Leta Serafim’s THE NAMELESS DEAD has been chosen as one of the 2025 Semi-Finalists in The Mystery & Mayhem Awards for Cozy and Not-so-Cozy Mysteries from Chanticleer
(Isstories Editorial):- Boston, Massachusetts Jan 18, 2026 (Issuewire.com) – The Mystery & Mayhem Book Awards has announced that Leta Serafim’s acclaimed novel The Nameless Dead has been chosen for inclusion in its list of The 2025 M&M Semi-Finalists for Cozy and Not-so-Cozy Mysteries.
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The Nameless Dead is among a short list of honored titles for the awards, which seek out “the best books featuring mystery and mayhem, amateur sleuthing, light suspense, travel mystery, classic mystery,” and more, and has received a string of honors from the series that include a spotlight on 2025 M&M Long List, the M&M Short List, and now the 2025 M&M Book Awards Semi-Finalists. These entries are now in competition for the 2025 M&M Finalists, which will be announced at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 18th, 2026, in Bellingham, WA, and sponsored by the 2026 Chanticleer Authors Conference.
Combining enthralling suspense with the exotic beauty of the Greek isles, The Nameless Dead is the critically acclaimed new title from mystery writer Leta Serafim, and the fifth book in her popular Greek Islands Mysteries series, in which a young Syrian woman is found dead in an abandoned migrant camp on the Greek island of Chios. As Patronas pursues the killer from an island migrant camp into the shadows of Turkey, battling departmental uncertainty and the disappearance of a colleague undercover, he gains a deeper understanding of the hardships of the migrants’ world, leading to the discovery of an evil beyond his comprehension. Suspenseful, heart-pounding, and moving, The Nameless Dead is a thrilling mystery not to be missed.
The Nameless Dead is available in paperback ($16.95) and eBook ($6.99), and on sale at major bookstores and book sites including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org. It has received rave reviews from Kirkus, Booklife, The Independent Book Review, Indies Today, Clarion Reviews, Blue Ink, and more, and is the winner of the Literary Titan Gold Book Award. Serafim’s Greek Islands Mysteries have also received a Silver Falcon Award, a shortlist honor for the Eric Hoffer Awards, and starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and The Library Journal.
Praise for The Nameless Dead
“An engaging and thought-provoking read… An engrossing mystery that illuminates contemporary immigration issues through traditional crime fiction.”
–Kirkus Reviews
“Satisfying breakthroughs happen against the odds when the struggling officers each begin to take their work a little too personally… The vivid, fascinating setting also stands out, with Greek language, culture, cuisine, and landscapes woven beautifully into every chapter.”
–Booklife
“The Nameless Dead is a riveting whodunit rich in compelling characters. This modern detective novel comes with great emotional depth and humanity.”
–Philip Zozzaro, The Independent Book Review
“With gorgeous, lyrical prose that captures the stark beauty and harsh realities of the Aegean, Leta Serafim has crafted a work that is sure to keep mystery fans on the edge of their seats from cover to cover… Plenty of proof that crime fiction can be both thrilling and thought-provoking.”
–K.C. Finn, Indies Today
About Leta Serafim
Acclaimed writer, novelist, and playwright Leta Serafim was a journalist at the Los Angeles Times Washington Bureau before moving to Greece, where she taught art and illustrated books. On her return to the U.S., she wrote for The Boston Globe before turning to fiction, writing the Greek Islands Mystery series that has captivated readers worldwide. She is also the author of the historical novel To Look on Death No More, the children’s book Molly Saw a Bear, and the new play Requiem, a two-act drama about Russian poet Anna Akhmatova. She teaches creative writing in the Boston area and continues to spend her summers in Greece. Learn more about her at www.LetaSerafim.net, or at GoodReads, Facebook, Instagram, or Amazon. Learn more about Coffeetown Press at www.Coffeetownpress.com.
About The Mystery & Mayhem Book Awards
The Mystery & Mayhem Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Light-Hearted and Cozy Mysteries and is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (The CIBAs). See this year’s finalists here.
This article was originally published by IssueWire. Read the original article here.
