Synopses & Reviews
The story is told in alternating chapters, a narrative set in the present day and also a first person harrowing account of the persecution of the Holocaust years. Whilst it is an indictment of the wartime collaboration and subsequent profiteering to which many countries turned a blind eye, and whilst it also underlines the extent of anti-Semitism still existing in Greece and elsewhere today, the novel also contains accounts of working life in the concentration camps and how survival of some Jews might depend on their working for the SS and even sending one's own family members to their deaths in the gas chambers.
This is the latest outing for half-Greek, half-Scottish Private Investigator, Alex Mavros - but this is really only a vehicle for the author's most far-reaching and ambitious novel to date.
The gripping dual narrative that follows provides readers with a fresh perspective into what makes Greece - that most volatile and fascinating of countries - tick, as well as shocking new insights into the atrocities of the Second World War and into what makes a man into a killer without conscience and guilt. If readers think they know all there is to know about the Holocaust, they should read Paul Johnston's The Black Life - and think again.
This is a harrowing read. The Black Life is the most moving work yet from an experienced, award-winning writer.
Review
"Standout sixth mystery featuring Athens PI Alex Mavros" Publishers Weekly
Review
"A strong addition to the series." Booklist
Review
"This PI Mavros entry pulsates with suspense and a sensation of dread. Consider this Balkan noir at its best." Library Journal
Review
'Johnston is one of the best there is and THE BLACK LIFE is his finest novel yet' Mark Billingham
Synopsis
Wealthy jeweller Eliezer Samuel contacts half Greek half Scots PI Alex Mavros after his Uncle Aron is spotted in the streets of Thessaloniki in northern Greece: but that's impossible - Aron Samuel perished in Auschwitz more than sixty years before.
The case takes an even stranger twist when Mavros, accompanied by Eliezer's enigmatic daughter Rachel, travels to Thessaloniki to question the elderly witness. Ester Broudo denounces Aron Samuel as a traitor and murderer. Was he really a Nazi collaborator?
Mavros' investigations will uncover tragic and terrible secrets from the war and its aftermath, resulting in devastating present-day consequences.
Synopsis
Wealthy jeweller Eliezer Samuel contacts PI Alex Mavros after his Uncle Aron is spotted in the streets of Thessaloniki in northern Greece: but that's impossible - Aron Samuel perished in Auschwitz sixty years before. Mavros's investigation will uncover tragic and terrible wartime secrets, resulting in devastating present-day consequences.
About the Author
Born and brought up in Edinburgh, Paul Johnston studied ancient and modern Greek at Oxford and now divides his time between Scotland and Greece. As well as four previous Alex Mavros novels, he is the author of the award-winning Quint and Matt Wells crime series.