Location: Bulgaria
Member Since:
Jan. 18, 2016
Clive Leviev-Sawyer
Smashwords book reviews by Clive Leviev-Sawyer
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The Dance of Dimitrios
on Feb. 12, 2016
(no rating)
The Dance of Dimitrios Patrick Brigham Evros Editions, 2016 ISBN: 9781786106964 The third time out for DCI Michael Lambert, whom we have followed on his detective work in two of Patrick Brigham's previous crime novels, as Europol's Lambert is brought into a case that is prefaced with the personal descent into tragedy of the title character, and then what seems to be just another death of a woman trafficked through illegal migration - a death that would be meaningless to a largely uncaring world and the dubious chief of police in a countryside Greek small town community. But the dead woman is somewhat less than a statistic, but the engine of the piece as it becomes clear she was a cantankerous British expat retiree whose career had spanned international journalism - with some significant espionage on the side, and a later-life pursuit as...a crime novelist. The journey of Lambert, partnered again with noble Greek police officer Electra Boulos, spans from Greece to Sofia's capital Bulgaria, to Turkey and to strained conversations between straight-arrow former army officer and latter-day Europol detective Lambert and a snooty guardian of Britain's intelligence establishment. Brigham assembles quite an ensemble of characters, well-drawn and credibly portrayed each in their own way, from - among others - the police of various countries to the ruthless and amoral denizens of the worlds of people-trafficking and terrorism, to unfold by careful degrees his tale that progresses steadily from a world that hints to that of Zorba to a real world of the worst perils of the 21st century. And not, by the way, without a few humorous sidelights about the world of books and publishing. The author of his previous Judas Goat: The Kennet Narrow Boat Mystery, and Abduction: An Angel over Rimini, has us engaged all the way, with a final tease as to Lambert's future. After the enthralling enjoyment of The Dance of Dimitrios, one can but hope that we shall be following Lambert's footsteps at least once more. - Clive Leviev-Sawyer, Editor-in-Chief, The Sofia Globe