Andreas Kaldis Marches on the Czech Republic...and Beyond

Jeff—Saturday

A preliminary note to the following post I’d written before the tragedy in France:  Living as I do in a glittering international tourist destination, where people from around the world come to escape the day-to-day reality of their lives, my thoughts cannot help but run to the people of Nice who sought similar relief a night ago—and the “what ifs” we all share in a world besieged by terrorist madness.  There are not enough prayers to cover the grieving, but I shall say them anyway.

Amen.

*****

Usually, we exercise our once a year blatant self-promotion right (aka BSP) on Murder is Everywhere to announce our latest book, but this year I’m doing something different. Yes, I still have a new book, SANTORINI CAESARS, coming out in my Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis series on September 6^th from Poisoned Pen Press—just in time for Bouchercon—but something a bit different is underway that I thought I’d share with you.

Don’t misunderstand me, I’m very excited about the new book, and though reviews are just beginning to come in, the ones that have are terrific. For example, the praise offered by Kirkus Reviews also serves as a wonderful thumbnail sketch of the plot line: 

“When the black-sheep daughter of a high-ranking Greek military officer is brutally murdered, the motive is murky and the array of suspects immense… Andreas Kaldis is called to the beautiful Cycladic island of Santorini to investigate…The case resonates with…possible political dimensions…and unfortunately, all roads seem to lead to the imperious prime minister…a timely plot…and engaging.”

And the highly regarded Greek-American publication, WindyCity Greek, is about to release a review telling its readers…

“Put this one at the top of your reading list…[Jeff’s] incredibly tuned-in to the idiosyncrasies of modern Greece…The story is very well-conceived and believable. You’ll start to wonder if it’s really going to happen (and hope it’s not), and won’t be able to put it down. Jeffrey Siger does not disappoint. I don’t know how he does it; each book is better than the last.”

Yes, I’m blushing. 

But what’s really grabbed me enough to use up my yearly allotment of BSP is the novel (no pun intended) efforts of my European Film agent.  He’s a true friend and—in every positive sense of the word—a unique character.  His background can best be described as highly classified, while his dedication to me as nigh on certifiable. :)

Without any background in “the business” he successfully brought me to within striking distance of a deal that had Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis succeeding Donna Leon’s Venice-based Commisario Brunetti on German Television.  It fell through at the last minute when the Greek Government decided to start casting World War II aspersions on the German people, and the network decided Greece was no longer the direction to go with their series. In other words, I was an early casualty of the Greek Financial Crisis.

But through it all, my agent’s kept the faith, and this week I learned I’m featured in the much-read business and government publication, Czech & Slovak Leaders, detailing his efforts at forming a consortium to bring my series to the screen (See, top of this post).  To me it seems a highly unusual—and imaginative—approach, but utterly in keeping with his outside-the-box style of thinking. And based upon his track record in all that he’s done in life, I don’t dare bet against him. 

I just wonder whether this means I’ll have to add Czech to the long list of languages I don’t speak very well. 

—Jeff