The Silver Stain

Set against a glorious Greek background, the spellbinding new Alex Mavros mystery - Hired by a Hollywood film company to trace a missing employee in Crete, private investigator Alex Mavros is plunged into a vortex of hatred. The company is shooting a movie about the invasion of Crete by the Germans in 1941 – and their activities are stirring up old resentments among the islanders. The bitterness of the past bursts into the present when one of the film’s consultants is found dead, hanged by the neck. Suicide – or murder? Mavros investigates and is drawn into an ever-widening conspiracy.From BooklistScottish Greek PI Alex Mavros specializes in locating the missing. His latest case takes him to Crete, where an American film crew is making a movie about the Nazi invasion of the island during WWII. A young Greek American woman, Maria Kondos, personal assistant to the star, Cara Parks, has disappeared. The police have been less than helpful, so the film’s director hires Alex to find the missing woman. Ensconced with the film crew at a luxury resort built by a former German officer who stayed in Greece after the war, Alex learns that the film is bringing up old memories of wartime horrors. Then one of the film’s local consultants is found dead. Murder or suicide? Alex’s ongoing investigation uncovers a huge conspiracy involving drug smuggling, antiquity theft, and revenge. With plenty of action, wisecracking characters, and a beautiful setting, this one is likely to please a wide range of mystery readers. --Barbara Bibel