(Reviewed by JD Jung)
“The kind of work I do defines who I am. Who I am defines the kind of work that I do. I am my work. It gives my life meaning. I clear the world of filth and get paid for it. I didn’t ever want, didn’t know, didn’t think about doing anything else – and probably couldn’t. “
That is why hit-man, Stratos Gaziz, can’t be persuaded by his girlfriend, Maria, to change professions, even if it would guarantee her safety. But he loves Maria, and this inner-conflict interferes with his work.
However, this new assignment is so different from the ones that he has had in the past. His friend Angelino an “information collector” has persuaded him to help a blind fourteen- year -old girl, Emma, find the person who murdered her father three years ago.
“We are wired to feel pleasure when we take revenge.”
Emma and her father lived on the streets of Athens and put together a magic act. What makes this so strange is that her father was a well-known journalist and TV reporter. So why did he give it all up to become a vagrant?
Also, around this same time a string of murders were committed by the “Avenger”, a person(s) who’s goal was to rid Athens of pedophiles. Emma’s father was killed in the same manner. Should Stratos keep this bit of information from Emma?
“The minute you pretend to be unaware of reality, you’re no longer innocent.”
As Stratos gets deeper into this case, he finds himself involved with organized crime as well as finding Angelino attacked and in critical condition. Could someone be after Emma as well? So many conflicting events are going on that Stratos feels the need to get into the head of a dead man that he never met.
What I particularly enjoyed about this well-written noir-esque thriller was the multi-layered plot. The quirky characters gave color to a dark gritty portrait of Athens and its debilitated economy. I found the political and socioeconomic similarities and differences between Greek culture and that of others to be quite interesting. Also, the events in Stratos’ personal life did not lead to a tidy conclusion, which I also appreciated.
Fans of both plot and character driven novel are sure to enjoy Baby Blue, the second in this series.
