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Damien Drechsler's investigations #1
The stuffed coffin
Winner of the Prix du roman policier - Prix du roman gay 2019 in France!
After breaking up with his boyfriend, Damien Drechsler needs a holiday. The Greek village of Levkos seems like the perfect place to go—dozy, sunny, bucolic, with lonely beaches and little bars where he can drown his sorrows.
But the very first night, Damien meets Nikos, a dashing young man, who makes his heart beat faster all of a sudden. Then, he is almost run over by a reckless driver. The next day he learns that an old man has been killed in a suspicious-looking car accident only minutes after his own misadventure.
From then on, everything seems to go wrong. A well-endowed nudist tries to seduce him; a handsome lad sets off a misunderstanding with far-reaching consequences; and last but not least, Damien starts to fall for Nikos. Worse, a tourist dies in the hotel swimming pool although she seemed in perfect health the day before. Another accident? Or could it be… murder?
Intrigued, Damien tries to unravel the odd puzzles he has stumbled upon. But what with the bellicose police inspector he has to deal with, the sudden disappearance of a sports activity leader, and Nikos who drops him just when he starts to feel hope again, he suddenly has more questions than answers… Could it be that the “Happily Ever After” existed only in fairy tales?
Keywords: gay romance, amateur sleuth, murder mystery, Greece, holiday, love, M/M, Prix du roman policier - Prix du roman gay 2019
After breaking up with his boyfriend, Damien Drechsler needs a holiday. The Greek village of Levkos seems like the perfect place to go—dozy, sunny, bucolic, with lonely beaches and little bars where he can drown his sorrows.
But the very first night, Damien meets Nikos, a dashing young man, who makes his heart beat faster all of a sudden. Then, he is almost run over by a reckless driver. The next day he learns that an old man has been killed in a suspicious-looking car accident only minutes after his own misadventure.
From then on, everything seems to go wrong. A well-endowed nudist tries to seduce him; a handsome lad sets off a misunderstanding with far-reaching consequences; and last but not least, Damien starts to fall for Nikos. Worse, a tourist dies in the hotel swimming pool although she seemed in perfect health the day before. Another accident? Or could it be… murder?
Intrigued, Damien tries to unravel the odd puzzles he has stumbled upon. But what with the bellicose police inspector he has to deal with, the sudden disappearance of a sports activity leader, and Nikos who drops him just when he starts to feel hope again, he suddenly has more questions than answers… Could it be that the “Happily Ever After” existed only in fairy tales?
Keywords: gay romance, amateur sleuth, murder mystery, Greece, holiday, love, M/M, Prix du roman policier - Prix du roman gay 2019
- GenresMystery
322 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 6, 2019
3 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
About the author
Dieter Moitzi
22 books31 followersBorn in the early 70s, I grew up in a little village in Austria. Today, I’m living in Paris, France, with my boyfriend and work as a graphic designer. In my spare time, I write, read, cook fancy recipes, take photos, and travel. All my novels are available in English, French, and German. By the way, the French version of my first murder mystery novel “The Stuffed Coffin” won the prestigious French Gay Murder Mystery Award 2019. You can also find me on Rainbow Book Reviews, where I write book reviews under the pseudonym of ParisDude (for French reviews, have a look at my review site livresgay.fr).
Find more information on my author website http://www.dietermoitzi.com or on my Patreon https://www.patreon.com/dietermoitzi
Find more information on my author website http://www.dietermoitzi.com or on my Patreon https://www.patreon.com/dietermoitzi
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 6, 2021
Damien is on a two-week holiday in Lekvos Greece, relaxing and exploring the beauty of the Greek countryside. Damien is part of a Thalassa Voyages tour staying at the White Beach Hotel, with planned activities facilitated by activity and sports directors as well as guided side trips in the area. We meet many of Damien's fellow vacationers including the excessively chatty Mrs. Marchand and Mrs. Delatte, Madame Regnier, Madame Durand and her police inspector daughter; author Dieter Moitzi gives us a full cast of quirky characters in the tour group as well as locals.
Dieter is content to drink good coffee and relax by the pool with a drink in hand. On his first night, Damien meets Nikos, a beautiful Greek boy and they head off to a deserted beach to get intimately acquainted. Walking back to the hotel, Damien meets an old man, soon after hears a spirited argument followed by a gunshot and then is almost run down by a car. The next day he learns the old man is dead and shortly thereafter a member of the tour group is found dead in the hotel swimming pool.
Damien is a translator specializing in detective novels, and his interest is piqued by the unusual circumstances of the two deaths. As the story slowly unfolds (at times a bit too slowly), Damien works to pull the pieces of the puzzle together, as well as figuring out his developing relationship with Nikos. The story works for me in many ways, but a pivotal scene in the mystery is frustrating in that neither character can figure out what seems so obvious.
Finally, because the author is French (and translated his novel into English), I felt some cultural illiteracy on my part at times. For example, I often wasn't sure of various popular culture references (apparently Rocco Siffred is an Italian porn star/director/producer) or idioms. (Edited on 2/6/19: The author has let me know that the Kindle version of "The Stuffed Coffin" available for purchase has the X-Ray option which provides more information on book contents. This option was not available with my ARC format.)
But I enjoyed the convoluted murder mystery plot and the cast of interesting characters, although I didn't entirely feel a strong sense of chemistry between Nikos and Damien. 3.5 stars and I'm looking forward to reading more from Dieter Moitzi.
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Visit my blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
Dieter is content to drink good coffee and relax by the pool with a drink in hand. On his first night, Damien meets Nikos, a beautiful Greek boy and they head off to a deserted beach to get intimately acquainted. Walking back to the hotel, Damien meets an old man, soon after hears a spirited argument followed by a gunshot and then is almost run down by a car. The next day he learns the old man is dead and shortly thereafter a member of the tour group is found dead in the hotel swimming pool.
Damien is a translator specializing in detective novels, and his interest is piqued by the unusual circumstances of the two deaths. As the story slowly unfolds (at times a bit too slowly), Damien works to pull the pieces of the puzzle together, as well as figuring out his developing relationship with Nikos. The story works for me in many ways, but a pivotal scene in the mystery is frustrating in that neither character can figure out what seems so obvious.
Finally, because the author is French (and translated his novel into English), I felt some cultural illiteracy on my part at times. For example, I often wasn't sure of various popular culture references (apparently Rocco Siffred is an Italian porn star/director/producer) or idioms. (Edited on 2/6/19: The author has let me know that the Kindle version of "The Stuffed Coffin" available for purchase has the X-Ray option which provides more information on book contents. This option was not available with my ARC format.)
But I enjoyed the convoluted murder mystery plot and the cast of interesting characters, although I didn't entirely feel a strong sense of chemistry between Nikos and Damien. 3.5 stars and I'm looking forward to reading more from Dieter Moitzi.
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Visit my blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
November 13, 2024
3.5*
I enjoyed the description of place, I could smell the hot sun baked air, hear the cicadas, envisage the sleepy village.
Whilst Damien is styled an investigator but he is more of a thoughtful ponderer who stumbles across information.
He also attracts the attention of the local boys, and one man in particular which comes back to bite him.
At times 31yo Damien feels more childlike than 20yo Nikos - that may be partly the translation from original language.
I enjoyed the description of place, I could smell the hot sun baked air, hear the cicadas, envisage the sleepy village.
Whilst Damien is styled an investigator but he is more of a thoughtful ponderer who stumbles across information.
He also attracts the attention of the local boys, and one man in particular which comes back to bite him.
At times 31yo Damien feels more childlike than 20yo Nikos - that may be partly the translation from original language.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews