Today, I’m pleased to welcome Luke Christodoulou, a mystery author from Cyprus who sets his murder stories in enchanting Greek islands. Let’s meet him, shall we? But first, let’s check out his Cycladic-blue, stunning covers!
Over the picturesque Greek Islands, bodies are piling up fast. Bodies tortured, mutilated and strangely connected to ancient Greek mythology. Hellenic Police Captain COSTA PAPACOSTA is called in to assist young, top of her year, foul mouth, food loving Cretan, Lieutenant IOLI CARA in solving their most complex case yet, while facing his own demons after the tragic loss of his daughter. The OLYMPUS KILLER, as the tabloids refer to him by, is a cunning, sadistic murderer with a haunting past. A past revealed to us through his mother’s story set in Dayton, USA.
Will the two officers catch the murderer in time or will the Olympus Killer have his revenge?
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Hellenic Police Captain COSTA PAPACOSTA and Lieutenant IOLI CARA are back, faced with four brutal cases all strangely connected to the Greek church. A reporter investigating the existence of a Gospel written by Jesus himself is found stabbed to death on the island of Salamina while a lawyer and a young girl have gone missing. In Santorini, the most beautiful of all Greek islands, bodies are piling up fast. Murder after murder, our officers are left puzzled. All the clues are there, but who is the killer?
The Ionian islands. Seven islands, seven bodies. Suicides or foul play? Ioli’s lack of faith is tested by a boy experiencing stigmata on the island of Kefallonia. Could his marks be for real? Time is against the two investigators and lives are on the line…
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Of all the plans a bride makes in anticipation for her wedding day, dying is definitely not one of them. The Zampetaki mansion, on the remote island of Gadvos, welcomes dozens of guests for the grand wedding of Cassandra Zampetaki and Homer Cara. It’s a wedding that will never take place. The bride’s lifeless body is found, brutally murdered, on the morning of the wedding. Planned to look like an open-and-shut case, the mastermind behind it all did not figure on Hellenic Police Captain Costa Papacosta and Lieutenant Ioli Cara to be among the guests. A storm rages outside and no one is able to leave the island. In a battle against time, the dynamic investigating duo must solve this intense case before the guilty party can depart from the island. Everyone is a suspect and no one is safe. Join in on the thrilling mystery and try to solve the crime. The clues are all there…
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Hello Luke and welcome to my blog!
Hi, Fros! It’s great to be here!
What has inspired you to write the Greek Island Mysteries?
The crazy voices in my head would be the honest answer. Since childhood, I’ve always loved creating stories and characters. This combined with my passion for mysteries and my love for Greece created the Greek Island Mysteries book series. Life itself inspires me. So complex, so scary and beautiful, all bundled up in one. People-watching is a great hobby of mine and witnessing various behaviors helps me create my characters and make them more believable.
What was the first thing you ever wrote and how old were you then?
I doubt it was the first, but it is the first that I have memories of. It was a science-fiction piece. I must have been around nine at the time, so excuse me for including superheroes traveling into space and meeting various alien races in a search for a magical portal that would allow them to travel back in time and save Earth. Yes, I was ‘that’ kind of kid.
Hey! Sounds like a great story! Any hobbies or interests that you enjoy in your spare time?
Besides the obvious – reading and writing – I am a huge movie fan. I love nothing more than to get lost into a good film. To escape reality for a while and enjoy some great acting and effects. Cooking is a great pastime for me, though time is not always available. I cook an amazingly delicious octopus (or so I have been told) marinated in red wine, if you’re are interested.
Always interested in octopus! Yum!
(*chuckles*) Other specialties of mine include salmon, roast pork and anything I can pair up with pasta. Gardening is gaining more and more of my time, as my daughter really enjoys it and it is something we can do together.
Oh that’s nice. What are you working on at the moment? Tell us a little about your current project(s).
Luke in Santorini’s capital, Fira.
At the moment, I am deep into my Greek Island Mystery world and writing the fourth member of my deadly series. I have a working title, but nothing certain yet. It will be mostly set in Folegandros (a less-famous Santorini, though with nothing to envy in terms of view) and upon a cruise ship (which gives me the freedom to describe various island locations). My two main characters return, having to face, once again, complex murder cases where nothing is as it seems. Fans of the series will also get answers about Costas’ cancer and be treated to a pregnant Ioli.
Which are your favorite authors, and what do you love about them?
By far, Agatha Christie. She was so ahead of her time and created many things that today are considered clichés in murder/mystery books. I nearly cried when a review board compared my book, Death of a Bride, to her work. ‘An Agatha Christie tale set in the 21st century,’ it read. I love how she left clues all over the book and how at the end it all made sense, unlike many books today that end with an unbelievable twist that is too hard to swallow. I guess, some authors aim for shock value or strive too hard to stand out. Other authors I enjoy reading include James Patterson, Lynda LePlante, Stephen King and Mark Twain.
I agree. A clever mystery plot completes the jigsaw puzzle in the end without cheating… Choose a male and a female character from your book and tell us which actor and actress you’d cast to play them in a film adaptation.
Though he’s shorter than my character, I would love to have Tom Hanks play the main lead, Costa Papacosta. Robert Downey Jr would also be an incredible choice. As for Ioli, it would have to be a Greek or at least a Latin actress to truly do the character justice. Someone like Marie Agveropoulos.
Being an author involves a lot of sitting around. What do you do for exercise?
Exercise? What’s this? Jokes aside, I really should work out more. I try to eat healthy or at least to not eat too much, but I haven’t set foot in a gym for over six years and going for a walk or a bike ride are not high on my priority list.
I feel you… Do you listen to music while you write and if so, what kind?
I need complete silence to write. I talk to myself too much during the process of creating a new book. Music is a distraction. Though, I listen to music all day. In the car, during my ‘relax’ hour or just have the radio playing in the house.
If you could have one superpower what would it be?
Immortality. As a non-believer in life after death, the amazingly short time we have scares me. I guess, writing about death so much is my catharsis. I wish I could live forever and just keep writing and enjoying this magical planet we call home.
What are the things in your life that you’re most grateful for?
My children. My crazy bundle of joy that I call my daughter and my little cute monkey boy offer the most joy in life. I am grateful for having met my wife and for all the colour she has brought into my grey existence. I think we all have to wake up and be grateful for another day to live, to breathe, to strive for happiness in all the little things that make us tick.
That’s a wonderful answer, Luke. Thank you very much for introducing us to your work today.
Thank you for the opportunity to do that, Fros!
Luke Christodoulou is an English teacher (MA Applied Linguistics – University of Birmingham), a poet and an author. He is also a coffee-movie-book-Nutella lover. His first book, THE OLYMPUS KILLER (#1 BESTSELLER – Thrillers), was released in April, 2014. The book was voted Book Of The Month for May on Goodreads (Psychological Thrillers). The book continued to be a fan favorite on Goodreads and was voted BOTM for June in the group Nothing Better Than Reading. In October, it was BOTM in the group Ebook Miner, proving it was one of the most talked-about thrillers of 2014. The second stand-alone thriller from the series, THE CHURCH MURDERS, was released April, 2015 to critical and fan acclaim. The third stand-alone thriller, DEATH OF A BRIDE, is available now! Luke is currently working on the fourth book from his planned Greek Island Mysteries book series.
He has, also, ventured into children’s book land and released 24 MODERNIZED AESOP FABLES, retelling old stories with new elements and settings. The book also features sections for parents which include discussions, questions, games and activities. He resides in Limassol, Cyprus with his wife and daughter. Hobbies include traveling the Greek Islands discovering new food and possible murder sites for his stories.
Amazon page US UK
Website: http://greekislandmysteries.webs.com/
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Greek-Island-Mysteries-712190782134816/?ref=bookmarks
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/luke.christodoulouauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/OlympusKiller
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