THEY HAVE TOLD SO MANY LIES ABOUT ME.
London, 1954. Zina Pavlou, a Cypriot grandmother, waits quietly in the custody of the Metropolitan police. She can’t speak their language, but she understands what their wary looks mean: she has been accused of the brutal murder of her daughter-in-law.
Eva Georgiou, Greek interpreter for the Met, knows how it feels to be voiceless as an immigrant woman. While she works as Zina’s translator, her obsession with the case deepens, and so too does her bond with the accused murderer.
Zina can’t speak for herself. She can’t clear her own name. All she can do is wait for the world to decide…
IS SHE A VICTIM? OR IS SHE A KILLER?
A compelling historical crime novel set in the Greek diaspora of 1950s London – that’s inspired by a true story – The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou is perfect for fans of Erin Kelly, Sara Collins, and Jessie Burton.
Book Info: Print length: 409 pages. Publisher: Head of Zeus. Publication Date: 9 Nov 2023
My Thoughts:
I love reading fictional books based on true crime events, especially if I hadn’t heard of the original crime and then I get the added bonus of researching afterwards.
The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou by Eleni Kyriacou (free on Kindle Unlimited) was inspired by a real life crime in 1954 when a young wife and mother was brutally murdered by her Greek Cypriot mother-in-law at their home in Hampstead, London.
In this book, Kyriacou retells the story from the point of view of Nina, the mother-in-law who has recently come to London from a tiny village in Cyprus to stay with her son, his wife, Hedy and their young daughter Anna and infant son. Nina is unable to speak English and has lived her life within the strict confines of her religious community. She and her daughter-in-law clash with their differing beliefs and views despite the language barrier, putting strain on her relationship with her son and cherished grand-daughter.
When Nina is arrested for the brutal murder of Hedy, discovered dead in the family garden, unable to speak or understand English the police instruct Eva Georgiou, who works part-time for the Metropolitan Police as a Greek interpreter.
The story is told through the voices of Eva and Nina, two very strong female characters brought to life with such clarity and depth that despite being fictional feel very real to the reader.
Nina is a difficult character to initially warm too, however once her backstory is slowly peeled away through each chapter, it’s impossible not to understand why she behaves the way she does.
Whilst this is a fictional crime thriller, it’s much more of a character driven literary novel delving deep into the difficult themes of shame, trauma, scandal and complicity.
It’s a very powerful debut which is equally tragic and yet compelling throughout. Highly recommended for lovers of true-crime literary fiction.
