Thank You, Bouchercon, and Hello Book Tour

Jeff—Saturday

In an homage of sorts to Murder is Everywhere coming into being at a Bouchercon World Mystery Convention some half-dozen years back, during Bouchercon week (this year held in New Orleans) we get to put up our favorite posts from the past. It also allows us to spend more productive time at the convention hotel’s bar.

As it just so happens, ten days ago was the release date for my new Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis book, Santorini Caesars, and tomorrow marks the end of my second—and I promised Barbara my final—term as Chair of the National Board of Bouchercon.

So, instead of repeating a past post, I thought I’d instead take this opportunity to reflect on the past by thanking those I’ve served with on the Bouchercon National Board for their support and friendship in making my two years as National Chair a truly remarkable experience.

Yes, that's Zoë in the front row once again laughing at me.

To all these wonderful, all volunteer Bouchercon Board mates of mine, a sincere thank you from the very bottom of my deep, dark, murder-loving heart:

Al Abramson

JD Allen

Mike Bursaw

Stacey Cochran

Oline Cogdill

Janet Costello

Michele Drier

Heather Graham

Kim Hammond

Rae James

Jon Jordan

Ruth Jordan

Ali Karim

Don Longmuir

Dave Magayna

Erin Mitchell

Margory Mogg

Helen Nelson

Connie Perry

Carol Puckett

John Purcell

B.G. Ritts

Janet Rudolph

Stan Ulrich

Ingrid Willis   

And a heartfelt special shout out of thanks to our MIE blog mate Susan Spann for the extraordinarily generous donation of her time and prodigious legal talent in service to Bouchercon’s Board and General Membership.  

As for the plug for my new book, here’s the plotline of Santorini Caesars in a nutshell:

When a young demonstrator is publicly assassinated in the heart of protest-charged Athens, the motive is murky and the array of suspects immense.  Kaldis’ investigation leads him and his team to beautiful Santorini, and a hush-hush gathering of the Caesars, a cadre of Greece’s top military leaders seeking to form their own response to the crises facing their country. Is it a coup d’état or something else?  The answer is by no means clear, but the case resonates with political dimensions, and as international intrigues evolve, the threat of another—far more dramatic—assassination looms ever more real.

And here are a few blurbs from reviews picked at random (as if even I believe that):

“As always, Siger provides readers with an action-packed plot, well-developed characters with lots of attitude, breathtaking Greek scenery, and a perceptive take on the current political and economic problems affecting Greece. International-crime fans need to be reading this consistently strong series.” —Booklist

“While British and Scandinavian authors tend to dominate the conversation about European crime writing, there are some very fine authors operating in other continental locales… Greece is packed with tourist hotspots. Thanks to Wall Street lawyer turned crime scribe Jeffrey Siger, it's also home to a superb modern-day mystery series… starring Chief Inspector Kaldis and his likable team of Greek cops.” — Craig Sisterson

“Riveting story… bridging the social climate in Greece into the narrative…boasts great dialogue, a likable cast, good camaraderie and an intriguing plot that was masterly accomplished.” —Dru’s Book Musings

“Siger the Soothsayer has the uncanny knack of foreseeing chaos in the beautiful country that is Greece and then writing about it in such a way that readers see and hear and taste and feel that turmoil… and if you're wondering, the Greeks themselves love his books... I never miss one of Jeffrey Siger's books. Never!”—Kittling Books

“Jeffrey Siger's books may be set in Greece, but they deal with the world's problems as well...It's a message to the world.” —Lesa Holstine

“[W]ill keep readers on the edge of their seats, while chuckling at the antics of Kaldis's temperamental secretary. Part of a series not to be missed.”—Shelf Awareness

“Put this one at the top of your reading list… As the plot unfolded, I could imagine it actually happening…(and hope it’s not). You 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.” —WindyCity Greek

Now, on to my post-Bouchercon tour schedule through the end of 2016. The 2017 tour dates and other additions will be posted as scheduled on my website under EVENTS 

Sunday, September 25, 2016 @ 2:00 PM

Sparta Public Library

22 Woodport Road

Sparta NJ 07871

Monday, October 10, 2016 @ 7:00 PM

(with Michael Kahn and Reavis Wortham)

A Celebration of Poisoned Pen Press

St. Louis County Library—Auditorium

1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd,

St. Louis, MO 63131

Saturday, October 15, 2016 @ 2:00 PM

(with Mark Pryor)

POISONED PEN BOOKSTORE

4014 N. Goldwater Blvd., Suite 101

Scottsdale, AZ 85251

Sunday, October 16, 2016 @ 2:00 PM:

CLUES UNLIMITED

3154 East Fort Lowell Road

Tucson, AZ 85716

Tuesday, October 18, 2016  @ 7:00 PM:

TATTERED COVER

2526 East Colfax Avenue

Denver, CO 80206

Thursday, October 20, 2016 @ 7:00 PM:

MYSTERIOUS BOOKSHOP

58 Warren Street

New York, NY 10007

Friday, November 11, 2016 @ 7:00 PM:

MYSTERY LOVERS BOOKSHOP

514 Allegheny River Boulevard

Pittsburgh, PA 15139

Thursday-Sunday, November 17-20, 2016

ICELAND NOIR

The Nordic House

Reykjavik, Iceland

That should be more than enough BSP for 2016.  Except of course for touting SUNSHINE NOIR (edited by MIE’s own Annamaria Alfieri and Michael Stanley)—now available in paperback—a not to be missed anthology that has Nordic Noir types shuddering in their frozen tundra boots.

See you in 2017 with Kaldis #9!

—Jeff

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