Stupid. Not every woman needs to have a child.

Even though I haven't read all of the Enzo Files books I could not resist taking this one out of the library when it came available. This book is set in October 2020 so the COVID-19 pandemic is referenced which reminds the reader what life was like before the vaccines became available.

Enzo McLeond has retired from his job as lecturer in forensics and is therefore eager to jump at the chance to view a recently discovered burial spot dating from World War II when a former colleague asks him to take a look. The site is in a small village, Carennac, not too far from where Enzo lives in south-west France. A tree was uprooted in a storm and the bones of a body in an SS uniform were uncovered. The forensic anthropologist looking at the skeleton wants Enzo to take pictures and giver her his opinion about the site. While Enzo is looking at the area he is approached by a policeman who, when he realizes who Enzo is, asks him to consult on a recent murder in an adjoining house. An art dealer from Paris had his throat slit the night before. It appears that another art dealer from Germany may be the person responsible as he left fingerprints at the scene and traces of blood at the hotel room he was renting. Hans Bauer can not be found which also makes him look guilty. Enzo isn't so sure about his guilt and he also doesn't believe in coincidences so he thinks the cold case and this recent murder are related. As he delves into both cases he realizes that the works of art coveted by the Nazis during World War II, in particular the Mona Lisa, are probably the reason for both murders. Despite the pandemic he travels to Paris and then Germany to follow the clues. Because of the rising case numbers France is about to go into another lockdown and Enzo must solve the cases before he is restricted to his own home.

This book kept me reading late into a few nights as I too felt the pressure to solve the case. In a way I wished I had read the previous two books in the series but this one stands on its own quite well. ( )

Enzo Macleod is not comfortable being retired, he misses his work and when he is asked to consult on the body found tangled in a tree root, he is happy to oblige. However when he starts to look into the death, a murder occurs in the same village and it's not long before Enzo finds links. This is all related to the war and the preoccupation of the Nazis with works of art, specifically the Mona Lisa. However whilst the world is in the grip of a pandemic, can justice be served?
This book works on so many levels, as a contemporary crime novel, as a historical 'romance', for war afficionados etc. May is a terrific writer regardless of the novel and this is no exception. The setting during the Covid Crisis in Europe just adds a little extra. ( )

'Every tale has its time, and its place. And all stories of human endeavour, of frailty and betrayal, will pass eventually into history.Out of mind. And out of memory.'

Just when I thought the Enzo files were complete, lo and behold Peter May brings him back for a 7th outing. Some years have passed since we last saw him, and he is older and enjoying a quiet life of retirement with his wife Dominique, waiting for the arrival of his daughter Sophie's new child. But when a former colleague asks him to look into the case of an body, dating from WW2, discovered in a small village, his interest is piqued; even more so when an eminent art dealer is then murdered in a house in the same village.

Peter May weaves a (sometimes complicated) story with different timelines and different narrative voices. From the period of the Nazi occupation of France we have a story of art lovers and the Resistance, desperately trying to keep France's art treasures out of the hands of the Germans, with both Hitler and Goering wanting their hands on the 'Mona Lisa' for themselves. In the present day, Enzo finds himself caught up in the murder enquiry, whilst battling personal problems at the same time. Are the two dead bodies somehow connected? And how will Enzo cope when he is forced to face an old nemesis?

Having really enjoyed the whole series, it was a sheer pleasure to meet back up with old friends. The story will draw you in, and although it is a fairly long book (coming in at not far short of 500 pages) the pace and intrigue will immerse you in the story. May is a consummate thriller writer, but the human and personal relationships that are at the heart of the book make this feel very true to life. Throw in the fact that it is set in 2020-21, with frequent but not overbearing references to the Covid pandemic, and it also feels bang up to date. A fast-paced and engaging thriller, with a sweeping timeline and settings ranging from the Outer Hebrides to London and France, this is another smash hit from Peter May. 4.5 stars, rounded up for the welcome return of Enzo Macleod! ( )