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Reviewed by Craig Sisterson
A corrupt millionaire. A suspicious plane crash. A sole survivor. Chief Inspector Kaldis is on the case in the latest instalment of the internationally bestselling, critically acclaimed mystery series set in Greece.
It’s an absolute delight to visit once more with Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis and his family and colleagues in this fourteenth instalment in Wall Street lawyer turned crime writer Jeffrey Siger’s very fine series set across various Greek Islands and its mainland. In Not Dead Yet, Kaldis and his colleagues are sparked into action when Greek businessman Dimitris Onofrio’s private jet crashes.
Onofrio has been on the police radar for a long time; wealthy and corrupt, he’s a very powerful and extremely dangerous figure in Greece. Past investigations have withered, no one has survived to testify against him. So when his plane crashes seemingly without survivors, the Greek Police aren’t really in mourning – until Onofrio is discovered, catatonic but alive, on a remote Ionian beach.
Beside the dead body of his beloved wife…
Chief Inspector Kaldis of the Special Crimes Unit in Athens knows that whether the plane crash was an accident or sabotage, Onofrio will be out for blood when he recovers. Can Kaldis and his team find the truth before violent havoc is unleashed? The stakes are very high, and very personal, given the crashed plane was rented from a company owned by Kaldis’ wife and her father. Onofrio isn’t known for having mercy when it comes to dealing with anyone he blames.
In an ocean of police procedurals splashed across the globe (in an increasingly varied array of locations far beyond traditional US and UK settings), lawyer turned author Jeffrey Siger has for more than a decade thrust his head above the waves not only with his masterful evocation of the fascinating Greek settings of his Andreas Kaldis series, but the wider cast, and verve of his writing.
There’s a lovely warm and welcoming tone to Not Dead Yet, and its predecessors, despite the dark deeds, violent acts, and extremely serious issues Siger canvasses at times. Diving into the book is like visiting with old friends, in among an action-packed story and evocative setting. Kaldis is not a damaged, divorced, or alcoholic sleuth, but a loving family man who doesn’t let the darkness of what he sees or the dangers he faces at times stop him enjoying a full life with family and good friends.
Siger, who lives in Greece of part of each year, also has a very nice touch for evoking local settings, and their rich history, providing a great sense of place without overwhelming readers with too much detail or a desire to showcase his knowledge or research. Everything flows naturally, enriching the page-turning tale rather than pumping the brakes on the action or pulling readers out of the story.
Not Dead Yet is a smile-inducing crime read - not cosy by any means – that in a way reminds me of watching shows like Numb3rs, The Mentalist, or more recently Blue Bloods, where there was lots of investigative excitement, twists, and intrigue each outing, but at the same time it was the personal relationships of and between the investigators, or with their families, which could draw us in even more. Siger has crafted another fine novel in a very fine series that’s well worth checking out.
[This review was first published in the Fall 2025 issue of Deadly Pleasures magazine in the USA]
Craig Sisterson is a lawyer turned writer, editor, podcast host, awards judge, and event chair. He's the founder of the Ngaio Marsh Awards, co-founder of Rotorua Noir, author of Macavity and HRF Keating Award-shortlisted non-fiction work SOUTHERN CROSS CRIME, editor of the DARK DEEDS DOWN UNDER anthology series, and writes about books for magazines and newspapers in several countries.
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