Iulis Tsakalou BOOK CRITIC
This is the third detective novel in a series by Grigoris Azariadis, the writer of detective fiction, who according to Petros Markaris “is a very lively voice in the field of the Greek detective novel. And with his novels, which focus on the Greek reality, but also with his articles on the detective novel, he has made an important contribution to the development and dissemination of the Greek detective novel.”
How did the reprint of the novel “The Pattern of the Assassin” come regarding?
The first edition of the novel “The pattern of the murderer” was published in 2015 by the late Samis Gavrielides, the publisher who left an indelible mark in the publishing world. The print run was limited and the book quickly sold out. When his subject of dealing with a serial killer, who roams and scatters corpses in the streets of Athens, became more widely known, many readers looked for it, but might not find it. Several people also contacted me through social media. Thus, Haris Nikolakakis, publisher of “BELL”, decided to proceed with the re-publishing of the book to give the lovers of the genre the opportunity to acquire it.
In what genre of detective fiction would you place the novel The Pattern of the Murderer?
It is a classic police procedural, a novel that follows, as realistically as possible, police procedures. In this particular novel, everything starts from the question: “If we had a case today of a serial killer, who murders continuously, how would we deal with it?”. From the first moment, from the discovery of the first body by the Crimes Against Life Department, what would be the actions that would lead to solving the case and discovering the killer. And that’s exactly what happens in the book, where the reader can “see behind the walls” the way and methods the Police follow in such tough cases.
How important was the research that went into writing the book?
The research was particularly important and lasted more than a year. I had to speak many times with a group of people, experts in many fields, to achieve the goal of realistically portraying a harsh and dark story. From police officers of the Crimes Against Life Department, professors of Criminology, psychologists and psychiatrists with experience in profiling, even a medical examiner! We said everything at the altar of realism! Such was the duration and intensity of the research, that my pressure soared to unimaginable heights and I had to take a three-month break from writing, because the risk to my health was serious.
There are references to his famous theory profilingused by its researchers FBI;
If you want to give a factual basis to a case of a serial killer and the way the Police deal with it, you cannot fail to refer to the theory of profiling, in which the most important role was played by Ressler and Douglas, the pioneer investigators of the FBI, who they interviewed regarding a thousand serial killers, who were held in prisons. The goal is to create a database to be able to proceed with the psychological sketching, the “psychological profiling” of these killers. To investigate generative causes, such as childhood abuse, rejection, etc., and to give some concrete evidence, which are signs of the future criminal behavior of these deranged minds, such as childhood enuresis, pyromania, animal cruelty, etc. etc.
Do you think there is a close connection between the modern detective novel and contemporary social issues?
For several years now I have been using the term “socio-police” novel. Just one word. All modern writers, first and foremost the patriarch of Greek detective literature, Petros Markaris, argue that the detective novel is the social novel of our time. Actually, I think that by using the detective plot on the first level, the detective writer has the possibility to mention, comment and generally express his own opinion on the important issues that concern today’s society. Economic crisis, poverty and unemployment, corruption and entanglement, activities of organized crime, drugs, prostitution and abuse of women are just a few of them, as, unfortunately, the list is long and contains many more grim topics.
What is the position of Greek detective fiction writers compared to their foreign counterparts?
I firmly believe that the Greek detective fiction writer has nothing to envy his foreign colleague. Beware, always talking regarding the average! Just as I’m not comparing Fortune to Messi or Ronaldo, but to the average decent foreign footballer, the same should be true of writers. Yes, we don’t have Simenon or Manset or Schieval-Valley in our country, but we have several authors, who with proper state support and corresponding marketing, e.g. of Scandinavian writers, can be compared without any problem with many Europeans and have a remarkable career in European countries.
Two factors that can contribute to the better course of the works of Greek crime writers are the following: First, the mutation of the reading behavior of Greek readers, who wrongly, in my opinion, consider Greek crime novels subordinate to their foreign counterparts. A xenomania, based on some almost metaphysical principle that “foreign is best”. This may be true for cars, but not for books. Secondly, the activation of the Hellenic Club of Writers of Police Literature (ELSAL) with the aim of promoting Greek police literature to the maximum extent possible. It is our hope that the new generation of truly remarkable Greek writers will be particularly active in this field, but always under the condition of the strong support of the competent state bodies.
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