There can exist a fine line between thriller and mystery in the panoply of literary genres. This book covers both sides of that divide. It is a psychological thriller of the first order and a mystery with roots in the classics such as Christie once wrote. In fact, the author makes a sly humorous exercise of citing Dame Agatha’s tricks and devices while creating a wholly original work treading new ground. The result is pure reading pleasure for any fan of whodunits or white-knuckle adventures.

A group of arty folk, movie, theater and bookish types, accented with a faithful companion, a slimy husband, an enigmatic groundskeeper and an adonis-like son are gathered on a remote Greek island for a weekend of sun and fun. Or so it seems. Old loves and hates, unrequited passion, greed and the lust for revenge all factor in the delightfully twisted tale, told by what becomes increasingly apparent is a disturbingly unreliable narrator. Numerous occasions for the raising of hairs on the back of the neck or goosebumps arrive with regularity and increasing impact. A thriller, indeed.

The”cast of characters on a remote island cut off from everything” theme is recognizable, and the “no one could have done it but one of us” motif is familiar, but there the resemblance to a traditional mystery novel stops. Using a narrative that morphs as details are revealed in asides that run into pages, Michaelides weaves a fascinating account of true evil, one bit at a time. A truly surprise ending tops it all, giving the reader a case of literary whiplash. Say what? What was that again? Yikes. Even if you don’t usually read whodunits you will enjoy this one.