"Siger paints travelogue-worthy pictures of a breathtakingly beautiful―if politically corrupt―Greece." ― Publishers Weekly STARRED review Did the warriors of ancient Sparta simply vanish without a trace along with their city, or did they find sanctuary at the tip of the mountainous Peloponnese? That stark, unforgiving region's roots today run deep with a history of pirates, highwaymen, and neighbors ferociously repelling any foreigner foolishly bent on occupying this part of Greece. Less well-recorded are the Mani's families' strict code of honor and their history of endless vendettas with neighbors and with their own relatives. No wonder their farms look like fortresses. When Special Crimes Division Detective Yiannis Kouros is summoned from Athens to the Mani by his uncle, Kouros fears his loyalty to his boss, Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis, is about be to be tested by family pressure on the detective to act in some new vendetta, for this uncle once headed the Mani's most significant criminal enterprise. Instead, Kouros learns the family is about to become rich through the sale of its property―until the uncle is killed, and thus the deal. Acting swiftly to head off a new cycle of violence, Kouros satisfactorily solves the murder. Or so it seems until, back in Athens, Kaldis' probe into deeply entrenched government corruption leads straight back to the Mani. Both cops now confront a host of unexpected twists, unanticipated players, unanswered questions―and people yet to die. "Siger's perfectly plotted sixth mystery set in Greece (after 2013's Mykonos After Midnight )...paints travelogue-worthy pictures of a breathtakingly beautiful--if politically corrupt--Greece." Publishers Weekly , Starred Review . "a lively, gritty plot, an abundance of local color and two righteous heroes."-- Kirkus Reviews "Surprisingly funny, Sons of Sparta is a raunchy romp that will leave readers chuckling at the antics of two irreverent detectives...Larger-than-life characters, an intriguing setting and plenty of twists make Sons of Sparta an irresistible mystery."-- Shelf Awareness Jeffrey Siger's books are a feast for the mind and the senses: an intriguing mystery to solve, one of the best teams of detectives in all of crime fiction, and a wonderful setting all skillfully blended with action, humor, and a touch of steamy sex. I know that I'm preaching to the choir with many, but as for those of you who have yet to read a mystery by Jeffrey Siger...what are you waiting for?"-- Kittling: Books JEFFREY SIGER is an American living on the Aegean Greek island of Mykonos. A Pittsburgh native and former Wall Street lawyer, he gave up his career to write mystery thrillers that tell more than just a fast-paced story. His novels are aimed at exploring societal issues confronting modern day Greece. Visit him at jeffreysiger.com. Sons of Sparta A Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis Mystery By Jeffrey Siger Poisoned Pen Press Copyright © 2014 Jeffrey Siger All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4642-0316-9 CHAPTER 1 As he drove alone down the highway the tune kept running through his head. An old Greek ballad. He couldn't shake it. Not since early morning, when his father's brother called to say, "Come home at once," offering no more of an explanation than "It's a family matter." Everyone in his family knew the words that went with the tune, lyrics that spoke of family honor and all that was expected of those duty-bound to protect it. The song told the story of his father's father and what his family had demanded of him a hundred years before: In the early 1900s a young medical student studying in Athens received a message from his father to return home at once. The trip from Athens to the Mani, in the southernmost part of Greece's Peloponnese, took several days. When the student arrived home he learned that his younger sister had humiliated their father by becoming pregnant by a young man in their village. Her lover had proposed to marry his sister, but their father refused. Instead, in front of his sister and her lover he told his son to shoot and kill them both. The lovers ran from the house, but the brother caught up with his sister in the courtyard and murdered her there. His sister's lover he caught and killed at the port as he tried to escape by boat. At the trial of the brother for killing his sister and her lover, the Judge was about to render his decision when the Judge's mother stood and shouted at her son, "Just remember before you pass judgment that you murdered your own sister for the very same reason." The brother was acquitted and returned to medical school. The driver shot a quick glance down at the Corinth canal as he passed west from the Greek mainland onto the Peloponnese peninsula. I wonder what Uncle has in mind, thought Greece's Special Crimes Division detective Yianni Kouros. Judges weren't as forgiving these days as they had been in his grandfather's day. * * * The Peloponnese stood as the souther