Death in the Aegean by M. A. Monnin
When private banker Stefanie Adams takes a much-needed vacation to the Greek isles, vowing to embrace opportunities as they come, instead of finding romance and adventure she is suspected of murdering a bride who accused her deceased father of artifact theft. Unfortunately, the newlywed’s accusation also ties Stefanie, a former archaeology student, to the robbery of a newly discovered Minoan statue, the golden Akrotiri Snake Goddess.
With two high-profile crimes to solve, Greek police are under pressure, and both crimes lead straight to Stefanie. To avoid Greek prison and maintain her career, Stefanie must identify which of her fellow travelers is the real killer.
Between the light-fingered backpacker with an eye on the bride’s jewelry, the travel blogger whose career the dead woman ruined, a flirtatious German tourist who is after more than romance, and the long-suffering bridegroom, Stefanie’s task won’t be easy. Everyone, it seems, had a motive for wanting to see the last of Emma Keller.
Stefanie’s investigation entangles her in a web of danger and intrigue, international crime and long-buried secrets. When she herself becomes a target, Stefanie doesn’t know who to trust. As charming Thomas Burkhardt warns, Where Greed Leads, Murder Follows...
About the author
M. A. Monnin has been a traveler all her life, living in West Germany, The Netherlands, Spain, and England. An avocational archaeologist, she attributes her fascination with archaeology to her childhood in Germany, where she visited medieval churches, castles, and villages. Her short stories have appeared in anthologies and Black Cat Mystery Magazine, and her nonfiction articles cover Victorian reception of Ancient Egypt, detective fiction, and gardening. A board member of the Midwest Chapter of MWA, Mary is also a member of ITW, SinC, SMFS, and RWA and is a trustee of the Kansas City Archaeological Society. She divides her time between writing, traveling, and hiking. She lives in Kansas City, Missouri with husband Bob and Siberian huskies Anubis and Nikita.
Review
Well this was a bundle of fun wasn't it! I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Death in the Aegean’ and it brought back memories of being in Crete at the start of May. Also, I am going to force my mother-in-law to read this one - mainly so I can finally prove to her that there is a ferry between Crete and Santorini but also because I think she would love it too! ‘Death in the Aegean’ is a compelling read and it hooked me from the start. But then as a huge history nerd I loved learning more about Crete and the Aegean in general.
Stepfanie has just missed out on a well-deserved promotion and has come to Greece for a rest and to meet up with old friends. Instead of the sun, sea and sex that she was looking for she finds the theft of the Akrotiri Snake Goddess, the murder of a newlywed on the same trip as Stepfanie and a link to a crime her father was accused of decades ago. With all the evidence pointing towards her, Stepfanie decides that she needs to figure out who is behind it all before she is thrown in prison!
I loved Stepfanie! How could you not?! She has her head on straight, is intelligent, and comes across as one of those effortlessly elegant women! You can imagine sitting down with her and sharing a good bottle of wine. Plus, when she teams up with Thomas they create of one those great dynamic detective duos. I can't wait to read more about their adventures!
This is a book of the more sedate cosy crime genre, very Agatha Raisin in style and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The plot was great, full of red herrings and misdirections! I managed to guess some things but not all and some of it was very surprising. Plus, it was soaked in that amazing Aegean sun and trust me that is something special indeed.
