The Invisible - by Peter Papathanasiou (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

"Outback noir has a new star" The Times

Burnt-out from policework, Detective Sergeant George Manolis flies from Australia to Greece for a holiday. Recently divorced and mourning the death of his father, who emigrated from the turbulent Prespes region which straddles the borders of Greece, Albania and North Macedonia, Manolis hopes to reconnect with his roots and heritage.

"A brilliant new name in Australian crime" Weekend Australian

On arrival, Manolis learns of the disappearance of an 'invisible' - a local man who lives without a scrap of paperwork. The police and some locals believe the man's disappearance was pre-planned, while others suspect foul play. Reluctantly, Manolis agrees to work undercover to find the invisible, and must navigate the complicated relationships of a tiny village where grudges run deep.

"Papathanasiou writes unsparingly, confidently, and compellingly" The Quietus

It soon becomes clear to Manolis that he may never locate a man who, for all intents and purposes, doesn't exist. And with the clock ticking, the ghosts of the past continue to haunt the events of today as Manolis's investigation leads him to uncover a dark and long-forgotten practice.

"Detective Sergeant George Manolis is a great new addition to the Australian crime scene" EMMA VISKIC, award-winning author of the Caleb Zelic crime series

Review Quotes

The Invisible continues an assured, propulsive and atmospheric new series that crime fiction fans will devour--Cameron Woodhead

Sumptuously written

--Julia Jackson

A brilliant new name in Australian crime--Weekend Australian

A reflective story with solid characterisation. The pacing is gentle, but this perfectly evokes the setting and way of life. A socially and politically aware novel--Waterstones

A wonderful evocation of life in the region with spectacular scenery and fearsome wildlife and equally dangerous criminals. Highly recommended.--Irish Independent Gift Guide

An intriguing and tense thriller with a strong sense of place and well-drawn characters--Canberra Weekly

Detective Sergeant George Manolis is a great new addition to the Australian crime scene--award-winning author of the Caleb Zelic crime series

Gripping--Crime Monthly

It has a lot more richness and meaning than your standard thriller. And the reader is seriously enlightened. It will stay with you--Booknotes

It's a fascinating and entirely effective replacement for the desert hellscape setting of Papathanasiou's debut, The Stoning, and he peoples the rugged landscape with plausible characters who each have their own reasons for preferring a life lived on the fringes of 21st-century society--The Quietus

LikeThe Stoning, the new book shows [Papathanasiou's] ability to combine suspense, politics and lyrical descriptive writing--The Sunday Times

Marvellous . . . Exciting . . . A great read--The Times

Papathanasiou adds considerably to the crime literature defined as Australian. He has his own individuality and represents a successful amalgam of Greek and Australian literature. The writing is vivid and atmospheric. The characters are superbly drawn. Papathanasiou doesn't pull any punches as he takes a clear-eyed look at hypocrisies old and new--Queensland Reviewers Collective

Political crime fiction of the highest order--Sunday Times

The author effortlessly transports his reader to Southern Europe's borderlands, where a tragic past haunts the villages and towns, fuelling the mystery at the heart of the novel. This is first-rate crime fiction.--author of LUCKY'S, shortlisted for the 2021 Miles Franklin Award

This second novel is very different from the first, a difference that reflects the range of Papathanasiou's talents. The narrative contains some lovely descriptive writing that evokes the beauty of this remote landscape. Students of ethnography are particularly likely to enjoy the setting, since it is at the junction of three cultures and three distinct histories that all feed into the development of the story--Canberra Times

This second Manolis thriller is a wonderful evocation of a little-known part of Europe with spectacular scenery and dangerous wildlife, not to mention equally dangerous Balkan criminals on the loose. Highly recommended.--Irish Independent

This story of a difficult investigation is an unusual and interesting contribution to the genre.--Literary Review

While the tone is very different to The Stoning, The Invisible is every bit as enjoyable and Papathanasiou is displaying his diverse talents early on in his career as a novelist--Meath Chronicle

A true pageturner, with a highly satisfying ending--A.N. Wilson, Tablet

Papathanasiou writes unsparingly, confidently, and compellingly.--The Quietus

About the Author

Peter Papathanasiou was born in northern Greece and adopted as a baby to an Australian family. His writing has been published internationally by The New York Times, Guardian, Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Canberra Times, Daily Telegraph, The ABC, SBS, Huffington Post. He also holds an MA in Creative Writing from City University, London, and a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the Australian National University. His first book, a memoir Son of Mine was published in 2019 by Salt.