Aristo's Family

Aristo was told his family were burnt and left unidentifiable during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974. Now he lives with his surviving son, Pavlos, and his obsession - to trace his family. As an archaeologist with his private museum near Paphos, Aristo's late-night staff meetings unfold themselves to Pavlos who is led deeper into a confrontation with ancient and unquiet souls.

The narrative is set in Cyprus; the main characters being, Aristo, an archaeologist who has turned his Paphos home into a small private museum, and his teenage son, Pavlos, who now live alone together.

Aristo's obsessive need to trace and belong to his family - even though he is told they were all burnt and left unidentifiable in the Turkish invasion of the island - has estranged his English wife, and is gradually distancing his only child, while in turn, Pavlos has an increasing need to belong to a father who will make time for him.

Then Katherine, a colleague of Aristo, arrives to confuse the already-confused and impressionable young man.

As the practices and those assembled at Aristo's late-night museum 'staff meetings' unfold themselves to Pavlos, the boy is led deeper into a sinister confrontation with ancient and unquiet souls.

This novel, with its vivid descriptive passages about the Paphos museum and the Troodos mountains, has a tautness and nervous energy which haunts the reader.

The author, part Greek Cypriot, was raised amongst Greeks in England and has travelled extensively through Cyprus. He has particular admiration for the village people whose company he has enjoyed so much in the Troodos Mountains.

REVIEWS

"The first few chapters are atmospheric; intriguing. They made me want to keep reading. The beautifully observed characters and exotic setting have all the makings of a first class novel."
- BARBARA ERSKINE - best selling author of Lady of Hay.

"The promise of the early chapters is more than well-maintained. This novel is a real page-turner, worthy of comparison with the early John Fowles' The Magus - but distinctively Raymond Nickford. "
- ALLEN J. MILLINGTON SYNGE - author of Bowler Batsman Spy.

"An atmospheric, vibrant, spooky page-turner."
- REAY TANNAHILL - historian, novelist and author of The Seventh Son.

"The characters, the settings, the story; emotional, intriguing and full of human interest. Another winning combination."
- ANDREW WRIGHT - author of Sanctuary's Loss

"Raymond Nickford's worlds are claustrophobic - yet read we must. The first paragraph says more than many say in five chapters..... I was soon engrossed."
- JANE ALEXANDER - author of Samael

"I'm not sure if this book would make me want to go to Cyprus but it definitely would make me want to go on the time travel it takes to ancient Cyprus. It's not that the settings aren't convincing. They're really well researched and must have something to do with the author being part Cypriot himself. But the way the teenage Pavlos - born of an English mother and having to adapt to the Cyprus of his eccentric dad's private Paphos museum - has to struggle to feel he belongs in his father's affections is so well done, it's almost as if you want to escape, with Pavlos, from the island.
Otherwise great on character - Spiropoulos the educational inspector for home tuition from Nicosia and Stefanos the ancient Greek with a scythe and a mission to make Pavlos 'clean' are both unforgettable - especially when the only thing that has made Pavlos 'dirty' in their ancient minds is the tender relationship the teenager develops for Katherine, a beautiful archaeologist colleague of her father's at the museum who, at 45 years to his 16, has more than popcorn with him."
- ALEX COOKE