Dry Bones: An Enzo File: Enzo Files Series, Book 1
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22 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Set in Paris, this thriller from Peter May is the first to feature forensic scientist Enzo Macleod. A Scot now living in Cahors in France, Enzo takes on a bet with some friends that, using new scientific methods of detection, he will be able to solve the mystery of the disappearance a decade earlier of brilliant university teacher Jacques Gaillard. What starts as an interesting intellectual puzzle soon turns into a full-blown thriller as Enzo begins to uncover a conspiracy involving some of the elite of French political and academic life.
While all the standard elements of the thriller are here - clues, conspiracies, chases, danger - what raises Peter May's novels above the average is the sense of place he conveys, based on what is clearly meticulous research. This book takes us on a journey through France and each place is described with a deft touch that lets us get to know it without being overwhelmed by unnecessary detail. Much of the book is set in Paris and, while showing us the city that any tourist will recognise, May also goes deeper, giving us insights into the workings of the structures and systems that produce the top people in government and commerce. He also uses his fine descriptive writing and eye for detail to paint a vivid picture of the catacombs that exist beneath the city.
As often happens in the first of a series, it took some time for all the characters to be introduced and for their back-stories to be filled out and this made the early part of the book a little slow. I also felt that sometimes the way Enzo was able to work out the clues in the plot seemed a bit too easy - coincidence came into play a little too often. I didn't enjoy this quite as much as I did May's China thrillers (the first of which is The Firemaker) or the first book in his new trilogy set on Lewis (The Blackhouse), but nonetheless I thought it was a good read with engaging characters and will certainly go on to read the next in the Enzo Files series.
While all the standard elements of the thriller are here - clues, conspiracies, chases, danger - what raises Peter May's novels above the average is the sense of place he conveys, based on what is clearly meticulous research. This book takes us on a journey through France and each place is described with a deft touch that lets us get to know it without being overwhelmed by unnecessary detail. Much of the book is set in Paris and, while showing us the city that any tourist will recognise, May also goes deeper, giving us insights into the workings of the structures and systems that produce the top people in government and commerce. He also uses his fine descriptive writing and eye for detail to paint a vivid picture of the catacombs that exist beneath the city.
As often happens in the first of a series, it took some time for all the characters to be introduced and for their back-stories to be filled out and this made the early part of the book a little slow. I also felt that sometimes the way Enzo was able to work out the clues in the plot seemed a bit too easy - coincidence came into play a little too often. I didn't enjoy this quite as much as I did May's China thrillers (the first of which is The Firemaker) or the first book in his new trilogy set on Lewis (The Blackhouse), but nonetheless I thought it was a good read with engaging characters and will certainly go on to read the next in the Enzo Files series.
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
First Sentence: He finds himself in a cobbled courtyard, breath hissing back at him from buttressed walls.
Enzo Macleod left his first wife, daughter Katie and job as a career in forensics in Scotland and is now a teacher in Cahors, France and father to Sophie after losing her mother in childbirth. He is trying to reconnect with Katie, now living in Paris and is worried about 18-year-old Sophie and her boyfriend. He has accepted a high-stakes bet from his childhood friend, Simon, now a lawyer, to solve a 10-year-old closed case.
Jacques Guillard was a graduate of the prestigious Ecole Nationale d'Administration (ENA), and an advisor to the Prime Minster when his book on the History of French Cinema caused him to be `instructed' to become an teacher at ENA. Then, he disappeared.
Now, due to construction in Paris, a tin truck has been unearthed containing a skull and several other items which lead him on a path to other trunks, more bodies and, possibly, his own death.
This is the first in a new series of Enzo File books by Peter May in which the protagonist works to solve cold cases. There were quite a few characters in the story. While each was distinguishable in their own right, there wasn't as much character development as I'd have liked beyond the protagonist. I did like that Enzo did not operate completely on his own but that others participated in uncovering the meanings behind the clues. I also liked that he wasn't Mr. Macho and occasionally had too-stupid-to-live moments, which added to the suspense.
The story is interspersed with delightful, humanly comedic scenes. There are a lot of coincidences but the story was engrossing enough that I forgave them. There is a graphic sex scene but it does serve a purpose. The story takes place in a lot of different locations around France, but I felt the sense of place could have been stronger. The author has included fascinating historical information without overpowering or disrupting the story. There is, however, a huge hole in the plot, which did bother me and a geographic inaccuracy which better editing should have caught.
There is some very good suspense, particularly toward the end. The story had some very good twists. I didn't realize the villain even though I probably should have. All-in-all, I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more Enzo Files books.
Enzo Macleod left his first wife, daughter Katie and job as a career in forensics in Scotland and is now a teacher in Cahors, France and father to Sophie after losing her mother in childbirth. He is trying to reconnect with Katie, now living in Paris and is worried about 18-year-old Sophie and her boyfriend. He has accepted a high-stakes bet from his childhood friend, Simon, now a lawyer, to solve a 10-year-old closed case.
Jacques Guillard was a graduate of the prestigious Ecole Nationale d'Administration (ENA), and an advisor to the Prime Minster when his book on the History of French Cinema caused him to be `instructed' to become an teacher at ENA. Then, he disappeared.
Now, due to construction in Paris, a tin truck has been unearthed containing a skull and several other items which lead him on a path to other trunks, more bodies and, possibly, his own death.
This is the first in a new series of Enzo File books by Peter May in which the protagonist works to solve cold cases. There were quite a few characters in the story. While each was distinguishable in their own right, there wasn't as much character development as I'd have liked beyond the protagonist. I did like that Enzo did not operate completely on his own but that others participated in uncovering the meanings behind the clues. I also liked that he wasn't Mr. Macho and occasionally had too-stupid-to-live moments, which added to the suspense.
The story is interspersed with delightful, humanly comedic scenes. There are a lot of coincidences but the story was engrossing enough that I forgave them. There is a graphic sex scene but it does serve a purpose. The story takes place in a lot of different locations around France, but I felt the sense of place could have been stronger. The author has included fascinating historical information without overpowering or disrupting the story. There is, however, a huge hole in the plot, which did bother me and a geographic inaccuracy which better editing should have caught.
There is some very good suspense, particularly toward the end. The story had some very good twists. I didn't realize the villain even though I probably should have. All-in-all, I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more Enzo Files books.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
If readers are expecting another novel a la the lugubrious Fin Macleod Lewis Trilogy , think again, or you will be disappointed. This is an entertaining romp through France - a completely different sort of whodunnit to the aforementioned, a change of style which I very much enjoyed. There is no rule that says that authors must always write in the same way in the same genre, and Peter May demonstrates that it is possible to produce two very different types of book which can be equally satisfying to read. So perhaps Enzo isn't really very likeable as extremely clever people often aren't; neither is Sherlock Holmes but that is no reason for condemning Conan Doyle. Equally, the plot is far fetched, but much wittier and better drafted than Dan Brown, and I didn't guess the twist in the plot until nearly the end. If you want a light, easy going book which offers a good plot and a nice byline into French life this is for you. If you want more Fin Macleod - look to Scandinavia.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
An enjoyable yarn
I'd never heard of Peter May before his Lewis series, but as I got through the Lewis Man in a weekend, I had a look for more books by him and came across the Enzo Files series. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Tanya
Enzo Files by Peter May
A series of five books all with the same characters attempting to solve a continuing puzzle. All stories set in France, some locations fairly implausible but all make for... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Peter Macleod
Sub Da Vinci Code if you can imagine that?
Oh dear, having loved the first 2 Lewis Trilogy books, I bought this in the absence of book 3. I really wish I hadn't bothered. Read more
Published 2 months ago by souter
Absurd plot, badly developed
Not only is the premise of the plot absurd, for reasons which cannot be discussed without giving the whole thing away, but the development, from a reasonably promising start, is... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mr. Stephen Edwards
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