title: The Taint of Midas: A Novel
author:  Anne Zouroudi 
description: "Anne Zouroudi writes beautifully - her books have all the sparkle and light of the island landscapes in which she sets them."<b>Alexander McCall Smith</b><br /><br />PRAISE FOR <em>THE TAINT OF MIDAS</em>:<br /><br />"Hermes Diaktoros is a delight. Half Poirot, half deus ex machina, but far more earth-bound than his first name suggests, the portly detective has an other-worldly, Marlowesque incorruptibility as he waddles through the mean olive groves. There is also a cracking plot, colourful local characters and descriptions of the hot, dry countryside so strong that you can almost see the heat haze and hear the cicadas - the perfect read to curl up with as the nights draw in."<b><i><i>The Guardian</i></i></b><br /><br />"While Zouroudi has a lightness of touch, she is unflinching in her condemnation of corruption, and a sticky end is meted out to those, and there are many of them, who are in thrall to Mammon. There is realistic horror in The Taint of Midas but Hermes, operating as a kind of deus ex machine, dispenses his own particular brand of justice."<b><i><em>Times Literary Supplement</em></i></b><br /><br />PRAISE FOR <em>THE MESSENGER OF ATHENS:</em><br /><br />"This powerfully atmospheric mystery embraces Mediterranean passion, mythic meddling and patriarchal persecution."<b><i><i>The Independent</i></i></b><br /><br />"<i>The Messenger of Athens </i>is a cautionary tale about the deadly sin of lust - a riveting story told with the help of flashbacks and in a mix of first- and third-person voices. It proves as surprising as a classic detective story, and as sad and inevitable as an ancient Greek drama."<b>Tom Nolan</b>, <b><i><em>Wall Street Journal</em></i></b><br /><br />"Absorbing and beautifully written . . . reveals the savage, superstitious reality behind the pretty facade that is all most of us know of any Greek island."<b><i><i>Literary Review</i></i></b><br /><br />"Set on an isolated Greek island, this elegant mystery has the hallmarks of a classic Greek tragedy...The irony, of course, is how a place of such beauty could be filled with such ugliness."<b>Carole E. Barrowman</b>, <b><i><i>Minneapolis Star-Tribune</i></i></b><br /><br />"A fantastic tale of passion, corruption and murder on a remote Greek island . . . wonderfully written."<b><i><i>Woman's Own</i></i></b><br /><br />"Atmospheric...Zouroudi has a deft way with words and an uncanny ability to create a sense of place."<b><i><em>Library Journal</em>, Starred Review</i></b><br /><br />"This literary mystery has all the breeziness of a Greek isle, and its charming, eccentric chief detective deserves a sequel."<b>Carmela Ciuraru</b>, <b><i><i>More </i>magazine</i></b>
zlib_text: > Moira had told Lily to stay away from her cousin, to let Moira know if there
  > was anything strange going on, if Abby confided in her. She’d damn well
  > learned her lesson—rely on no one else—and she prayed Lily was alive.
  
  > “We’ll just look around the ruins for ten minutes,” she said. “I’ll know if
  > the coven was here. Maybe we’re not too late.” She said it to give Jared
  > hope; she didn’t believe it.
  
  > Almost as soon as she’d stepped from the truck, Moira smelled evil. A subtle
  > aroma on the edge of the ruins, growing with each step she took. Incense.
  > Poisoned incense. Strong herbs and odors to control spirits. But it was the
  > sulphuric stench of Hell itself that raised the skin on her arms and made
  > the scar on her neck burn. As Moira neared the midpoint of the spirit trap,
  > she slowed her pace, her feet heavy as lead. Slower. Slower. She wanted to
  > run back to the small, safe island off Sicily and lock herself inside St.
  > Michael’s fortress. She didn’t need this, didn’