There Lies A Hidden Scorpion: A Nick and Julia Lambros Mystery

Worldwide Library. Paperback. 0373263767 From Publishers Weekly Departing from the seriousness of their previous novel, Go Close Against the Enemy, which dealt with the lingering effects of racism in the South, the Iakovous' latest cozy takes a light, romantic turn in the sunny state of Florida. When Nick and Julia Lambros are invited to the wedding of some Greek friends, they decide to leave their Georgia restaurant to relax at the Tarpon Springs luxury resort owned by the father of the groom. On their first night there, however, they witness a fatal car accident that looks like murder. Adding to the ominous atmosphere, Kate and Alex, the bride and groom, have been receiving several Greek curses (a severed rooster's head among them) from an anonymous ill-wisher, prompting Alex's superstitious grandmother to plead for the wedding to be called off. Kate's father suspects an ex-business partner looking for revenge, but there are other possible culprits, and when a murder occurs inside the hotel, Nick and Julia begin to sleuth. Though the story is filled with possibility, it's marred by roughly drawn characters and a predictable ending. What sparkles, however, is the Iakovous' fascinating but unobtrusive detailing of Greek culture. Julia, an American in the midst of a Greek family celebration, feels like an outsider, especially when her Greek husband is pursued by a beautiful young compatriot. It's likely that many readers will be more interested in her feelings, and in the outcome of this romantic aside, than in the solution to the crime. (Dec.) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Booklist An invitation to a wedding lures Nick and Julia away from their Greek restaurant in Georgia to Tarpon Springs, Florida. They arrive in town just in time for Nick to rescue a young woman from drowning when her car plunges into the water: the driver was not so lucky. They soon find that the bride's father, Manolis, who runs a Greek cafe, and the groom's father, Christos, who rules the huge Greek hotel where the wedding will take place, are bedeviled with problems large and small. Worse, the icy grandmother of the groom feels the impending marriage is cursed. We are plunged into a complicated circle of Greek and Greek-American characters and customs, centered on the Epiphany celebration and the upcoming wedding, with Julia's wry commentary tracking another murder, a weeping icon, a fair amount of double-dealing, treachery, smuggling, and forgery. GraceAnne A. DeCandido books carefully packed and shipped promptly . Fine. 2001.