The Invisible

"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.

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.

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

"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." - Andrew Pippos, author of Lucky's, Shortlisted for the Miles Franklin.

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

"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." - Alison Booth, The Canberra Times

"Sumptuously written." - Julia Jackson, Readings Monthly

"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." - Jane Hunt, Waterstones