Enough Already About Mykonos!

 

Saturday–Jeff

 

Have you been following the hatchet-job of bad news and piling-on raging across the Internet and much of the western media about my adopted home of Mykonos?  I don’t like it, and do not wish to “give legs” to those tales, but nor can I leave such targeted rumor mongering unanswered.

 

Practically everywhere you turn someone is offering a curated agenda of reasons for blasting this legendary Aegean Greek island’s iconic draw for tourist dreams world-wide. If you believe all that’s written, during tourist season my island is a traffic jammed, mafia controlled, violent, robbery prone, drug enhanced, politically corrupt, sexually promiscuous, outrageously expensive, over-developed, wild 24/7 party scene overrun each day by behemoth cruise boats filled with tens of thousands of tourists who rarely contribute more than the price of a bottle of water to the local economy.

 

Hmm, sounds a lot like the fictional setting for my tenth Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis novel, The Mykonos Mob (aka Island of Secrets in trade paperback).

 

That’s quite an impressive checklist for a modest island of 11,000 full time residents to achieve.  If true, it puts Mykonos right up there with some of the free world’s most appealing tourist attractions, such as Manhattan, LA, Chicago, Miami, Paris, the South of France, Brazil, London, Rome, Naples, various locales in Mexico…you get the idea.

 

Rightly or wrongly, any number of other tourism-driven locales appear anxious to achieve what they perceive as the “Mykonos Vibe” and the imagined financial benefits to be gained from such a bargain. 

 

I’m not suggesting that all claimed in the media about Mykonos is true or false or somewhere in-between, and I freely admit that I’m not fully happy at the direction Mykonos has taken over the 40 years that I’ve called it home, but finger-pointing, name calling, and exuberant schadenfreude is not the answer. Those sorts of responses only harden positions, raise defensive hackles on the accused, and change nothing.

 

The Telegraph

Let’s be realistic. The powerful and those seeking power will always search to capitalize on places and opportunities that will profit them.  The key is to separate the bad actors from the benevolent, the corrupt from the caring, and the opportunistic predators from the powerless oppressed. For that you need an alliance of the willing and strong government management.

 

If that can’t be achieved, then perhaps all that’s been written shall indeed come to pass.

 

So, let’s get to work.

 

–Jeff

An Aid to Finding Your Own Greek Island Paradise

 

Telendos, Southeast Aegean Sea

 

Saturday–Jeff

 

I can tell that Greece's tourist season is well under way from the number of questions I'm getting from friends, fans and frequent flier types seeking information on which Greek islands to visit. It's a daunting question because one person's paradise can be another's purgatory.  That's why any answer I offer is generally accompanied by this observation: If you don't like the island you're on, jump on a ferry and head to another because there so many of them."

 

My life on the recommendation front has become significantly simpler since coming across an article titled, "How Many Greek Islands Are There?" published a year ago by the team at the wonderful "GREECE IS" online magazine. Now, rather than reinventing the wheel, or listing a bibliography of several well regarded in depth sources, I simply refer to that article.

  

Today, I decided to spread the word in a post on Murder is Everywhere so that when asked THE question I can simply point to this post--a convenience that benefits us all.

 

So, here you have it, an unexpurgated copy of Greece Is's May 5, 2023 succinct overview of Greece's eight archipelagos groups comprised of roughly 6000 or so islands and islets, of which approximately 227 are inhabited.

 

The Greek islands are among the world’s most popular tourist destinations, but have you ever wondered how many there are? And how they're grouped?

 

Renowned for their rugged beauty, rich cultural heritage, and laidback way of life, the Greek islands have, in many ways, become synonymous with the country of Greece itself. After all, when people conjure up images of Greece, they often picture one of its many islands set against the sapphire blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea. But here’s the question: how many islands are there? And how are they grouped?

 

According to the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO), the country includes 6,000 islands and islets scattered across the Aegean and Ionian Seas, comprising a total land area of approximately 20,000 square kilometers. Of these, only around 227 are inhabited, with the rest being either uninhabited or periodically used for agriculture (including herding and grazing), fishing, and tourism.

 

The geography of the islands is varied, ranging from rocky and barren landscapes to lush, green forests and sandy beaches. Some of the islands are volcanic in origin, with Santorini being the most famous example. The majority of islands are relatively small, with only a few exceptions like Crete, which is the largest and most populous island in Greece (over 630,000 year-round inhabitants), and Evia (190,000), which is connected to the mainland via a short bridge.

Oia, Santorini. One of the world's most famous sunsets. ©Perikles Merakos

 

In terms of biomass, the Greek islands are home to a diverse range of flora and fauna. The Mediterranean climate of the islands is ideal for the growth of olives, citrus fruits, and grapevines, which are widely cultivated in the region, and have been for thousands of years. The islands are also home to a number of endemic species, including the Cretan goat (Kri-kri) and the famous mastic trees of Chios.

 

The Greek islands have been inhabited since prehistoric times, with evidence of earliest permanent settlements dating back to the Neolithic period in the 7th millennium BC, when early farmers migrated from the east. The prehistoric settlement of Poliochni, located on the east coast of Limnos in the North Aegean, is widely believed to be the oldest “city” in Europe. The ancient Greeks believed that the islands were home to a number of gods and goddesses, and they played an important role in Greek mythology. According to the late 8th-early 7th century BC poet Hesiod, the goddess of love, Aphrodite, was born from the “sea-foam” off Kythira, the southernmost Ionian island (another version of the myth says she was born off the coast of Paphos, Cyprus).

 

Today, the islands are among the world’s most popular tourist destinations, attracting millions of visitors each year with their picturesque landscapes, historic sites, and vibrant culture. Despite their popularity among tourists, many of the Greek islands retain their traditional way of life, with small fishing villages and farming communities still playing an important role in the local economy. Some of the smaller, less-visited islands offer a glimpse into this traditional way of life, with narrow streets, whitewashed buildings, and local festivals that celebrate the islands’ cultural heritage.

Hydra  ©Shutterstock

 

THE ISLAND GROUPS

 

The Greek islands are traditionally grouped into eight archipelagos, each with their own unique character.

 

ARGOSARONIC

 

Closest to Athens are the seven small islands of the Argolic and Saronic Gulfs, running down the eastern coastline of the Peloponnese. Grouped together as the “Argosaronic islands,” they consist of Salamina, Aegina, Agistri, Dokos, Poros, Hydra, and Spetses.

 

Home to picturesque villages and some wonderful beaches, the islands have become quite cosmopolitan over the years, attracting writers, artists and musicians. They have also become well known in the yachting world, Spetses hosting an annual regatta. Hydra has also famously banned all but a handful of “wheeled vehicles” on the island, including cars, motorbikes, and even bicycles (mules, donkeys, and sea taxis provide the only public transportation).

                Santorini ©Shutterstock

 

CYCLADES

 

The Cyclades, meaning “circular islands,” is arguably the most famous island complex in the Aegean, comprising some of the most beautiful (and romantic!) islands on the planet. The “flagship” of this archipelago, which consists of 220 mostly uninhabited islands and islets, is undoubtedly Santorini, famed for its stunning blue-domed churches, whitewashed buildings, and breathtaking views of the Aegean Sea. Other popular islands include Mykonos, known for its lively nightlife and picturesque windmills, Milos, for its mind-blowingly beautiful beaches, and Tinos, which is fast becoming a top destination for food-lovers.

Check out our A-to-Z Guide to the Cycladic islands here.

                                                    Balos Beach, Crete ©Shutterstock

 

CRETE

 

The largest Greek island by both area and population is Crete, which proudly stands alone in its own category, stretched out in the far south of the Aegean. Over the years, Crete has become a hugely popular destination for families and outdoor enthusiasts, offering everything from hiking trails, cycling and climbing, to swimming, snorkeling and windsurfing. Its rich cultural heritage, including the world famous Palace of Knossos, heart of the mysterious Bronze Age Minoan civilization, makes it the ideal destination for archaeology buffs. Crete is also a fabulous destination for foodies. It’s often said that Crete’s greatest treasure is its cuisine, which includes all kinds of weird and wonderful things like “burbling snails”!

The Street of Knights in Old Town of Rhodes ©Clairy Moustafellou

 

DODECANESE

 

Nestled in the southeast corner of the Aegean, touted by the GNTO as the “sunniest corner in Greece,” are the Dodecanese islands. This complex includes 15 larger islands (confusingly, the name Dodecanese means “twelve islands”) and 93 smaller, mostly uninhabited islets.

 

Home to some of the best beaches in Greece, as well as some of the country’s most spectacular historical monuments, the most famous island is Rhodes, known for its medieval Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The northernmost island of the group, Patmos, is renowned as the place where St. John wrote the Book of Revelations. Thanks to the venerable presence of the Monastery of St. John, the island has shunned the noisy night-life and madding crowds that have taken over elsewhere.

 

If you can’t decide whether you’d rather go to the mountains or the beach, then Karpathos is just the place for you. One of the most remote islands in the Dodecanese, it’s a place of contrasts, with lush green mountaintops and beaches with crystal-clear waters.

Check out our A-to-Z Guide to the Dodecanese islands here.

 

Lichadonisia, Evia ©Shutterstock

 

EVIA

 

Another stand-alone, Evia (or Euboea), Greece’s second largest island, doesn’t really feel like an island at all. Connected to the mainland by a suspension bridge over the narrow Euripus Strait (40m wide at its narrowest point), the elongated island, which means “land of the well-fed oxen,” nevertheless boasts some amazing beaches, rustic villages, and hiking trails, which meander through spectacular, rugged landscapes.

 

Popular with Athenians wanting to escape the city, one of the island’s chief attractions is its easy accessibility (no ferry required), as well as the fact that it flies under the radar of most foreign visitors. For those willing to explore this island, there are plenty of charming elements, no least its quiet coastal towns, with guesthouses, tavernas and promenades for leisurely walks.

Click here for a local’s guide to Evia.

                                                        Zakynthos  ©Shutterstock

 

IONIAN

 

Scattered off the western coastline of mainland Greece are the Ionian islands, comprising seven main islands (from north to south: Corfu, Paxi, Lefkada, Ithaki (Ithaca), Kefalonia, Zakynthos (Zante), and Kythira), and around 20 smaller, mainly uninhabited islets.

 

As cliché as it sounds, there is something for everyone in the Ionian islands, renowned for their beautiful natural landscapes, beaches, caves, waterfalls, and rich, historical traditions. The most famous is Corfu, the “grande dame” of the Ionian. From the narrow “kantounia” streets to the wide pavements, and from Spianada to the pedestrian street of Liston, reminiscent of San Marco square in Venice, the city of Corfu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, offers limitless visual appeal for history buffs and culture lovers.

 

Easy-to-get-to Lefkada, further south, can reached by simply driving across a causeway. Known for its wide sandy beaches and turquoise seas, Lefkada is a great destination for beginner sailors, thanks to its steady and predictable wind patterns. Zakynthos is a beautiful island that is known for its stunning Blue Caves and Shipwreck Beach, which are some of the most photographed spots in Greece. The island is also home to a variety of wildlife, including loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) and monk seals (Monachus monachus).

 

Click here for our whistle-stop guide to the Ionian islands.

Molivos, Lesvos   ©Shutterstock

 

NORTH AEGEAN

 

Within touching distance of Turkey, the loose group of islands in the North Aegean include seven principal islands (Samos, Ikaria, Chios, Lesvos, Limnos, Thasos, and Samothrace) and a cluster of smaller ones (including Aghios Efstratios, Psara, Fournoi,  Oinousses, Aghios Minas, Antipsara, Thymaina, and Samiopoula).

 

Famous for its citrus trees (amazing tangerines!) and mastic, Chios is a combination of many islands in one, boasting rustic villages and fragrant orchards that go on for miles. The complex is also home to the island of Ikaria, famed for its unspoiled beauty and traditional way of life of life. The islanders are also known for their longevity, with a staggeringly high percentage of centenarians among them. The large island of Lesvos is interesting for its architecture and exuberant gastronomy (olive oil, sardines, and the home of ouzo).

                                                                Skiathos  ©Shutterstock

 

SPORADES

 

The smallest archipelago of Greek islands is the (Northern) Sporades group, located along the east coast of the mainland and northeast of Evia. The tightly-packed group consists of 24 islands in total, but only four are permanently inhabited: Alonnisos, Skiathos, Skopelos and Skyros.

Boasting beautiful sandy beaches, luxury hotels, and protected bays filled with yachts, the Sporades are especially popular for families looking for that fun, hassle-free vacation by the sea. It’s also home to Mediterranean’s largest marine park – the National Marine Park of Alonissos Northern Sporades, established for the protection and conservation of the region’s many rare and endangered species of flora and fauna, including the reclusive Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus).

 

Click here for our bumper guide to the Sporades.

 

I hope this helps you to find your own bit of paradise in Greece.

 

––Jeff

 

A Looming Threat for the Greek Isles

 

Saturday––Jeff

“The combination of increased water consumption and prolonged drought is depleting resources in the Cyclades.”

That’s the headline of an in-depth investigative report by environmental reporter Giorgos Lialios, published yesterday in Ekathimerini, Greece’s newspaper of record.  It’s a subject I’ve observed firsthand for over a decade and listened even longer to locals openly worry over.  

What follows is Mr Lialios’ report.  The words are all his, not mine, but I know many of the islands mentioned well (no pun intended), what with my wife and I spending much time on many of them and my setting a half-dozen of my books on those islands.  I take his article as a call to action. We shall see.

Year after year, the pressure increases. On the one hand, there is the explosive growth of tourism, followed by an increase in consumption; on the other, there is drought. The small Aegean islands are preparing for the start of the tourist season with their reservoirs empty, their boreholes pumping brackish water, and an increasing dependence on desalination. The first victim of this difficult situation is what agricultural production is left on the islands, according to the doctrine of “water for the people first and then everything else.”

In 2023, rainfall in the Aegean will be limited for a third consecutive year. “Especially in the Cyclades and southern Crete, which are the areas with the least rainfall, 2023 was a bad year,” explains Kostas Lagouvardos, meteorologist and research director at the National Observatory of Athens. “The last good year for the Aegean was 2019, with a lot of rain in the east and south. Since then, rainfall has been below average. Especially in the Cyclades, where the rainy season lasts only five or six months, it only takes two bad years to create a problem.” In 2023 Andros received 363 millimeters of rain, compared to an average of 506 mm, Tinos received 299 mm, compared to an average of 330 mm, Naxos received 270 mm, compared to an average of 306 mm, and Ios received 195 mm, compared to an average of 285 mm. 

As a result, the Aegean islands are preparing for a difficult year. “The reservoirs on the islands are empty. Many islands will have problems this year. And the first victims will be crop growers and livestock breeders. If it doesn’t rain, there is no vegetation, so the farmer has to buy fodder. Last year the farmers of Naxos bought bales of clover from Bulgaria,” explains Ilias Nokas, head of the Directorate of South Aegean Water at the Decentralized Administration of the Aegean.

“Naxos has two dams. Last year they had 375,000 cubic meters of water, this year they have 30,000 cubic meters of water,” says Dimitris Lianos, mayor of the island. “We’re going to struggle this year. It’s not just tourism that’s important to us, but also agriculture and livestock farming. The first to be affected are the farmers. Potato farmers are already thinking of not planting this year because they will not be able to water their crops. It will be a difficult year for everyone. However, compared to most of the Cyclades islands, Naxos is still in a better position. “The island has water, we have two boreholes at a depth of 171 meters with very good quality water and the level has not dropped. What the island needs is a master plan for water supply. Unfortunately, because of localism, we cannot make more rational use of the water supply – some villages exploit springs and do not allow others to be supplied with water. The town of Naxos now has a desalination plant. We also need irrigation networks and targeted policies for farmers and livestock farmers so that they do not give up; the primary sector is our added value.”

Mykonos

On islands where meeting the needs of tourism is the only priority, empty reservoirs aggravate an already difficult situation. Mykonos is a typical example. “The Municipal Water Supply and Sewerage Company of Mykonos has two dams and two desalination plants to supply water to the island,” explains the company’s chairman, Dimitris Lazaridis. “The Marathi dam, with a capacity of 3 million cubic meters, and the Ano Mera dam, with a capacity of 1 million cubic meters, are almost empty due to the continuous drought, and they are not being used.”

Drought is not the only problem. The Aegean islands have seen a surge in tourism in recent years, with a corresponding increase in water consumption. A typical example of the gradual increase in water consumption is the arid island of Santorini. According to data from the Municipal Enterprise for Water Supply and Sewerage (DEYA) of Thera, a decade ago (2013), water consumption on the island reached about 929,000 cubic meters. In 2023, it reached 2.36 million cubic meters of water (an increase of 13.8% compared to the previous year).

The huge increase in consumption is also reflected in the other “flagship” of the Cyclades, Mykonos.

According to data from the Mykonos DEYA, the consumption of water in 2020 (year of quarantine) was 955,505 cubic meters, in 2021 it increased to 1,174,254 cubic meters (+22.9%), in 2022 to 1,513,068 cubic meters (+28.8%), and reached 1,618,069 cubic meters in 2023 (+7%). In other words, if we consider that 2020 was not an ordinary year due to Covid-19, water consumption on Mykonos will increase by 37.8% in two years (from 2021 to 2023). “Moreover, the DEYA data does not reflect the whole picture, as 40% of the island is not covered by the water supply network. The total water consumption of the island is estimated at 2.5-3 million cubic meters per year,” Nokas said. “Like many islands, Mykonos is a place where people build where they want and then meet their needs either with private boreholes – which are overpumped, resulting in poor quality water – or by buying water. However, the increase in consumption also affects the areas that have networks because they are not properly designed. On Mykonos, for example, the network was originally built to serve only Hora, the island capital, and now supports all the outlying areas without any specifications. The island’s biological treatment plant, which was designed for a population equivalent of 50,000 and serves over 100,000 in the summer, has a similar problem. Everything is operating at capacity.”

Challenges

The administrative structure – i.e. the division of responsibilities for water – does not help the situation. Water management on the Greek islands is governed by a complex and deficient system. In the most organized cases, there is a municipal water and sewerage company responsible for the network and water production. In the less organized cases, the water is managed by an agency within the local municipality. The licensing and control of private wells, either for water supply or irrigation, drilled outside the network, is the responsibility of the water directorates of the decentralized administrations, where one or two people are called upon to manage everything. Finally, the regions have water management departments that deal with inspections and complaints.

“When it comes to water consumption, tourism has the last word,” says Nokas. Desalination is not enough. In Ermoupoli, on the island of Syros, when the first plant was built, it had a capacity of 1,200 cubic meters, and today it has reached 5,000 cubic meters, and it is still not enough. Moreover, with the increase in energy costs, the island’s DEYA, which a few years ago had a reserve of 1 million euros, is now 5 million euros in the red, which it cannot pass on to the water bills, since water is already very expensive. According to the Ministry of the Environment and Energy, there are currently 31 desalination plants in operation in the Cyclades and another 15 in the Dodecanese.

Illegal drilling

The problems are not confined to the Cyclades. On Skiathos, which is supplied exclusively by boreholes, the underground water level is falling every year. “The peculiarity of Skiathos is that we have water, the island is self-sufficient. The town of Skiathos is supplied by five municipal wells, while hotels and private individuals on the island have their own wells. In addition, since the water from the central well is no longer potable, we have installed 25 public taps in the town with potable water from another source,” says Ioannis Sarris, director of the Skiathos DEYA.

“The DEYA has no authority to license or control the wells. It has no idea what quantities are being pumped. We have done the best we can – in recent years we have replaced almost the entire internal water supply network and significantly reduced losses. What worries us is that every year the level of the water in the boreholes goes down, and the reserves tend to go down. At the same time, actual consumption is increasing due to tourism. A serious problem is illegal drilling – on Skiathos we have more than 2,000 illegal boreholes. In my opinion, especially on islands where the water comes from an enclosed area, the water should be controlled by the community as a whole and not piecemeal.” According to the Department of Hydroeconomics of the Regional Unit of Magnesia and the Sporades, 238 applications for private wells have been submitted for Skiathos, 11 for Skopelos and five for Alonissos.

“Our island has the peculiarity of being big and small at the same time,” notes Kalymnos Mayor Yannis Mastrokoukos. “Although we are small in area, we have a permanent population of 17,000. This means that we have a significant demand for water throughout the year. It’s not just about tourism, as our own attitude toward water has changed: in terms of using it for cleaning, watering gardens, filling swimming pools… things that were unthinkable two generations ago, when people had learned to live with much less water.” The island is currently supplied mainly by boreholes, and there is a desalination plant for the northern part of the island which is popular with tourists.

He concludes: “The underground reserves are running out and we are now forced to turn to desalination as well. There is already a tender being prepared, funded by the Ministry of the Interior, for the supply of three small desalination plants and another by the Regional Authority of the South Aegean for a large plant for the town of Kalymnos. Of course, desalination is not a panacea. Ideally, if we could expand the use of renewables to meet the demand and make up for grid leakage, it would be more viable as an option.” 

Let’s see what happens.

 

––Jeff

Write What You *Want* To Know Part II: Sailing in the Greek Islands

Zoë Sharp

The last few days I’ve been coming down from the buzz of Bouchercon in Toronto and getting back into the writing of the prequel to the Charlie Fox series. All this is being done from a lovely apartment I’ve borrowed via a friend of a friend up in the Washington Heights district of New York City.

But more about that next time.

I wanted to finish off the exploration of my trip from last month, around the Greek Islands. No, I didn’t travel to the areas that have a problem with the ongoing migrant crisis. It would no doubt have been a highly motivating experience, but heartbreaking at the same time.

I’m still trying to get a little more under the skin of the area, where sailing can go from flat calm waters one moment …

  

… to wild weather warnings the next. Just before I got out there, the people I joined experienced a mammoth hailstorm and had ended up dragging their anchor right out of a bay and into the main channel.

Mind you, we also began to drag when anchored in a very sheltered bay with little wind. Sitting in a little café on the quay having lunch, we began to realise that the boat was gradually getting further away than it had been. Never has a restaurant bill been paid so quickly.

The best way to ensure you’re not going anywhere is to take lines ashore. Doing this usually involves throwing a crew member (guess who?) over the side to swim them to a suitable making-off point. Much easier than messing around in a dinghy, providing there are no sea urchins lurking amid the rocks.

I remain fascinated with boat names, and how they came about. Take this one: Angela. Who is or was she?

Going ashore in different places so often means finding amazing derelict buildings. This one, with its intricate ironwork balcony, overlooked a beautiful harbour. You would have thought it was in a prime location and would therefore not have been left to run slowly to ruin. You have to wonder at the story behind the place.

And even more so at the interior, which had this little boat inside. Some considerable effort must have been expended to haul the boat up there and wriggle it inside through the narrow doorway. Question is, why?

Small business is rife in the islands, with just about anything available to purchase from the back of a pickup truck. In this case, the traditionally black-clad ladies were selling fish and vegetables.

The ingenuity continued in this harbour-front bar, where all the furniture had been made out of old pallets. Or, alternatively, it had been very expensively crafted to look as if it had been made out of old pallets. Don’t know how comfortable it was, as I didn’t stop. When you’re on a yacht you tend to be looking for the cafés with good Wi-Fi and plenty of power sockets to recharge your laptop.

All the tourists leave behind them a lot of litter, most of which seems to end up in landfill alongside the Lefkas canal. It was one of the few places we saw seagulls in any numbers.

Lefkas itself was a fascinating town, with some of the construction of the buildings similar to the Caribbean, with corrugated tin over a timber frame.

Once you get away from the main tourist areas, the houses line narrow paved streets of low-level housing, crammed in cheek-by-jowl with little room for outside space or gardens. It has the feel of an upmarket favela.

Elsewhere in the islands, green spaces are surprisingly abundant. Wild olive trees, some of them of advanced age, are everywhere.

And, of course, the ubiquitous island cats. They are numerous and beautiful.

Some of the cats have the tourists well worked out. This one was begging at our restaurant table. Cats are good hunters, and normally I’d let them take care of themselves rather than encourage them and see them chased away as a nuisance But he was so lame I took pity on him.

At the end of the trip, the boat was hauled onto the hard for the winter. If this yard is anything like the others I’ve spent time in, some of these boats will never move from one season to the next. You have to wonder what the story is of their owners.

A feature of most marinas is the book-swap shelf in the office. This one had all kinds of books in half a dozen different languages. I like to play ‘spot the author friends’ and managed one or two here.

Why is it that your last night always puts on a spectacular sunset to make the end of the trip seem so much more poignant than it might otherwise have been?

This week’s Word of the Week is not one that’s in very common use … as yet, but a part of me hopes it will be. It’s Harveyed, meaning to have been the victim of sexual harassment, particularly at the hands (or other parts for that matter) of someone in a position of professional power. Needless to say, it has been taken from a certain Mr Weinstein, who may well find his lasting legacy is a word in the language akin to boycott or lynch. As Shakespeare said, “The evil that men do lives after them.”

Upcoming Events

On Wednesday, October 25^th at 6:30pm I’ll be at The Mysterious Bookshop at 58 Warren Street, New York, NY 10007 with fellow author John Lawton. We’ll be talking about the inspiration behind our latest books, FOX HUNTER and FRIENDS AND TRAITORS, including what makes a spy, and how I got from the hazing of trainees at the Deep Cut army base to looted antiquities in the Middle East.