Chief Inspector Andreas Kaleidoscope Mystery

“One Last Chance” is part of the “Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis Mysteries.” The main characters continue from previous books, but it is not necessary to have read the other books to enjoy this one. Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis is head of Greece’s Special Crimes Unit, and his administrative assistant, Maggie Sikestis, is not only the keeper of the many secrets of the Unit but is also an expert at solving puzzles.
This adventure takes readers to an interesting location, the Aegean island of Ikaria where the stark and stony landscape somehow supports lush greenery. Siger introduces readers to the history of the island, its culture, politics, and fiercely independent people. Ikaria is known as the island where people forget to die. Fully one-third of its residents live well into their nineties, and many live past one hundred. These residents have a special camaraderie. However, they are also attractive targets for creative medical researchers, resourceful pharmaceutical salespeople and unscrupulous con artists.
Maggie is deeply saddened when her grandmother, previously in good health, died on Ikaria. She is especially concerned when she discovers that a number of other citizens, previously in good health, had also recently died. Not even this many people died during the pandemic. Most disturbing of all, all of them died alone, at home, in their sleep, and none had an autopsy. What caused the deaths of these innocent people? Is the island inhabited by con artists, opportunists, or terrorists? Are the perpetrators disguised and hiding in plain sight?
“One Last Chance” is filled with puzzles that must be solved and questions that must be answered. Do extremists ever reform over almost 50 years or do they just morph into something different? Who is responsible for these deaths? I received a review copy of “One Last Chance” from Jeffrey Siger, Poisoned Pen Press, and Sourcebooks. This book is driven by the characters, and this story is just another reason to spend time with them in an interesting and unusual location.
“One Last Chance” is now available in print or as an e-Book from independent bookstores, online booksellers, retail stores, public libraries, and anywhere you get your books. ( )

Greek crime thriller

A tale of murder, deceit and drug company perfidy set in the Greek Isles, more particularly Ikaria. Maggie Sikestis, whizz assistant to Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis returns to the island of her birth for her grandmother’s funeral. Something is off. Maggie discovers that more than is probable of the island’s elderly, some over one hundred years old, have died, despite surviving Covid. All appear to have strange bruises. Something’s very wrong and Maggie is determined to discover what, despite a near death experience. Links will form from corrupt drug enforcement agents to international players. I wasn’t surprised by the revelation of the culprits. Despite that, this still made for a sturdy read.

A Poisoned Pen ARC via NetGalley ( )

I must have been in the perfect mood for One Last Chance because as I began to read it felt as though I were coming home-- and I was thrilled that the book centered around one of my favorite characters, Andreas Kaldis's indispensable and indomitable assistant Maggie. Maggie was long overdue for her starring role.

Having read all of Jeffrey Siger's books in this excellent series, I have to say that I think this one may be my favorite, and part of the reason for this is its setting. I found the landscape, culture, and history of Ikaria-- "the island where people forget to die"-- absolutely fascinating. I could go on to tell you about it in detail, but I'd rather have you read about it yourself.

I found the bad guy rather easy to point out, but the real mystery was what that bad guy was up to which led to a can of worms: people trying to make their fortunes off the pandemic as well as China targeting Greece as its primary gateway to the European Union. You learn a lot about Greece, its history, and its place in Europe through reading Siger's books, so you're getting more than just an entertaining story.

This fast-paced tale leaped off to a roaring start and kept me firmly in the shotgun seat of a forty-year-old Land Rover Defender-- yikes! Watch out for that pumpkin patch! I liked how the two very different investigations came together and the way that they proved justice can come in many forms.

You can read One Last Chance as a standalone if you're wanting to test the waters, but don't be surprised if you find yourself looking for the rest of the books in the series. Then you, too, will know why I consider Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis and his crew part of my family.

(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley) ( )