mythology, Greece exerts such a pull on my imagination. I always think warm, Mediterranean setting, blue water, trees, the ancient sites...so exotic. At the same time, you read the news and there is such disruption in the culture and economy. It must make for a wonderful font of story ideas.

    Congrats on the new book!

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    1. You've put your finger squarely on what draws me to Greece, Liz. There is so much happening in that paradise part of the world, that when it comes to a new book my biggest concern is "Where do I start?" My second, "Finding the right place to stop." :)

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    2. Ah, yes, how we must suffer for our art.

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  11. I love the Greek islands. We spent a week on the working class island of Syros... and ferried around to others. It's simply one of the most beautiful places in the world. The blues, the whites... breathtaking. It's a great place to set a series... and all that travel you can write off!

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    1. Thanks, Hallie, and on your final point, "You, Me and the IRS," could very well be the title for a not-so-short story I could write. :) You picked a great island base for exploring the Cyclades, as Syros is not only the capital of the Cyclades, but once served as the Capital of Greece, its shipyards were once the busiest in Greece, the first Opera House in Greece is located there, and the port town's marble paved streets are lined with what once were mansions of the very rich. It has a more Bohemian atmosphere than its neighboring islands, a lot of places to explore, and perhaps best of all, is relatively reasonably priced.

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    2. That's a perfect way to put it, Hank. Each island definitely has its own personality. That's why if you don't like the one you're on, hop on a ferry and try another!

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  12. I’ve been to Greece and the Islands. Our daughter choose a junior semester abroad to attend a language immersion in Greek. This program started two days before the first Iraq war I was s mess but we saw her off and by the time we joined her for Easter vacation she was fluent and we headed to Santorini and Crete. Adventures ahead. Standing by while a local guy at the Acropolis tries to pick her but, wants to take her sailing; no regard for her parents standing right there. The color of the water sailing off Santorini is wine dark. Daughter and I bar hopping and being well treated with Metaxos which I still love. Staying up all night in said bar to save money and catch the early ferry to Crete. Another bus to Matala and seeing the Peter Max like cave paintings from the ‘60’s. All the beautiful wild flowers. Leaving my passport in Matala the final day as we bused back for the ferry from Heraklion. But an English speaking guy on the bus helped us call our Yaya to learn that all was well. So my husband buses back to Matala to collect said passport, 3 hours each way with The Mists of Avalon as his companion while daughter and I go to Knossos to see the palace.

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    1. Wow--wonderful! And isn't Matala where the Joni Mitchell song Carey is set? The wind is in from Africe, last night I couldn't sleep..

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  13. You have perfectly expressed the quintessential Greek island experience, Celia. Though I must make one typographical correction lest other readers get the wrong idea about Greek men. I have no doubt that a local guy interested in your daughter would have disregarded your presence in trying to convince her to spend the day with him. That sort of flirtatious behavior is in the Greeks DNA. BUT, in my experience it's highly unlikely they would ever physically assault your daughter in pursuit of her companionship. So, when you typed "tries to pick her but," I'm pretty sure you meant to type, "tries to pick her up." :)

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  14. Jeffrey Siger, it was wonderful to meet you at Left Coast Crime. Marty Wingate introduced us. Welcome to Jungle Reds!

    Reading your books reminded me of Donna Leon's Venice mysteries. I would love to visit Greece some day. Have you visited Sanitorni (sp?) or other Greek Islands? I think of the Mamma Mia movie set in Greece and the novel Sisterhood of Travelling Pants, which is partly set in Greece.

    Diana

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    1. Hi (again) Diana! Yes, I remember Marty introducing us. Thanks for the warm welcome to Jungle Reds. I've often been flatteringly compared to Donna Leon, and "almost" had a TV deal in Germany to follow up on her terrific series on German TV...but that's another story for another time. :) Yes, I've been to Santorini many times--my seventh book in the series, "Santorini Caesars" is placed there. Mamma Mia is set on Skopelos next to Skiathos, which is far from Santorini. But why don't you head off there and see the magic for yourself!

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    2. Jungle Red field trip--with Jeff as the leader! How great would that be?

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    3. I think that's a GREAT idea. :)

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  15. I have never been to Greece and never particularly had the urge to go (not the most adventurous traveler) but I love to read mysteries set in Greece. So exotic, so much history, and as Jeffrey Siger said, so many topical issues.

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    1. Dear GC. Anything my books do to fire up an urge in you to travel will warm my heart! Thanks.

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    2. Yes, you never know when the travel urge will strike..i

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  16. I'm going for two weeks in August and can hardly stand myself.

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    1. But come August, you'll be loving yourself!

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    2. Oh, so wonderful! And we cannot wait to hear all about it!

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  17. Greece beckons. I would love the sea, beaches, and history. I hope that this vacation happens since time is fleeting.

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    1. But don't forget the food and hospitable people.

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    2. What's your favorite meal in Greece, Jeff?

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    3. My favorite meal sounds predictable--Greek salad, fresh fish, octopus and sea urchin--but made special when the seafood's fresh caught by me and my free-diving friends, and cooked on a remote island beach using driftwood for fuel... and of course tsipouro and wine.

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  18. Jeff, I can't believe I have read your books. Going to correct that ASAP! I have wanted to go to Greece since I read Mary Stewart's My Brother Michael in my teens (which I recently reread and thought it held up remarkably well.) Everything about the mainland and the islands sounds so wonderful. The colors, the food, the sea! Should I start with the first book in the series?

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    1. Just bought the first book Kindle so will let you off the hook on the question:-)

      And now I'm dying to try Metaxa...

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    2. Barbara Peters had just raised Mary Stewart's work with me, and we were wrestling to remember the name you just gave me, "My Brother Michael." Thanks for that. As for where to start, most who've read my work say start with the first because the characters grow, even though each book is written to stand on its own. In other words, you made the right decision in going for "Murder in Mykonos." :) Thanks, Deborah...and after you've tried Metaxa, move on to tsipouro...not to mention its cousin Ouzo. Plus Greek wines are way different than back in their retsina days. ENJOY.

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    3. Metaxa! We all went crazy over it in college! I SO remember..

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    4. I bet you do. :) We've all had a Metaxa experience....ranging from one star to seven, which just happens to correspond to the brandy's various grades. :)

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  19. I would love to travel and explore Greece. The islands, small towns and the beauty of this unique area.

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    1. And it's all possible, Petite. All you have to do is click those slippers together and think GREECE. Though they have to be sapphire blue ones, not ruby. :)

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  20. Jeff, Greece is such a picture-perfect place to dream about visiting. All those white homes and against that blue sea. Breathtaking! I do hope to get there one day. I also need to meet you, Jeff, and start reading your amazing books. I dare say that you are one of those people in our mystery/crime community that everyone wants to meet, your delightful reputation preceding you. So, I will look for the dapper man in white with a regal bearing at the next Bouchercon, hoping you will attend.

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    1. Wow, Kathy, are you available for PR work? :) That's the best intro I've ever received. As for finding me in white at Bouchercon, I think the late Tom Wolfe cornered that market in the US, so I'm in white only on the Greek isles. I'll most definitely be in Dallas for Bouchercon's 50th Anniversary and look forward to meeting you in my dress blues.

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    2. Yay, so glad you are coming to Dallas, Jeff! (my town!) Do you think we can get Metaxa in the Hyatt bar??

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    3. I think it's safe to say that your word shall be Carol Puckett's command. :)

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    4. SO eager to see you at Bouchercon! And we must make Metaxa happen..x

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    5. So happy you'll be at Bouchercon, Jeff. And, I would do PR work for someone as easy as you are to promote any day of the week.

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    6. I guess it's only appropriate that I'm on a site with 'red' in its name, Kathy, as you've got me to blushing. :) Thanks, and see you at Halloween time in Dallas.

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  21. Ros and I loved Jeff's books since first reading MURDER IN MYKONOS. As a matter of fact, one of the bucket list plans we never got to before Ross died was to travel the Greek islands using Jeff's books as a guide. Which, when I think about it, might make a cool trip to organize for sun- and sea-loving crime fiction readers. Jeff, I've got a new business idea for you!

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    1. That's a terrific idea Julia, but you always have those sorts of great thoughts. Sorry to learn of Ross's passing, but I think you should still follow through on your plans. Not necessarily with my books as a guide, though I actually have seen folk walking around Mykonos and Delos seeming to retrace the characters' footsteps.

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  23. I loved Greek myths when I was growing up so it's a given I'd love to visit Greece. In my early teens I discovered Mary Stewart and she set two or three of her books in Greece. It all sounded magical. Nowadays one of our friends is a transplanted Greek. He visits home once a year and comes back grumbling about politics and the economy.

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    1. Your transplanted Greek friend has become Greek in all ways. Grumbling about politics and the economy has been a primary pastime of Greeks for decades...though most would agree that today's situation adds a bit more gravitas.

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    2. Yes--very distressing...and how has it changed living there for you? And others?

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    3. For me it has not changed much, though my close friends are not part of the current government. The fiscal situation is truly tragic for the Greek people. Many are suffering, yet that would be hard to imagine if you only saw Mykonos or Santorini. They are immune to the nation's financial crisis, fueled by a tourist base of international wealth that just keeps on coming and spending as if there is no tomorrow.

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  24. Congrats on your latest, Jeff! It was fabulous seeing you in Vancouver, and I can't wait to see you in Dallas!

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    1. You always make wherever you'll be all the more enticing. Barbara and I can't wait to see you too!

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    2. Awww...so gallant! And yay Ingrid--see you soon!

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  25. For me the desire to visit a place comes with the reading of many books using it as a setting.
    So I should begin reading your series to develop the desire to go because, even knowing how beautiful is Greece, it is not enough to pique my interest.

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  26. And Jeff? If you have time, at some point, tell us..your favorite Greek meal! And do you mostly write in Greece? Do you write in the location where the story takes place?

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    1. My favorite meal--as I described above--is fresh fish I catch myself. But as that might limit me to too few meals, I'm also big of the traditional meze table spreads of all kinds of Greek appetizers, cheeses, fruits, and breads. Ahhh, I'm getting hungry.

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    2. Sorry, Hank, I've been trying to complete my response to your question for eight hours, but I've been away from my computer running between signing engagements and my iPhone just wouldn't allow me to post. :( I know, it just beats "the dog ate my homework. But in answer to the rest of your question, Yes I do write mostly in Greece and as much as I can at the actual "scene of the crime."

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  27. My only visit to Greece was the summer before I turned 21, many years ago. I still remember the how enchanted I was with everything. A student of Ancient History, at the time, I just loved all of the ruins, the historical places and the feeling of being somewhere with a magical past, and stories I knew. At the time, I was traveling through Europe with my soon-to-be stepmother and stepsister. My father had already returned to Connecticut and I was making my way with two "close" strangers. One of the wonderful things we did was to take a cruise through the Greek Islands to Turkey and then back to Athens. I had never seen water so blue, I'd never seen such gorgeous settings. Among other adventures, I remember us laughing loudly as we rode donkeys up from the dock on Santorini, gazing out over the sea. You can understand how a civilization surrounded by such beauty can create lasting myths that are still told thousands of years later by cultures and peoples worlds away. I'd return to Greece in a heartbeat. Now I am going to order "Murder in Mykonos."

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    1. Oh, what a wonderful story, Judy! Thank you! Ahh....what an adventure!

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    2. Greece gets in one's blood, Judy, and once that happens there's no shaking it, for it always remains in your memories. For that reason, I honestly think you'll enjoy "Murder in Mykonos," because over the summer in which it came out it was the #1 best selling English-language book in Greece. Tourists seemed to like it.

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  28. Love Greece and hope to return. I went in the '70's (when walking up Santorini was a better choice than the donkey ride) and then 30 years later with my husband. Hoping not to wait 30 years more. Always enjoy reading authors who can pace and turn a phrase - looking at you 2. Thanks for opportunity to win.

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    1. Don't wait 30 more years, Robin. The place will have changed. Catch it now...the donkeys are waiting for you. :)

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    2. Yes, in thirty more years..who knows. Maybe that's another book!

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  29. The most dangerous place in the world is this website. It seems every time I come here, there's another author I want to add to my list so I can read their work.

    I don't dream of Greece, but growing up I was always quite taken with Greek mythology. Given that I don't have many dreams of travel, Greece has never been on my list of places I would go should I ever have an unlimited travel budget. However, I'm sure if I did travel a lot, I'd get there eventually.

    That said, I do seem to have an affinity for mysteries and thrillers that are set in other countries, so I'm sure that the Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis series would be right up my literary alley. Sigh...my book budget needs to be the size of a small country or something.

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    1. "The most dangerous place in the world is this website"-- that is FABULOUS! Thank you, dear Jay!

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    2. I know just how you feel, Jay. There should be an ATM symbol at the bottom of each JRW post. :)

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  30. I have never been to Greece, but I would love to vacation there someday. It looks so beautiful and peaceful.

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  31. Congrats on your new release Jeff!
    I'd love to visit Greece someday. The pictures are always so pretty.

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    1. Agreed! And the idea of all the feet that walked the same ground....

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    2. Thanks, Jana. And in this instance the photos actually do represent what you'll find in person. As for all the feet that walked the same ground, Hank, that's a thought that often runs though my mind as I stand by the edge of the Aegean looking out to sea, wondering who once stood in that very spot 5000 years ago, and what thoughts ran through that ancient's mind.

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  32. The closest I've been to Greece is the postcard I got from my cousin when she visted there!

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  33. And the WINNERS ARE! (US ONLY please...let me know if that's not you) Jana Leah B. and Robin! Email me at Hryan@whdh.com
    Hurray!

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  34. Thank you so much everyone--and Jeff, you are such a rock star! Thank you thank you..and see you soon--And please come back for the next book!

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    1. As I've said before, I love this crowd you hang out with, and it will be my privilege to be back here. Thanks again, Hank.

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  35. Unfortunately I have not been to Greece but find articles and books centered on Greece enticing. Thanks for your wonderful blog.

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    1. It is my great pleasure, Robin, to be even a small part of enticing you to Greece! Thanks, too, for your mention of my blog...every Saturday. :)

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  36. Thanks Jeffrey for the chance to win a copy of your wonderful looking book. I have been fortunate enough to visit Greece a number of times. Once back in the eighties for 3 months and then again in the early nineties when it became a kind of travel hub for our expeditions through Europe and Asia. It's a country I had wanted to visit ever since I was in school and I immediately felt a sense of homecoming upon arrival. I'd love to go back, thanks again for the chance for some armchair travel to one of my favorite places.

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    1. It's my pleasure, Carl, to help out a fellow lover of Greece in any way that I can!

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