"The Taverna At The Edge Of Night" By H.Y. Hanna: Review/Giveaway

 Review by Tracy Condie

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book and a link to purchase it.

Imagine teal blue waters, fragrant food, a culture steeped in myth, superstition, and pride, and you have the island of Crete where tourists go to get away from it all. They go to see the birthplace of Zeus or perhaps the fabled location of the minotaur labyrinth, not to mention the many historic places from wars gone by. There are plenty of shops where one can purchase a mati to protect oneself from “the evil eye,” or better yet, they can find a nice taverna and sip raki while chatting with a handsome man. Surely there could be nothing nefarious brewing beneath the exotic and lovely surface of this Mediterranean oasis, and yet the story starts with quite the hook. An English woman named Fiona Harris, on holiday from her job with an NGO based out of Athens, falls to her death. Most people claim that it happened because Fiona must have slipped or the hill gave way.

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Thus starts the story that revolves around a taverna located in the small town of Agia Eleni on the island of Crete. n Roxy, an English woman and the best friend anyone could ask for owns it. Just ask Daphne her bestie who admires her for being outspoken and adventurous. As the story goes on, we learn that not everything is as peaceful or as beautiful as it first seems.

First off, Daphne notices that Roxy is not as welcoming as she was expecting, and there are some serious undertones of angst and cynicism on Roxy’s part. There are secrets and rumors, social injustices, and betrayal. Without giving away too much of the plot, I can say that a harrowing experience that takes place within the first 24 hours of Daphne’s trip sends her on a journey of both self-discovery and self-reliance. Daphne is portrayed as an English rose sort of character. She likes the finer things, and why not? She has spent most of her life building a brand for amazing small batch jewelry pieces that has led to amazing financial success, but alas, not a well-lived life. On the plus side, she does have an excellent eye for detail which makes her a really good sleuth.

This story is like an intricate domino creation that appears to be one thing, but after the first piece is toppled, the picture begins to change until there is something else altogether. I could not put the book down until I had arrived at the solution, and it was quite a bumpy ride. Not because the story wasn’t smooth, but because I was so caught up in the twists and turns. The clues and the misdirections are well laid, and at one point, I was pretty sure there was a huge conspiracy, and the only one whom Daphne could trust was the stray cat.

This book was well written and did a brilliant job of touching on some serious social issues. While I am used to reading series, I thoroughly enjoyed this “one and done” mystery with thriller undertones.

To enter to win a copy of The Taverna At The Edge Of Night (print or ebook-winner's choice), simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line "taverna,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen August 8, 2026. US residents only and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. If entering via comment please include your email address so we can contact you. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section in Kings River Life and in our mystery category here on KRL News & Reviews. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. And check out our new mystery podcast which features mystery short stories and first chapters read by local actors!

You can click here to purchase this book.

Tracy Condie is a paralegal by day and cozy armchair sleuth by night. When she is not working or reading, she enjoys preparing the recipes found in culinary cozies or researching recipes of meal items described therein and sharing reviews of both books and food on Instagram and on KRL. She lives in Corona, California with her husband and dog Zoolie, and looks forward to visiting with their grown sons when their time permits.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.