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cornerofmadness's review against another edition
3.0
I won an ARC from Goodreads (which doesn't impact my review) and the way it's listed in GR, I thought it was the first book in a new series but actually it's several books into a series. Luckily, as with many mystery series, you often get enough of the back story to catch up. In this case, not so much but that's because of how the detective Hermes Diaktoros is presented. We're rarely that deep into his head. He's almost a vehicle for the story telling, almost an outsider in a sense.
I'm not sure who he works for (he neatly dodges that question in the story) and he definitely feels like a nod to Hercule Poirot and Nero Wolf with his quirky affectations and his weight. In fact the author chooses a strange way of handling Hermes's scenes, which adds to that distance the reader has from him. He is never referred to by his name in exposition. He is only ever called 'the fat man.' I'm not sure I liked that, even though I did like the character.
The mystery is slow to unfold sort of echoing the slow paced small Greek island it is set on. Hermes is visiting this island whose one claim to fame is the Lady of Sorrows icon, the miracles she (Mary) grants and the legend of how the icon painter transfers his skills to his eldest son magically at the end of his life. Hermes, because his father was a collector, realizes some things about this icon and calls in a friend who is a specialist. The icon is a both a fake and Russian, not Greek in origin.
Then the icon painter dies mysteriously and Hermes is left with an island full of secrets, especially held by the family in charge of maintaining the Lady's church.
I did enjoy the story and would like to see more of this series.
I'm not sure who he works for (he neatly dodges that question in the story) and he definitely feels like a nod to Hercule Poirot and Nero Wolf with his quirky affectations and his weight. In fact the author chooses a strange way of handling Hermes's scenes, which adds to that distance the reader has from him. He is never referred to by his name in exposition. He is only ever called 'the fat man.' I'm not sure I liked that, even though I did like the character.
The mystery is slow to unfold sort of echoing the slow paced small Greek island it is set on. Hermes is visiting this island whose one claim to fame is the Lady of Sorrows icon, the miracles she (Mary) grants and the legend of how the icon painter transfers his skills to his eldest son magically at the end of his life. Hermes, because his father was a collector, realizes some things about this icon and calls in a friend who is a specialist. The icon is a both a fake and Russian, not Greek in origin.
Then the icon painter dies mysteriously and Hermes is left with an island full of secrets, especially held by the family in charge of maintaining the Lady's church.
I did enjoy the story and would like to see more of this series.
elainejseghni's review against another edition
3.0
A gentle mystery with a whiff of ouzo and a dash of sunshine...untaxing way to pass a lay summer afternoon..
junes64's review against another edition
3.0
A gentle mystery with a whiff of ouzo and a dash of sunshine...untaxing way to pass a lay summer afternoon..
julan1027's review against another edition
4.0
Hermes, known primarily in the story as The Fat Man, has stopped by a Greek Island to look at a local icon. When he suspects a forgery he contacts an art specialist. Planning to pass the issue on to her and go on his way, The Fat Man's departure is delayed when he starts to suspect that the local painter of icons did not die naturally.
I found the writing very engaging; it felt like I was in Greece. The author was especially gifted at describing sites and sounds and smells. Character development wasn't quite as strong. It certainly wasn't a typical mystery. There were really no clues. The Fat Man just deduced things or saw things that he didn't share with the reader which made it impossible to try to solve the mystery. Normally that would bother me, but I enjoyed the trip to Greece.
I found the writing very engaging; it felt like I was in Greece. The author was especially gifted at describing sites and sounds and smells. Character development wasn't quite as strong. It certainly wasn't a typical mystery. There were really no clues. The Fat Man just deduced things or saw things that he didn't share with the reader which made it impossible to try to solve the mystery. Normally that would bother me, but I enjoyed the trip to Greece.
geekmom's review against another edition
3.5
This was… fine. Easy to read with lovely descriptions of the Greek islands, the beautiful scenery and delicious food. But the mystery was revealed in a way that didn’t feel very satisfying- not enough info was provided to let the reader have much of a chance of working things out on their own. And the characters feel one dimensional. Also the detective is referred to throughout as “the fat man” which is just grating and unpleasant.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Racial slurs, and Grief
Minor: Incest and Vomit
kenzee06's review against another edition
3.0
*I won this book in a GoodReads First Reads Giveaway*
This book has a very strange flow to it. It moves rather slowly and seemingly at random. However, if you can push past the beginning of this book, it actually gets interesting. It seems like everyone has a secret, and I honestly didn't suspect (most of) what was going on until the very end. The book provided very long descriptions about the different parts of the islands, and the people who inhabited it, which I like in a book but others might find tedious.
I will admit the style makes me less inclined to pick up another book by this author (seriously, please stop referring to the main character as simply "the fat man"!), which is a shame because the mystery was intriguing.
This book has a very strange flow to it. It moves rather slowly and seemingly at random. However, if you can push past the beginning of this book, it actually gets interesting. It seems like everyone has a secret, and I honestly didn't suspect (most of) what was going on until the very end. The book provided very long descriptions about the different parts of the islands, and the people who inhabited it, which I like in a book but others might find tedious.
I will admit the style makes me less inclined to pick up another book by this author (seriously, please stop referring to the main character as simply "the fat man"!), which is a shame because the mystery was intriguing.
steverrread's review against another edition
4.0
Great prose and plot. As Alexander McCall Smith mentions ‘a gorgeous treat’ like one of those ‘honey soaked Greek confections’!
Anne Zouroudi’s inimitable detective Hermes Diaktoros comes across forgery, betrayal and superstition …. and the consequences of an all consuming rage on a remote Greek island.
Anne Zouroudi’s inimitable detective Hermes Diaktoros comes across forgery, betrayal and superstition …. and the consequences of an all consuming rage on a remote Greek island.
edensgarden's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
bev_reads_mysteries's review against another edition
3.0
The Lady of Sorrows by Anne Zouroudi is a slightly off-beat mystery. Yes, you have your standard murder. Yes, you have your detective investigating the mystery surrounding the murder as well as discovering the identity of the murderer. But the detective is not so much interested in bringing evil-doers to official justice as he is in seeing true justice achieved.
Hermes Diakotoros, our intrepid investigator, stops by a remote Greek island while on a boat journey to take care of undisclosed business. He has always wanted to take a peek at the religious icon lodged on the island--a painting of the Virgin known as "The Lady of Sorrows." But once he views the famous icon, he becomes convinced that the lady is a fake and calls upon a friend in who serves as a governmental art adviser to come and confirm or allay his fears. When she seconds his opinion on the icon, he is all set to leave the situation in her capable hands and continue on his journey until the island's current icon painter is found dead in his fishing boat--poisoned.
Has someone taken revenge on the painter--knowing that if the lady is a fake and has been replaced with such a convincing replica that his must have been the hands to paint her? Or are there deeper secrets on the island? Kiakotoros finds himself searching not only for the murderer but for clues to what happened to the missing lady. And he will discover forgery, betrayal, superstition, and a long-burning rage that might consume them all.
With all the local color and detailed descriptions, Zouroudi's novel could be called a cozy. But the motives that lie beneath the surface of the crime are just a bit darker than those found in the average cozy. She weaves a good story and the justice that Diakotoros dispenses at the end of the novel is very satisfying indeed. Strong points also include characterization, descriptions of the island and Mediterranean summer, and the explanation of the motives behind the murder. The weakest point for a classic mystery lover like myself is that the identity of the murderer is no secret. From the moment the icon painter is found dead, there really isn't any reason for the reader to not know who did it. It will take Diakotoros a little bit to hear all the witnesses and gather up the clues...but it's all right there for the reader who has seen the entire story as it unfolds. A bit more suspense on that front would have increased the rating...as it is: three stars.
This was first posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
Hermes Diakotoros, our intrepid investigator, stops by a remote Greek island while on a boat journey to take care of undisclosed business. He has always wanted to take a peek at the religious icon lodged on the island--a painting of the Virgin known as "The Lady of Sorrows." But once he views the famous icon, he becomes convinced that the lady is a fake and calls upon a friend in who serves as a governmental art adviser to come and confirm or allay his fears. When she seconds his opinion on the icon, he is all set to leave the situation in her capable hands and continue on his journey until the island's current icon painter is found dead in his fishing boat--poisoned.
Has someone taken revenge on the painter--knowing that if the lady is a fake and has been replaced with such a convincing replica that his must have been the hands to paint her? Or are there deeper secrets on the island? Kiakotoros finds himself searching not only for the murderer but for clues to what happened to the missing lady. And he will discover forgery, betrayal, superstition, and a long-burning rage that might consume them all.
With all the local color and detailed descriptions, Zouroudi's novel could be called a cozy. But the motives that lie beneath the surface of the crime are just a bit darker than those found in the average cozy. She weaves a good story and the justice that Diakotoros dispenses at the end of the novel is very satisfying indeed. Strong points also include characterization, descriptions of the island and Mediterranean summer, and the explanation of the motives behind the murder. The weakest point for a classic mystery lover like myself is that the identity of the murderer is no secret. From the moment the icon painter is found dead, there really isn't any reason for the reader to not know who did it. It will take Diakotoros a little bit to hear all the witnesses and gather up the clues...but it's all right there for the reader who has seen the entire story as it unfolds. A bit more suspense on that front would have increased the rating...as it is: three stars.
This was first posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
exurbanis's review against another edition
4.0
(A Seven Deadly Sins Mystery) by Anne Zouroudi (Fiction, Mystery, Series)
This is the fourth in the Hermes Diaktoros series which opened with such a bang for me in January 2015.
Amazon says: “A painter is found dead at sea off the coast of a remote Greek island. The painter’s work, an icon of the Virgin long famed for its miraculous powers, has just been uncovered as a fake. But has the painter died of natural causes or by a wrathful hand?”
The mystery in this episode just didn’t come together for me, but I did still enjoy the outing with Hermes, and will continue with the series.
3½ stars
This is the fourth in the Hermes Diaktoros series which opened with such a bang for me in January 2015.
Amazon says: “A painter is found dead at sea off the coast of a remote Greek island. The painter’s work, an icon of the Virgin long famed for its miraculous powers, has just been uncovered as a fake. But has the painter died of natural causes or by a wrathful hand?”
The mystery in this episode just didn’t come together for me, but I did still enjoy the outing with Hermes, and will continue with the series.
3½ stars