Set on the starkly beautiful island of Skiathos in the 19th century, Η Φόνισσα (The Murderess) follows Frangoyannou, an elderly midwife and grandmother. As she cares for the women in her poor village, she becomes obsessed with a grim idea: she believes that baby girls are doomed to lives of hardship and suffering. Convinced she is offering them mercy and saving their families from poverty, she begins to quietly smother them.

The Story

The plot follows Frangoyannou as she carries out her grim mission, all while trying to appear like a pious, helpful old woman to her community. The tension comes not from whether she'll be caught, but from watching her own mind unravel. We see her memories, her justifications, and the heavy weight of the society that shaped her. It’s a slow, psychological burn that gets under your skin.

Why You Should Read It

This book floored me. Papadiamantes doesn't write a villain; he writes a person. You see the world through Frangoyannou's eyes, and for pages at a time, her reasoning almost makes sense. That’s what’s so powerful and unsettling. It forces you to ask hard questions about poverty, gender, and what people will do for those they love. The writing is simple but vivid—you can feel the island's sun and smell the sea air, which makes the darkness at the story's heart even sharper.

Final Verdict

Perfect for readers who love character-driven stories that sit with you long after the last page. If you enjoyed the moral complexity of Crime and Punishment or the atmospheric pressure of a Shirley Jackson story, but set in a world of Greek island tradition, this is your next great read. It’s a short, devastating masterpiece.