City in the Light

"...with the Labyrinth, which ultimately harbours all these ‘innocent monsters’ in the words of Baudelaire, Eftychia Giannaki skilfully ‘sets up’ a ceaseless game of reversals where joy hands the baton to profound sorrow and unbearable pain, joy takes turns with loss, hatred meets passion, and that fuels the scene of blood, transgression and hubris."

"...Sometimes Giannakis closes a chapter with a single sentence, which either overturns what had hitherto been taken for granted or shocks with its revelation. And it is not just what she says, but mainly how she says it. She does the same at the end of the book. With a single sentence, she blows you away. Read it. I don’t want to say anything more...”

"...With *The City in the Light*, Eftychia Giannaki attempts this time to delve into the depths of modern Greek reality and identity, and into the darkest affairs that can unfold in the neighbourhoods and corners of Athens. Playing on the contrast between the city’s light and the darkness of crime and the pathologies of our times, the author, in concluding the ‘Athens Trilogy’, resorts to the familiar approach she adopted in both previous books."

Eftychia Giannaki loves the conservatism of figure skating and the speed of Formula 1. Interview with Lina Rokou, on the occasion of the book “City in the Light”.

"...Yannaki’s third book impresses with its narrative structure and writing style. Tightly woven and well-crafted, it interweaves the main plot with smaller stories that, at first glance, seem unrelated, but serve to reinforce the central narrative."

"...The City in the Light is not just another crime novel. The social issues that emerge from the pages of the book are so significant and crucial that you often forget the main murder to confront the small murders of everyday life, which most of us ignore."

"...Eftychia Giannaki knows how to construct exceptional stories, to create suspense, but also characters who can sustain it right to the end."

"...As you close _The City in the Light_, and struggle to get over the shock of the – literally – final page, as a devoted reader and follower of Haris Kokkinos you are certain of at least two things: Firstly, Eftychia Giannaki has surprised you, captivated you, made you think, and certainly not disappointed you. Secondly, even if the adventures of Haris Kokkinos are ever to continue in a future book, nothing will ever be the same again."

"...In telling a crime story set in Athens, her city, Giannakis expresses her love for it, the ‘city of light’, which has a way of surviving ‘through both truth and lies’, that is, through every hardship."

"...Eftychia Giannaki triumphantly concludes her Athens trilogy, trapping Haris Kokkinos in a cycle of violence that begins with the brutal murder of a pregnant woman but includes a doping scandal and the Srebrenica massacre."

– Aristotelis Sainis, Efimerida ton Syntakton

"...Yiannaki sheds light on Athens in the midst of the crisis, a dark city where shades of black dominate and the ‘flowers of evil’ reign. Her anti-heroes strive to ‘emerge’ through dark paths. Their goal is to conquer their sole god: money. It is through this alone that they establish themselves or reclaim the lost opportunities to realise their dreams."

500 words with Eftychia Giannaki. Read the interview the author gave to Kathimerini on the occasion of the publication of her new book *City in the Light*.

_City in the Light_ and the Athens Trilogy: Eftychia Giannaki writes for ERT.gr

"...Now an established crime writer, Eftychia Giannaki concludes her Athens Trilogy with Inspector Haris Kokkinos attempting to solve a heinous crime, whilst simultaneously seeking the truth behind another crime in which his son stands accused. A clever plot and a compelling read, with ingenuity and suspense on every page, which will win over even the most discerning reader of novels in this genre."

"...It is not just the plot that becomes unpredictable, nor the puzzle that pieces together, bit by bit, the psychological makeup and history of the characters, but the setting is so familiar—the surroundings, the atmosphere, even the characters. They unfold in the capital, and we could easily picture them in a crime report from our modern society. As I have said before, it is this talent that I admire in Eftychia Giannaki, where she captures the details of everyday life and translates them into words."

"...Eftychia Giannaki, who has a penchant for ironically dark titles, proves that she was rightly praised for the psychoanalytical depth of her characters. For her perceptive portrayal of the city and its people... But above all, she gives us a thoroughly vulnerable and sensitive police officer, Kokkinos, who constantly demonstrates that unspoken love is almost a crime... An exceptional example of crime fiction."

– Eleni Gika, Fileleftheros

"...The author is young, but she has already published two previous crime novels, which together with this one make up the Athens Trilogy. Her books follow tried-and-tested paths, drawing elements from both the classic English crime novel and the blood-soaked, hard-boiled Scandinavian equivalents. Ultimately, the crime will be solved, but Inspector Haris Kokkinos will pay a very heavy price for his efforts."

– Charikleia G. Dimakopoulou, Estia Newspaper

"...Penetrating the psychology of her characters in a unique way, getting under their skin and into their minds, the author captures with surgical precision their reactions, behaviours, the way they express themselves and speak, and their thoughts. And she patiently builds a world unknown to most, realistic yet so inhuman, beyond all reason, which for some, however, corresponds to reality. And, ultimately, at the close of the book – and of the trilogy – everything is illuminated, everything is revealed. The city comes to light."

_The City in the Light_ is among the best crime novels of 2018 according to Bookpress and Hilda Papadimitriou.

"...With *The City in the Light*, Eftychia Giannaki concludes her highly successful ‘Athens trilogy’ starring Inspector Haris Kokkinos. Her books have resonated with the public thanks to their connection with contemporary Athenian reality on a political, social and even aesthetic level."

"...On this basis, Giannakis gives us her finest moment. A stunning finale to a trilogy that culminates as it deserves. The plot is better crafted, the insight into the characters’ psyches even deeper, and the twist, this time, leads to a shocking revelation. The narrative flow has a cinematic rhythm, the prose greater depth, the language simple and always apt, the style as realistic as can be, and the characters’ reflection and contemplation ensuring the visual impact."

"...As is well known, the crime novel is the great social novel of our time, and so throughout the narrative, beyond the delightful plot—accompanied by polished language, with apt similes and metaphors, wordplay, philosophical musings and reflections, shifts in time through flashbacks and exceptional character sketches, we also have the social and political commentary voiced by each character, who, however dark they may be, always has a psychological and sociological explanation for their entire journey."

"..._City in the Light_ completes the Athens Trilogy, a crime series much loved by readers. Once again, Athens is the silent protagonist of the story, a city struggling under the weight of the crisis, hardship, lawlessness and crime. Inspector Haris Kokkinos is the city’s new hero. Eftychia Giannaki combines police action with a keen social insight in a novel that is likely to become a classic of its genre."

"...Eftychia Giannaki has carved out a place for herself in the history of contemporary crime fiction with her sword… or rather with the knife of her killers. From _In the Back Seat_ (2016) and _The Halcyon Days_ (2017) to her latest novel _City in the Light_ (2018), blood flows freely around the victims and the murder scene horrifies even the most seasoned police officers."

"...My conclusion regarding this amazing book is simple. Suspense, fear, redemption, a detective’s intuition, dark thoughts, intense emotions, and a shocking everyday reality. Many intertwined stories, lives of people that have fallen apart or are trying to rebuild. Social stereotypes crumbling, boundless loneliness, the modern world, our own world, our own environment now, if one considers that everything Eftychia describes so masterfully and with such literary flair is happening in our own neighbourhood, perhaps even in the house next door."

"...Eftychia Giannaki probably doesn’t belong to any of the three categories and belongs to a completely separate fourth. Reading *City in the Light*, the third part of the Athenian trilogy, and without having read either of the first two books, I came to the conclusion that Giannakis creates a different kind of crime fiction, a hybrid that manages to successfully combine: the police investigation, social commentary and a deeply penetrating insight into the lives of her characters."

"...It is, however, characteristic that none of these layers of the book feels forced; the layers sometimes intersect and sometimes touch, coexisting harmoniously and effortlessly leading the reader to one of the most significant challenges of crisis literature: to reflect upon and shed light on events, far removed from any moralising or didacticism. The City in the Light, then, succeeds in this endeavour; it neither condemns nor consoles, but sheds light—abundant light—on a city that for years lived in darkness. That is why it is worth reading."