The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou by Eleni Kyriacou
THEY HAVE TOLD SO MANY LIES ABOUT ME.
London, 1954. Zina Pavlou, a Cypriot grandmother, waits quietly in the custody of the Metropolitan police. She can't speak their language, but she understands what their wary looks mean: she has been accused of the brutal murder of her daughter-in-law.
Eva Georgiou, Greek interpreter for the Met, knows how it feels to be voiceless as an immigrant woman. While she works as Zina’s translator, her obsession with the case deepens, and so too does her bond with the accused murderer.
Zina can’t speak for herself. She can’t clear her own name. All she can do is wait for the world to decide...
IS SHE A VICTIM? OR IS SHE A KILLER?
A compelling historical crime novel set in the Greek diaspora of 1950s London – that's inspired by a true story – The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou is perfect for fans of Erin Kelly, Sara Collins, and Jessie Burton.
About the author
Eleni Kyriacou is an award-winning editor and journalist. Her writing has appeared in the Guardian, the Observer, Grazia, and Red, among others. She’s the daughter of Greek Cypriot immigrant parents, and her debut novel, She Came To Stay, was published in 2020. Her latest novel, The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou, is inspired by the true-crime story of the penultimate woman to be executed in Britain. Follow her on and www.elenikwriter.com.
Review
‘The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou’ is such a unique tale that threads facts with fiction so delicately that you can't tell where the blurring begins and ends. That's truly a compliment as many times I have read fiction inspired by real people and events where it has been obvious where each one came from. This is a cohesive tale with one single voice, a voice that should be heard, a voice that is important in our legal history. This was a brilliant premise that truly captivated me from start to finish.
Eva is a Greek Cypriot who has been living in London with her husband Jimmy and picks up the occasional translation work with the police. One night she is asked to translate for Zina Pavlou, an older Cypriot lady who is accused of killing her daughter-in-law. Looking at this tiny lady you wouldn't believe that she is guilty of this crime. It's Eva’s job to translate the questions that the detective is asking her and relay her answers. From the outset, Eva is worried by the lack of support for Zina and this only intensifies as the case progresses. Soon Eva is not translating her verbatim and hiding things. Will she succeed in helping Zina?
The characters in this book are so well-developed and nuanced and it was a pleasure to read and learn about them. It's the type of book which you finish, research and the author notes and instantly head down numerous Google rabbit holes as you need to find out more! I had never heard of the inspiration for Zina, Styllou Pantopiou Christofi and we really should be aware of her for various reasons I won't go into as that would be a spoiler.
This was a thought-provoking book and dealt with some heavy topics, yes the murder but also racism, misogyny mental health, domestic abuse, miscarriage and grief. Yet, despite all that I couldn't put this book down and it was an all-engrossing read.
Let me know if you pick it up!
