The Devil Takes Half: (1 Greek Islands Mysteries)

In this "impressive" Library Journal Best Summer Debut, the peace of a Greek island paradise is broken by a brutal murder and a sinister mystery (Publishers Weekly). On the idyllic Greek Island of Chios, an archeological dig uncovers a severed hand lying in a blood-filled trench. Perhaps it belongs to Eleni Argentis, the archeologist who recently disappeared with her assistant, Petros. The local police chief, Yiannis Patronas, suspects they found something of real value. But his search turns up nothing but handfuls of broken clay . . . and Petros's body. Then the worst is confirmed: Eleni's remains are found on a remote beach. Yiannis's investigation reveals a gallery of relations, lovers and competitors who may have had motive to commit murder. But the question remains: what did Eleni find . . . and how much further is the killer willing to go for it? In her gripping debut, "Serafim's dense prose is perfect for lovers of literary and scholarly mysteries. Her plotting is methodical and traditional, with subtle nods to Sherlock Holmes, Greek mythology, and historical events" (Library Journal, starred review).

About the Author :
Leta Serafim graduated from George Washington University in DC with a degree in political science and Russian studies. While in college, Leta worked at the Washington Post, writing obituaries and doing research for the national desk, and later joining the staff of the Los Angeles Times Washington Bureau. Following her marriage to a Greek national, Philip Serafim, Leta moved to Athens. When she moved back to the United States seven years later, she wrote for local papers and the Boston Globe. After her mother began to lose her sight from glaucoma, she began designing and launching multiple media campaigns to increase public awareness of this disease. Leta spends at least one month every year in Greece and has visited over twenty-five islands. The Devil Takes Half is her first novel and the first book in the Greek Islands Mystery series. Coffeetown Press published her work of historical fiction, To Look on Death No More. You can find Leta online at www.letaserafim.com.

Review :
"[An] impressive debut. . . . Serafim has a good eye for people and places, and sheds light on the centuries of violent passion that have created an oppressive atmosphere hanging over the sunny Greek landscape." --Publishers Weekly "The Greeks have a word for it, and in this fast-paced, delightful mystery, that word is murder . . . The real buried treasure is pure pleasure in Serafim's debut novel." --Mary Daheim, author of the Alpine and Bed & Breakfast mystery series