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Extraordinary People
(also published as Dry Bones)
Extraordinary
People gives an insight into the arcane
world of France’s ruling intellectual elite.
A complex puzzle sends Enzo on a scavenger hunt
around France for body parts. It has been
praised for its ingenuity and thrilling denouement
in the catacombs of Paris.
An old mystery.
As midnight strikes, a man desperately seeking
sanctuary flees into a church.
The next day, his sudden disappearance will make
him famous throughout France.
A new science.
Forensic expert Enzo Macleod takes a wager to
solve the seven most notorious French murders
using modern technology...
and a total disregard for the justice system.
A fresh trail.
Deep in the catacombs below the city, he unearths
dark clues deliberately set
- and as he draws closer to the killer,
discovers that he is to be the next victim.
"A
sharp edged tale woven with the
intricacy of a spider's web.
Intelligent, involved, and
ingenious"
Steve Berry (Author of THE TEMPLAR LEGACY)
"Read an astoundingly good book the other day. Just outstanding.
...As much an examination of French intellectual culture as a thrilling and tension-filled mystery, the novel is filled with multi-dimensional flawed individuals.
The author's examination of society and the human condition is fascinating and enthralling.
The conclusion is as exciting and entertaining
as one could ask for.
A dynamite novel and a fine beginning to what promises to be an outstanding crime fiction series."
Carl Brookins (Author of THE CASE OF THE GREEDY LAWYERS, OLD SILVER, A SUPERIOR MYSTERY and INNER PASSAGES)
“Intelligent, ever-moving and beautifully written, it is the best book I have read this year. I highly recommend it!!”
Barbara Douglas, Murder By The Book
"May provides abundant local color and writes with measured authority. The results are as engaging as they are cerebral."
Kirkus Reviews
"excellent reading...
Peter May has created not only a fast paced, cerebral mystery that keeps you guessing right down to the final pages, but he has also introduced a very likeable protagonist in Enzo Macleod.
The first in what promises to be an extraordinary mystery series, you'll want to get in on the ground floor and become acquainted with Macleod at the getgo!"
"I Love A Mystery" Newsletter
"This is possibly the best crafted mystery we’ve reviewed in 2006. It’s all there: clues, red herrings, fractured relationships, dangerous romances, and much more. We rated this excellent mystery a max five hearts."
HeartlandReviews.com
"...an excellent novel that will keep you in suspense all the way ... Hopefully Peter May will follow-up this book with future adventures of Enzo MacLeod."
Patricia Reid, BooksNBytes.com
"Peter May's "Extraordinary People" is an extraordinary novel ... Action escalates at every turn and becomes breathtaking at the denouement."
Mary Ann Smyth, Bookloons
"brisk and thrilling ... the layers of complexity bode well for future installments."
The Baltimore Sun
"May paces his tale of a burst-open cold case with teasingly professional precision"
DIBS
"Lots of twists and turns. Fast-paced. Lots of energy throughout the book."
Ollie’s world of books
"the intriguing first book in a series of thrillers set in modern France by talented author Peter May ... The presumed premise for this series, celebrated unsolved murders, is a captivating one"
Hidden Staircase Mystery Books
"This taughtly written thriller moves from the catacombs under Paris through the countryside surrounding this great city. I found it hard to put down."
Linda Walonen, Bay Books, San Ramon CA
"Twists, turns and a whirl wind tour of France ... smart and engaging ... Peter May does a wonderful job ... This is an intelligent story that every mystery fan should read."
Sondra Fowler for ReaderViews.com
"As a fan of forensics, this reader finds the interpretation of the clues a highlight to the high-paced adventure."
MyShelf.com
"The climax is a fabulous finale that will leave readers clamoring for more inquiries by the Professor and his team."
Midwest Book Review
"a suspenseful engrossing read, and well worth the time to join the chase"
CrimeSpree Magazine
"a fun and fascinating book"
The San Jose Mercury News
"action-packed second half and rather thrilling denouement in the catacombs of Paris"
Entertainment Weekly
"this travelogue–cum–murder mystery makes for a fun puzzle"
Publisher's Weekly
"a thoroughly engaging puzzle mystery"
Library Journal
"I read THE FIREMAKER and loved it. I'm also reading an ARC of EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE ... and find it very hard to put down!!"
Deb Andolino, Aliens & Alibis
Steve Berry (Author of THE TEMPLAR LEGACY)
"Read an astoundingly good book the other day. Just outstanding.
...As much an examination of French intellectual culture as a thrilling and tension-filled mystery, the novel is filled with multi-dimensional flawed individuals.
The author's examination of society and the human condition is fascinating and enthralling.
The conclusion is as exciting and entertaining
as one could ask for.
A dynamite novel and a fine beginning to what promises to be an outstanding crime fiction series."
Carl Brookins (Author of THE CASE OF THE GREEDY LAWYERS, OLD SILVER, A SUPERIOR MYSTERY and INNER PASSAGES)
“Intelligent, ever-moving and beautifully written, it is the best book I have read this year. I highly recommend it!!”
Barbara Douglas, Murder By The Book
"May provides abundant local color and writes with measured authority. The results are as engaging as they are cerebral."
Kirkus Reviews
"excellent reading...
Peter May has created not only a fast paced, cerebral mystery that keeps you guessing right down to the final pages, but he has also introduced a very likeable protagonist in Enzo Macleod.
The first in what promises to be an extraordinary mystery series, you'll want to get in on the ground floor and become acquainted with Macleod at the getgo!"
"I Love A Mystery" Newsletter
"This is possibly the best crafted mystery we’ve reviewed in 2006. It’s all there: clues, red herrings, fractured relationships, dangerous romances, and much more. We rated this excellent mystery a max five hearts."
HeartlandReviews.com
"...an excellent novel that will keep you in suspense all the way ... Hopefully Peter May will follow-up this book with future adventures of Enzo MacLeod."
Patricia Reid, BooksNBytes.com
"Peter May's "Extraordinary People" is an extraordinary novel ... Action escalates at every turn and becomes breathtaking at the denouement."
Mary Ann Smyth, Bookloons
"brisk and thrilling ... the layers of complexity bode well for future installments."
The Baltimore Sun
"May paces his tale of a burst-open cold case with teasingly professional precision"
DIBS
"Lots of twists and turns. Fast-paced. Lots of energy throughout the book."
Ollie’s world of books
"the intriguing first book in a series of thrillers set in modern France by talented author Peter May ... The presumed premise for this series, celebrated unsolved murders, is a captivating one"
Hidden Staircase Mystery Books
"This taughtly written thriller moves from the catacombs under Paris through the countryside surrounding this great city. I found it hard to put down."
Linda Walonen, Bay Books, San Ramon CA
"Twists, turns and a whirl wind tour of France ... smart and engaging ... Peter May does a wonderful job ... This is an intelligent story that every mystery fan should read."
Sondra Fowler for ReaderViews.com
"As a fan of forensics, this reader finds the interpretation of the clues a highlight to the high-paced adventure."
MyShelf.com
"The climax is a fabulous finale that will leave readers clamoring for more inquiries by the Professor and his team."
Midwest Book Review
"a suspenseful engrossing read, and well worth the time to join the chase"
CrimeSpree Magazine
"a fun and fascinating book"
The San Jose Mercury News
"action-packed second half and rather thrilling denouement in the catacombs of Paris"
Entertainment Weekly
"this travelogue–cum–murder mystery makes for a fun puzzle"
Publisher's Weekly
"a thoroughly engaging puzzle mystery"
Library Journal
"I read THE FIREMAKER and loved it. I'm also reading an ARC of EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE ... and find it very hard to put down!!"
Deb Andolino, Aliens & Alibis
FREE WORLDWIDE DELIVERY from The
Book Depository
click here to buy THE CRITIC Now
The Critic
(also published as A Vintage Corpse)
The
Critic involves the murder of a celebrated
wine critic and takes place among the vineyards of
the Gaillac region. Peter took a course in
wine-tasting and oenology (and drank a lot of
wine...) to ensure authenicity - such devotion to
duty!"a finely
crafted and surprising mystery."
Kirkus Reviews
“Oenophiles and fans of CBS’s ‘Cold Case’ will relish [The Critic]... a full-bodied, satisfying read.”
Publishers Weekly
“This is a nice series, out of the ordinary, and May presents his protagonist warts and all! ... McLeod is a delightful protagonist – stubborn, insightful, occasionally foolhardy, totally at odds in his relationships with the women in his life, and a very pleasant addition to current suspense fiction.”
CrimeSpree Magazine
“Peter May has written an excellent novel with “The Critic”. He manages to successfully incorporate mystery, suspense, humor and a little romance into one great plot.”
Reader Views
“a superb tale that will send readers seeking [Enzo’s] previous starring role (see EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE). Enzo is fabulous as he uses all his forensic skills seeking the motive ... a wonderful whodunit”
GenreGoRound
“The mystery is there, and the ending a shock”
Library Journal
“The characters are richly drawn, and Enzo in particular is a wonderful protagonist.”
Mystery Books Review
“What a great new book ... Suspenseful? Oh, yes. Thrilling? Some of that too. Great characters? For sure. A really good plot? Without saying. Action? Plenty. A good book? You betcha. Don't miss it.”
Bookloons
“The action is good, the mystery is thoughtful... thoroughly enjoyable... Plenty of winemaking information and lore adds local color and atmosphere making The Critic a sure to please mystery for everyone.”
The Mystery Reader
"Rich with the traditions of this Southern France winemaking region, this is a mystery with Gallic flavor to be to be savored."
Mystery Scene Magazine
Kirkus Reviews
“Oenophiles and fans of CBS’s ‘Cold Case’ will relish [The Critic]... a full-bodied, satisfying read.”
Publishers Weekly
“This is a nice series, out of the ordinary, and May presents his protagonist warts and all! ... McLeod is a delightful protagonist – stubborn, insightful, occasionally foolhardy, totally at odds in his relationships with the women in his life, and a very pleasant addition to current suspense fiction.”
CrimeSpree Magazine
“Peter May has written an excellent novel with “The Critic”. He manages to successfully incorporate mystery, suspense, humor and a little romance into one great plot.”
Reader Views
“a superb tale that will send readers seeking [Enzo’s] previous starring role (see EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE). Enzo is fabulous as he uses all his forensic skills seeking the motive ... a wonderful whodunit”
GenreGoRound
“The mystery is there, and the ending a shock”
Library Journal
“The characters are richly drawn, and Enzo in particular is a wonderful protagonist.”
Mystery Books Review
“What a great new book ... Suspenseful? Oh, yes. Thrilling? Some of that too. Great characters? For sure. A really good plot? Without saying. Action? Plenty. A good book? You betcha. Don't miss it.”
Bookloons
“The action is good, the mystery is thoughtful... thoroughly enjoyable... Plenty of winemaking information and lore adds local color and atmosphere making The Critic a sure to please mystery for everyone.”
The Mystery Reader
"Rich with the traditions of this Southern France winemaking region, this is a mystery with Gallic flavor to be to be savored."
Mystery Scene Magazine
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FREE WORLDWIDE DELIVERY from The
Book Depository
click here to buy BLACKLIGHT BLUE now
Blacklight Blue
The third book in the Enzo Files series is Blacklight Blue, in which the hunter becomes the hunted as Enzo finds himself targeted by someone who seems intent on destroying him and his entire family..."A cerebral,
chilling tale bound to burnish May's
reputation.”
Kirkus Reviews
"May's dark, intense third mystery to feature Scottish forensic scientist Enzo Macleod... an unusually compelling ongoing saga”
Publishers Weekly
"This complicated tale weaves threads of the past into the present...
An engrossing mystery"
Library Journal
"Another excellent story in May's series... But there is a lot more of substance in this emotional tale.
It will entertain, mystify and perplex, right up to the very end.”
Carl Brookins
"an intricate plot that does not fail to deliver...
keeps you guessing until its nail-biting ending”
Shine Entertainment Reviews
"there's a fascinating cold case, Enzo's lady friends and family members and their friends (all drawn with care and warts), somebody trying to kill all of the above, chases, wonderful scenery, and lots of other good stuff. After deciding I wasn't going to like this book, I read it in one sitting...couldn't put it down. You won't be able to resist it either.”
Kay Muther, DorothyL
"a superb cold case whodunit.”
Genre Go Round Reviews
Kirkus Reviews
"May's dark, intense third mystery to feature Scottish forensic scientist Enzo Macleod... an unusually compelling ongoing saga”
Publishers Weekly
"This complicated tale weaves threads of the past into the present...
An engrossing mystery"
Library Journal
"Another excellent story in May's series... But there is a lot more of substance in this emotional tale.
It will entertain, mystify and perplex, right up to the very end.”
Carl Brookins
"an intricate plot that does not fail to deliver...
keeps you guessing until its nail-biting ending”
Shine Entertainment Reviews
"there's a fascinating cold case, Enzo's lady friends and family members and their friends (all drawn with care and warts), somebody trying to kill all of the above, chases, wonderful scenery, and lots of other good stuff. After deciding I wasn't going to like this book, I read it in one sitting...couldn't put it down. You won't be able to resist it either.”
Kay Muther, DorothyL
"a superb cold case whodunit.”
Genre Go Round Reviews
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Free worldewide delivery from
The Book Depository
click here to buy Freeze Frame now
Freeze Frame
A
promise made to a dead man, leads Enzo to an island
off the coast of Brittany, where the man's study has
lain untouched for more than 20 years. In this
claustrophobic environment, Enzo must unravel the
clues to the murdered that the man has left in plain
sight. Enzo must confront the hostility of
locals who have no desire to see the infamous murder
back in the headlines. An attractive widow, a man
charged but acquitted of the murder--but still the
viable suspect, a crime scene frozen in time, a
dangerous hell hole by the cliffs, and a collection
of impenetrable messages, make this one of Enzo's
most difficult cases."The author
of the much acclaimed "China Thrillers"
surpasses himself here in misdirection,
placing clues in plain sight and leaving
the reader anticipating the fifth entry
in this outstanding series."
Library Journal (starred review)
"May’s excellent fourth Enzo McLeod mystery... With its intricate plot, compelling characters, and bombshell denouement, this unsettling Enzo Files installment is a must-read."
Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"The formula is a neat one, going back to the golden age of detective fiction... Although May obviously (and justifiably) prides himself on his grasp of the plot mechanics, something must be said for his vivid settings, which remove the story from the library and send it out into the wide, wide world."
New York Times
Named "One of the Best Mysteries of 2010"
by Omnimystery News Mysterious Reviews
"outstanding" "I rated the first book in the series, Extraordinary People among the best I read in 2006, but I think this entry may be better."
"an outstanding mystery, coupling the best aspects of a whodunit with those of a investigative procedural"
"The puzzle is intricate, the investigation and observational deductive reasoning by Enzo flawless."
Mysterious Reviews
"We are in the presence of a writer in complete control of his subject and his characters, and not just at the level of day to day activity. This is a truly multi-level work with thoughtful excursions into the painful inner lives of the characters, even as we follow them to inevitable and tragic conclusions. A most satisfying novel."
Carl Brookins
"Spending time with Peter May's charming and clever Enzo Macleod in Brittany is pure pleasure. In May's fourth installment of the Enzo Files series, the remote Ile de Groix, with its turbulent coast, rough weather, and laconic and secretive residents, tests Macleod intellectually and physically as he attempts to solve a case so cold it's frigid... the truth hidden inside the mystery of Freeze Frame is fascinating and Enzo Macleod is great fun to hang out with."
Bookbrowse
"fast-paced... The Enzo Files are a great series that is four for four."
Genre Go Round Reviews
"This mystery is rich in story development and characterization... enticing the reader to become a fan of this cerebral series.”
Enid Grabiner for RebeccasReads.com
"Peter May knows how to make his characters come alive and how to make us see the setting... Everyone appears well delineated and in a few words we see part of their lives."
Reviewing the Evidence
Library Journal (starred review)
"May’s excellent fourth Enzo McLeod mystery... With its intricate plot, compelling characters, and bombshell denouement, this unsettling Enzo Files installment is a must-read."
Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"The formula is a neat one, going back to the golden age of detective fiction... Although May obviously (and justifiably) prides himself on his grasp of the plot mechanics, something must be said for his vivid settings, which remove the story from the library and send it out into the wide, wide world."
New York Times
Named "One of the Best Mysteries of 2010"
by Omnimystery News Mysterious Reviews
"outstanding" "I rated the first book in the series, Extraordinary People among the best I read in 2006, but I think this entry may be better."
"an outstanding mystery, coupling the best aspects of a whodunit with those of a investigative procedural"
"The puzzle is intricate, the investigation and observational deductive reasoning by Enzo flawless."
Mysterious Reviews
"We are in the presence of a writer in complete control of his subject and his characters, and not just at the level of day to day activity. This is a truly multi-level work with thoughtful excursions into the painful inner lives of the characters, even as we follow them to inevitable and tragic conclusions. A most satisfying novel."
Carl Brookins
"Spending time with Peter May's charming and clever Enzo Macleod in Brittany is pure pleasure. In May's fourth installment of the Enzo Files series, the remote Ile de Groix, with its turbulent coast, rough weather, and laconic and secretive residents, tests Macleod intellectually and physically as he attempts to solve a case so cold it's frigid... the truth hidden inside the mystery of Freeze Frame is fascinating and Enzo Macleod is great fun to hang out with."
Bookbrowse
"fast-paced... The Enzo Files are a great series that is four for four."
Genre Go Round Reviews
"This mystery is rich in story development and characterization... enticing the reader to become a fan of this cerebral series.”
Enid Grabiner for RebeccasReads.com
"Peter May knows how to make his characters come alive and how to make us see the setting... Everyone appears well delineated and in a few words we see part of their lives."
Reviewing the Evidence
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Out now in paperback edition
Blowback
When France's top chef, Marc Fraysse, summoned the world's press to make a shattering announcement, rumors abounded that he was about to lose one of his three coveted Michelin stars. Instead, on arrival at his remote restaurant on a volcanic plateau in central France, they were greeted with the news that the troubled genius had been murdered, and the message he intended to deliver was never made. Seven years on, the identity of his killer also remains an enigma.Enzo Macleod takes on his fifth cold case and delves into the big business and high stakes of French haute cuisine. As winter sets in, and snow gathers along a volcanic horizon, he retraces long cold footsteps across a remote hilltop. But unravelling the complex web of relationships that surrounded the brilliant and mercurial chef - a spurned lover, a jealous wife, an estranged brother, an embittered food critic--also leads to strange parallels with his own life. And in opening up this celebrated cold case, he finds himself reopening old wounds from his past.
"May's flair for
narrative, characterization and evocative
descriptions of various locales and historic
tidbits ... fresh and delightfully readable —
catnip for armchair sleuths."
Kirkus
*STARRED REVIEW*
"Caught up in the various threads, readers are lulled into a false sense of knowing where the tale is heading until May pulls the rug out from under them."
Library Journal
*STARRED REVIEW*
"...[leaves] the reader anticipating the fifth entry in this outstanding series"
Library Journal
(review of Audio Version)
"Peter May is one of the best mystery writers on the market today"
The Mystery Gazette
"As we have come to expect from these stories, the plot has its share of twists,
love connections and dangerous encounters, all of which keep the reader eagerly turning the pages (hence my single-sitting completion)...
mouth-watering descriptions ... an insider’s peak into the melodrama, creativity and hard work involved in earning and maintaining 3 Michelin stars ...
...another solid whodunit that is both well-conceived and creatively told"
Examiner.com
"this detective mystery will please a wide-range of lovers of suspense novels. Enzo is a dynamic character dealing with not only the cold case, but also some very personal issues in his life. And he does it with great style. Enjoy!"
Fresh Fiction
"Peter May has done it again!! (...) This book is well plotted and beautifully written. Peter May has a series that is a winner!"
Janie's Reads
"excellent writing and excellent story ... mouth watering descriptions of food and wine"
Mysteries Etc
Kirkus
*STARRED REVIEW*
"Caught up in the various threads, readers are lulled into a false sense of knowing where the tale is heading until May pulls the rug out from under them."
Library Journal
*STARRED REVIEW*
"...[leaves] the reader anticipating the fifth entry in this outstanding series"
Library Journal
(review of Audio Version)
"Peter May is one of the best mystery writers on the market today"
The Mystery Gazette
"As we have come to expect from these stories, the plot has its share of twists,
love connections and dangerous encounters, all of which keep the reader eagerly turning the pages (hence my single-sitting completion)...
mouth-watering descriptions ... an insider’s peak into the melodrama, creativity and hard work involved in earning and maintaining 3 Michelin stars ...
...another solid whodunit that is both well-conceived and creatively told"
Examiner.com
"this detective mystery will please a wide-range of lovers of suspense novels. Enzo is a dynamic character dealing with not only the cold case, but also some very personal issues in his life. And he does it with great style. Enjoy!"
Fresh Fiction
"Peter May has done it again!! (...) This book is well plotted and beautifully written. Peter May has a series that is a winner!"
Janie's Reads
"excellent writing and excellent story ... mouth watering descriptions of food and wine"
Mysteries Etc
Buy now from the Book Depository with worldwide free delivery
In 1989, a killer dumped the body of twenty-year-old Lucie Martin into a picturesque lake in the West of France. Fourteen years later, during a summer heat wave, a drought exposed her remains - bleached bones amid the scorched mud and slime.
No one was ever convicted of her murder. But now, forensic expert Enzo Macleod is reviewing this stone cold case - the toughest of those he has been challenged to solve.
Yet when Enzo finds a flaw in the original evidence surrounding Lucie's murder, he opens a Pandora's box that not only raises old ghosts but endangers his entire family.
In a sleepy French village, the body of a man shot through the head is disinterred by the roots of a fallen tree.
A week later a famous art critic is viciously murdered in a nearby house.
The deaths occurred more than seventy years apart.
Asked by a colleague to inspect the site of the former, forensics expert Enzo Macleod quickly finds himself embroiled in the investigation of the latter. Two extraordinary narratives are set in train - one historical, unfolding in the treacherous wartime years of Occupied France; the other contemporary, set in the autumn of 2020 as France re-enters Covid lockdown.
And Enzo's investigations reveal an unexpected link between the murders - the Mona Lisa.
Tasked by the exiled General Charles de Gaulle to keep the world's most famous painting out of Nazi hands after the fall of France in 1940, 28-year-old Georgette Pignal finds herself swept along by the tide of history. Following in the wake of Da Vinci's Mona Lisa as it is moved from château to château by the Louvre, she finds herself just one step ahead of two German art experts sent to steal it for rival patrons - Hitler and Göring.
What none of them know is that the Louvre itself has taken exceptional measures to keep the painting safe, unwittingly setting in train a fatal sequence of events extending over seven decades.
Events that have led to both killings.
The Night Gate spans three generations, taking us from war-torn London, the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, Berlin and Vichy France, to the deadly enemy facing the world in 2020.
