Description

“Outback noir has a new star” The Times

“Highly recommended” Irish Independent

Burnt-out from policework, Detective Sergeant George Manolis flies from Australia to Greece for a holiday. Recently divorced and mourning the death of his father, who emigrated from the turbulent Prespes region which straddles the borders of Greece, Albania and North Macedonia, Manolis hopes to reconnect with his roots and heritage.

“A brilliant new name in Australian crime” Weekend Australian

On arrival, Manolis learns of the disappearance of an ‘invisible’ – a local man who lives without a scrap of paperwork. The police and some locals believe the man’s disappearance was pre-planned, while others suspect foul play. Reluctantly, Manolis agrees to work undercover to find the invisible, and must navigate the complicated relationships of a tiny village where grudges run deep.

“Papathanasiou writes unsparingly, confidently, and compellingly” The Quietus

It soon becomes clear to Manolis that he may never locate a man who, for all intents and purposes, doesn’t exist. And with the clock ticking, the ghosts of the past continue to haunt the events of today as Manolis’s investigation leads him to uncover a dark and long-forgotten practice.

“Detective Sergeant George Manolis is a great new addition to the Australian crime scene” EMMA VISKIC, award-winning author of the Caleb Zelic crime series

Publisher Review

Detective Sergeant George Manolis is a great new addition to the Australian crime scene -- Emma Viskic * award-winning author of the Caleb Zelic crime series * Outback noir has a new star -- Mark Sanderson * The Times * A brilliant new name in Australian crime -- Cheryl Akle * Weekend Australian * Papathanasiou writes unsparingly, confidently, and compellingly. * The Quietus * Political crime fiction of the highest order -- Joan Smith * Sunday Times * In a town no one visits and everyone wants to leave, and where people eat strips of crocodile meat and the heat is pitiless, Papathanasiou conveys how the temperature infuses every interaction. Deliciously dark outback noir. -- Alison Flood * Guardian * This dark, brooding story is the first in a planned series of 'outback noir', and it bodes well -- Geoffrey Wansell * Daily Mail * Vivid and atmospheric . . . The writing is evocative, the characters are superbly drawn and the clever plot is layered and engaging . . . If you like your crime fiction dark, claustrophobic and thought-provoking with a strong sense of place then this book might be for you. -- Breda Brown * Irish Independent * The uglier sides of Australian life are explored in a hard-hitting outback noir debut... Papathanasiou doesn't pull any punches as he delivers outback noir with a clear-eyed look at hypocrisies old and new and some of the ugly sides of modern life in the 'lucky country' -- Craig Sisterson * New Zealand Listener * The author effortlessly transports his reader to Southern Europe's borderlands, where a tragic past haunts the villages and towns, fuelling the mystery at the heart of the novel. This is first-rate crime fiction. -- Andrew Pippos * author of LUCKY'S, shortlisted for the 2021 Miles Franklin Award *