Still Life in Crete
By Anthony Cox
Universal Publishers
199 pages
ISBN 1-58112-691-3

This is an amusing tale of the experiences of an ex-journalist and teacher, Anthony Cox, who decides to sell up in England and, along with his wife, Susan, and two pugs, drives off to Crete in an old Citroen 2CV in search of olive groves and a lower blood pressure, finally settling in the small village of Afrata in western Crete. He recounts all the overpriced offers for property and the under-priced counter offers – and there was always a German who was going to pay full price but never materialized. The book mainly describes their search for the ideal place to build or renovate, the property negotiations, the Greek bureaucracy, Cretan drivers and more. Cox’s easy style of writing makes it very readable for the uninitiated, as well as the people who have gone through the same ordeals and can relate to the author's experiences. It does end rather abruptly, perhaps leaving it open for a sequel.