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The Enzo Files #5
Blowback
PUY-DE-DÔME, FRANCE. A Silenced Man. Footprints in the snow lead to the murder scene of Marc Fraysse, France's most celebrated chef - brutally shot before he could make the revelation of his career. A Determined Man. Seven years on and the mystery still raw, Enzo Macleod, forensic investigator, forays into the heated world of haute cuisine to uncover bitter feuds and a burning secret. A Hunted Man. The Fraysse family history is as twisted as Enzo's own. And in his pursuit of truth, the depths of deceit threaten to consume Enzo - and that which he cherishes most. This paperback book has 356 pages and measures: 19.7 x 12.8 x 2cm
355 pages, Paperback
First published May 27, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 314 reviews
August 14, 2019
This is the fifth cold-case of seven that Enzo has vowed to solve in France. This time, a famous chef with a Michelin 3-Star rating on his dining room, was murdered 7 years ago. Or was he? There is little evidence for a forensics expert to go on, but Enzo has a feeling that if he keeps talking to the people involved, something will come up to give him traction.
The restaurant is still a Michelin 3-Star and continues with the murder victim’s second as head chef, his brother continues to manage the business end, and various other people cheerfully and happily do their jobs in contributing to the ongoing success.
Enzo is treated to some fine dining as well as experiencing some wines (the victim’s brother is a collector) beyond his previous experience.
As part of his investigation, Enzo also spends some time in Paris and is brought up to date with others of his family circle. There are some surprises for Enzo, and also some very touching scenes.
I did experience a couple of incongruities with this story, although they were not impactful enough to put me off completely.
What really has my curiosity caught is that there are yet two more cold cases to solve – but only one more book in this series. I definitely look forward with anticipation to the finale – and the opportunity to read and discuss the ending with my reading buddy, Sue D, will continue to add further fun and depth to these reads.
The restaurant is still a Michelin 3-Star and continues with the murder victim’s second as head chef, his brother continues to manage the business end, and various other people cheerfully and happily do their jobs in contributing to the ongoing success.
Enzo is treated to some fine dining as well as experiencing some wines (the victim’s brother is a collector) beyond his previous experience.
As part of his investigation, Enzo also spends some time in Paris and is brought up to date with others of his family circle. There are some surprises for Enzo, and also some very touching scenes.
I did experience a couple of incongruities with this story, although they were not impactful enough to put me off completely.
What really has my curiosity caught is that there are yet two more cold cases to solve – but only one more book in this series. I definitely look forward with anticipation to the finale – and the opportunity to read and discuss the ending with my reading buddy, Sue D, will continue to add further fun and depth to these reads.
September 16, 2017
I like this series and usually rate each book 4 stars. This one loses:-
* half a star for too much pretentious detail about how superb each mouthful of food is and far too much information about wine. I had to skim.
* half a star because the murder was seven years old and I was required to believe that the murder victim's computer was still on his desk still wired to the internet and the printer and apparently untouched by human hand in the intervening years. Oh and the printer ink still worked. I am prepared to suspend belief in crime novels but sometimes they go too far even for me:)
On the other hand I still enjoy Enzo and his slightly unusual family and the book was well paced and exciting - once we got out of the restaurant and the wine cellar. And Enzo even managed to help solve the case with a few forensic details which was nice.
So not the best of the series so far, for me anyway, but still a good read.
* half a star for too much pretentious detail about how superb each mouthful of food is and far too much information about wine. I had to skim.
* half a star because the murder was seven years old and I was required to believe that the murder victim's computer was still on his desk still wired to the internet and the printer and apparently untouched by human hand in the intervening years. Oh and the printer ink still worked. I am prepared to suspend belief in crime novels but sometimes they go too far even for me:)
On the other hand I still enjoy Enzo and his slightly unusual family and the book was well paced and exciting - once we got out of the restaurant and the wine cellar. And Enzo even managed to help solve the case with a few forensic details which was nice.
So not the best of the series so far, for me anyway, but still a good read.
March 12, 2020
Review to follow
May 1, 2011
We have dog detectives, cat detectives, recipe mysteries, vampire sleuths, etc. Most of these I ignore. At least a university professor who is a forensic science expert and works on cold cases makes sense.
Enzo MacLeod, is investigating the cold case murder of Marc Fraysse, a three star restaurant chef, who owned a place so famous that reservations were required six months in advance. Discovered by the local flic, Dominique, who, Enzo discovers to his delight, cleans up spectacularly out of uniform. (Some of these fall-spring relationships, I find disconcerting. The idea of dating someone younger than my daughter is weird.) Speaking of daughters, we learn relatively early that Enzo has sent his daughter to work incognito at the restaurant and he soon learns (mostly through her flirting with Phillippe) that Marc had been having an affair with Anne, the wife of the sous chef. After his death the restaurant was taken over by Marc’s brother, Gus. Rumors had been circulating that Marc was about to lose his third star. It seems a restaurant critic had it in for Marc.
Enzo enlists his daughter to help gather some undercover inside information and soon discovers that Marc problems way beyond those of a restaurateur in fear of losing a star. He was losing millions at the track. A multitude of other motives begin to surface as Enzo explores Marc’s relationship with his wife and brother, Gus, from whom he had been estranged for many years before Marc achieved his third star. Familial discord is a theme that inflicts both the Fraysse and MacLeod families and the parallels between the two seemed a bit too coincidental if not irrelevant.
May clearly loves haute cuisine which he describes in loving detail as well as the French countryside. I’m not a an oenophile so I suspect I didn't appreciate the effete (if not absurd) descriptions of wines. Nevertheless, they elicited an unintended chuckle. Well written with an ingenious plot; I’ll add some some of the earlier Enzo titles to my reading list. I knocked off a star because the forensic science seemed to take a back seat to cuisine.
I received a free copy of this book as an advanced reader copy. That it was free affected my judgment not a whit.
Enzo MacLeod, is investigating the cold case murder of Marc Fraysse, a three star restaurant chef, who owned a place so famous that reservations were required six months in advance. Discovered by the local flic, Dominique, who, Enzo discovers to his delight, cleans up spectacularly out of uniform. (Some of these fall-spring relationships, I find disconcerting. The idea of dating someone younger than my daughter is weird.) Speaking of daughters, we learn relatively early that Enzo has sent his daughter to work incognito at the restaurant and he soon learns (mostly through her flirting with Phillippe) that Marc had been having an affair with Anne, the wife of the sous chef. After his death the restaurant was taken over by Marc’s brother, Gus. Rumors had been circulating that Marc was about to lose his third star. It seems a restaurant critic had it in for Marc.
Enzo enlists his daughter to help gather some undercover inside information and soon discovers that Marc problems way beyond those of a restaurateur in fear of losing a star. He was losing millions at the track. A multitude of other motives begin to surface as Enzo explores Marc’s relationship with his wife and brother, Gus, from whom he had been estranged for many years before Marc achieved his third star. Familial discord is a theme that inflicts both the Fraysse and MacLeod families and the parallels between the two seemed a bit too coincidental if not irrelevant.
May clearly loves haute cuisine which he describes in loving detail as well as the French countryside. I’m not a an oenophile so I suspect I didn't appreciate the effete (if not absurd) descriptions of wines. Nevertheless, they elicited an unintended chuckle. Well written with an ingenious plot; I’ll add some some of the earlier Enzo titles to my reading list. I knocked off a star because the forensic science seemed to take a back seat to cuisine.
I received a free copy of this book as an advanced reader copy. That it was free affected my judgment not a whit.
April 23, 2021
This is the 5th book in the Enzo McLeod series and not my favourite.
The book in quite a lot of parts read as a food and wine critique to the point it was distracting and detracting from the main story.
Enzo is investigating the cold case of a celebrity chef who was murdered seven years earlier. As usual Enzo becomes entangled with a young, beautiful woman who is drawn to him.
Also in this his former lover Charlotte resurfaces having had Enzo's son.
I have really enjoyed this series but felt a little let down by this particular instalment.
The book in quite a lot of parts read as a food and wine critique to the point it was distracting and detracting from the main story.
Enzo is investigating the cold case of a celebrity chef who was murdered seven years earlier. As usual Enzo becomes entangled with a young, beautiful woman who is drawn to him.
Also in this his former lover Charlotte resurfaces having had Enzo's son.
I have really enjoyed this series but felt a little let down by this particular instalment.
June 1, 2020
The town emerged slowly from the mist and rain, rising up a steeply-pitched volcanic slope towards a ragged summit. Clusters of soiled white and pink houses were built into the gradient, four storey high at one side, two at the other. From the foot of the hill, the road snaked its way up between them, walls and windows and balconies rising up on either side of it like cracks and ledges in the walls of a canyon.
In the fifth of the cold cases detailed by journalist Roger Raffin, in his best-seller book Assassin Caché, forensics expert Enzo MacLeod leaves his home in Cahors in the south of France, driving to the Massif Central in the department of Puy de Dôme, to solve the murder of celebrity chef, Marc Fraysse, seven years earlier, near his 3-star Michelin restaurant outside Thiers. As the end of the season approaches, (April-November), Enzo finds himself in a climate more similar to that of his native Scotland, and introduces him to the cut-throat world of tyrannical chefs, fine wines, food critics and individuals more than willing to prosper on the weaknesses of the rich and famous.
First he discusses the case with the examining officer, Gendarme Dominique Chazal, who shows Enzo the scene of the crime, before he books into the l’auberge run by victim’s widow Elisabeth and his brother, Guy, a former accountant who has amassed one of the finest wine collections in Europe.
At the north-west corner of the cellar he had a small office, and Enzo saw the light burning in it, reflecting off the rows of precious bottles that lined the floor-to-ceiling racks. His footsteps echoed back from bedrock as he made his way to the far side of the cave, a sense of culture and wealth and history pressing all around him, dark liquid gold in darker, dustier bottles.
Vaunted for his forensic skills, Enzo is courted by Guy, less so by the widow and the second chef –the protégé who took Marc Fraysse’s place. Soon Enzo discovers sibling rivalries, a not-so-secret love affair, a chef’s paranoia and interesting documents hidden on the laptop – raising more questions than answers. As always the author’s ability to transport the reader vividly to locations is unsurpassed, as revealed when Guy takes Enzo on a trip to the markets in Clermont-Ferrand.
Enzo followed Guy inside where the traders were setting out fresh produce straight from the surrounding farms of the Massif. A bewildering display of fruit and vegetables, meat and cheeses. Raised voices echoed among the rafters in the cold as the commerçants called out early morning greetings and cracked jokes, fingerless gloves on chilled hands, feet stamping on hard concrete for warmth. Breath misted and swirled around their heads like smoke, while the freshly hosed floor reflected overhead lights as if it had just been painted and not yet dried.
The real mystery here is not the cold case with its twists and turns, but how anyone can indulge in a 3-course gourmet lunch with three separate wines/champagne and remain vertical, let alone functioning. Then there’s the (inevitable) attractive female only too ready to drop her kit to dance around Enzo’s caber.
The backstory is Enzo’s own extended family, and while in Paris to track down various interested parties in the crime, he calls in on journalist Raffin, who once lived with psychologist Charlotte (mother of Enzo’s son) who meets him at the café Les Deux Magots, Saint-Germain-des-Pres, made famous by Hemingway. Enzo’s non-biological Scottish daughter, Kirsten, has moved in with Raffin, the French daughter, Sophie, is working undercover, plus a previously unheard of half-brother turns up. All too soap opera for me.
Verdict: well-written, well-researched, but not the best of the series.
In the fifth of the cold cases detailed by journalist Roger Raffin, in his best-seller book Assassin Caché, forensics expert Enzo MacLeod leaves his home in Cahors in the south of France, driving to the Massif Central in the department of Puy de Dôme, to solve the murder of celebrity chef, Marc Fraysse, seven years earlier, near his 3-star Michelin restaurant outside Thiers. As the end of the season approaches, (April-November), Enzo finds himself in a climate more similar to that of his native Scotland, and introduces him to the cut-throat world of tyrannical chefs, fine wines, food critics and individuals more than willing to prosper on the weaknesses of the rich and famous.
First he discusses the case with the examining officer, Gendarme Dominique Chazal, who shows Enzo the scene of the crime, before he books into the l’auberge run by victim’s widow Elisabeth and his brother, Guy, a former accountant who has amassed one of the finest wine collections in Europe.
At the north-west corner of the cellar he had a small office, and Enzo saw the light burning in it, reflecting off the rows of precious bottles that lined the floor-to-ceiling racks. His footsteps echoed back from bedrock as he made his way to the far side of the cave, a sense of culture and wealth and history pressing all around him, dark liquid gold in darker, dustier bottles.
Vaunted for his forensic skills, Enzo is courted by Guy, less so by the widow and the second chef –the protégé who took Marc Fraysse’s place. Soon Enzo discovers sibling rivalries, a not-so-secret love affair, a chef’s paranoia and interesting documents hidden on the laptop – raising more questions than answers. As always the author’s ability to transport the reader vividly to locations is unsurpassed, as revealed when Guy takes Enzo on a trip to the markets in Clermont-Ferrand.
Enzo followed Guy inside where the traders were setting out fresh produce straight from the surrounding farms of the Massif. A bewildering display of fruit and vegetables, meat and cheeses. Raised voices echoed among the rafters in the cold as the commerçants called out early morning greetings and cracked jokes, fingerless gloves on chilled hands, feet stamping on hard concrete for warmth. Breath misted and swirled around their heads like smoke, while the freshly hosed floor reflected overhead lights as if it had just been painted and not yet dried.
The real mystery here is not the cold case with its twists and turns, but how anyone can indulge in a 3-course gourmet lunch with three separate wines/champagne and remain vertical, let alone functioning. Then there’s the (inevitable) attractive female only too ready to drop her kit to dance around Enzo’s caber.
The backstory is Enzo’s own extended family, and while in Paris to track down various interested parties in the crime, he calls in on journalist Raffin, who once lived with psychologist Charlotte (mother of Enzo’s son) who meets him at the café Les Deux Magots, Saint-Germain-des-Pres, made famous by Hemingway. Enzo’s non-biological Scottish daughter, Kirsten, has moved in with Raffin, the French daughter, Sophie, is working undercover, plus a previously unheard of half-brother turns up. All too soap opera for me.
Verdict: well-written, well-researched, but not the best of the series.
August 19, 2019
Another good entry in the Enzo Files series. And to think there is only one more! The unsolved mysteries in Roger Raffin’s book are slowly being deciphered by Enzo Macleod. This time it’s the death of celebrity chef Marc Fraysse.
to be continued...
to be continued...
September 20, 2021
Blow Back is the fifth book in the Enzo Macleod Investigation series by Scottish journalist, screenwriter and author, Peter May. Having achieved more than the French police had managed to with four of Roger Raffin’s cold cases, Enzo Macleod heads to the auberge at Saint-Pierre that houses Chez Fraysse, a Michelin-three-starred restaurant.
Unlike the reception he received with earlier cases, he is made welcome by both the young Gendarme, Dominique Chazal, and the victim’s widow and older brother: all claim that their most fervent desire is for Enzo to solve the murder of celebrity chef, Marc Fraysse. On his customary afternoon run, seven and a half years earlier, Marc was shot dead in a buron on the ridge track, his mobile phone missing. But not everyone at Chez Fraysse seems happy with Enzo’s presence.
Elisabeth Fraysse maintains that Marc was loved by all, had no enemies except for the food critic who made public a rumour that Marc was about to lose a star. Dominique tells Enzo she was unimpressed with the detective high fliers who came to investigate. Finding Marc’s laptop still in his bureau, Enzo concludes she may be right. Incredibly, it seems that investigators, when they did not find a document stating in 36-point font “My killer is XX”, looked no further. Enzo does, with an interesting result.
Enzo has set up someone on staff to helpfully provide inside information, although that backfires in an unexpected manner. The gossip thus garnered does provide three possible suspects; perusal of the draft of Marc’s memoir yields further motives; and a certain compulsive vice of Marc’s points to yet more.
As usual, Enzo attracts a woman: this one conveniently owns the sniffer dog that comes in handy later. There’s an attempt on his life, a couple of trips to Paris, some welcome and some unwelcome news about his daughter, Kirsty, and a favour called in from a documents expert. Three young women press Enzo to demand access to the baby son he has not yet seen.
While it’s true the setting is a gourmet restaurant with a seventy-thousand bottle cellar, Enzo waxes lyrical about meals and wines so many times that it does get just a bit tedious. And it seems odd that Enzo only reads the earlier parts of Marc’s memoir (which, incidentally set him off on uncomfortable reminiscences of his own) when the most recent might have provided more relevant information.
Despite a few plot holes, this is still an enjoyable read: there are plenty of red herrings (not all of them convincing) in the lead up to a dramatic climax that involves guns, quite a bit of spilled wine and broken glass, and the twist is excellent. The next instalment, Cast Iron is eagerly anticipated.
Unlike the reception he received with earlier cases, he is made welcome by both the young Gendarme, Dominique Chazal, and the victim’s widow and older brother: all claim that their most fervent desire is for Enzo to solve the murder of celebrity chef, Marc Fraysse. On his customary afternoon run, seven and a half years earlier, Marc was shot dead in a buron on the ridge track, his mobile phone missing. But not everyone at Chez Fraysse seems happy with Enzo’s presence.
Elisabeth Fraysse maintains that Marc was loved by all, had no enemies except for the food critic who made public a rumour that Marc was about to lose a star. Dominique tells Enzo she was unimpressed with the detective high fliers who came to investigate. Finding Marc’s laptop still in his bureau, Enzo concludes she may be right. Incredibly, it seems that investigators, when they did not find a document stating in 36-point font “My killer is XX”, looked no further. Enzo does, with an interesting result.
Enzo has set up someone on staff to helpfully provide inside information, although that backfires in an unexpected manner. The gossip thus garnered does provide three possible suspects; perusal of the draft of Marc’s memoir yields further motives; and a certain compulsive vice of Marc’s points to yet more.
As usual, Enzo attracts a woman: this one conveniently owns the sniffer dog that comes in handy later. There’s an attempt on his life, a couple of trips to Paris, some welcome and some unwelcome news about his daughter, Kirsty, and a favour called in from a documents expert. Three young women press Enzo to demand access to the baby son he has not yet seen.
While it’s true the setting is a gourmet restaurant with a seventy-thousand bottle cellar, Enzo waxes lyrical about meals and wines so many times that it does get just a bit tedious. And it seems odd that Enzo only reads the earlier parts of Marc’s memoir (which, incidentally set him off on uncomfortable reminiscences of his own) when the most recent might have provided more relevant information.
Despite a few plot holes, this is still an enjoyable read: there are plenty of red herrings (not all of them convincing) in the lead up to a dramatic climax that involves guns, quite a bit of spilled wine and broken glass, and the twist is excellent. The next instalment, Cast Iron is eagerly anticipated.
January 18, 2016
I’m up to date with the Enzo Files – here is to hoping that we get the last two mysteries at some point in the foreseeable future!
Whilst the Enzo Files are not my favourite work by Peter May, I do thoroughly enjoy them. Each book offers up another interesting criminal story, with the understory of Enzo’s life developing. I admit that at times I grow annoyed with the soap opera of his life, but as a whole I love to watch his development as a character – along with the development of side characters.
With this one, we have another great story. Things are nicely woven together to create another great mystery that keeps you interested until the end (even if you are not second guessing because, as with the other books in the series, we don’t quite reach the point where you question all the motives).
That being said, there were some issues with this book. Editing issues, I should point out. There were inconsistencies that should have been noticed during the editing stage, which prevented me from enjoying the book as much as I would have liked to. I would have found the story much more engaging had I not been frowning at how information was contradicting what had been written in prior chapters.
Nevertheless, it was a fun addition to the series and I want to see how things end for Enzo and company.
Whilst the Enzo Files are not my favourite work by Peter May, I do thoroughly enjoy them. Each book offers up another interesting criminal story, with the understory of Enzo’s life developing. I admit that at times I grow annoyed with the soap opera of his life, but as a whole I love to watch his development as a character – along with the development of side characters.
With this one, we have another great story. Things are nicely woven together to create another great mystery that keeps you interested until the end (even if you are not second guessing because, as with the other books in the series, we don’t quite reach the point where you question all the motives).
That being said, there were some issues with this book. Editing issues, I should point out. There were inconsistencies that should have been noticed during the editing stage, which prevented me from enjoying the book as much as I would have liked to. I would have found the story much more engaging had I not been frowning at how information was contradicting what had been written in prior chapters.
Nevertheless, it was a fun addition to the series and I want to see how things end for Enzo and company.
November 2, 2018
Another in the Enzo Files series featuring Enzo Macleod, a forensic scientist living in France who has undertaken to solve the unsolved.....murders, sometimes many years old, which were contained in a book written by a friend. He has made a bet with his author friend that he can prove that these murders are solvable using the latest forensic techniques.
In this volume, the victim is a world famous chef whose restaurant/inn has a 3 star Michelin rating and who did not seem to have had any enemies. He was found, shot through the head on a deserted running trail but no gun was found and no clues apparent. Macleod moves into the inn and begins his search for the truth.
There is a lot of padding in this book; descriptions of scenery, towns, food, people who are incidental to the storyline, etc. The author could have cut the book down by 100 pages by avoiding this device. The story is fairly interesting but the relationships among the characters tend to get more complex than necessary. It is an OK read but nothing special.
In this volume, the victim is a world famous chef whose restaurant/inn has a 3 star Michelin rating and who did not seem to have had any enemies. He was found, shot through the head on a deserted running trail but no gun was found and no clues apparent. Macleod moves into the inn and begins his search for the truth.
There is a lot of padding in this book; descriptions of scenery, towns, food, people who are incidental to the storyline, etc. The author could have cut the book down by 100 pages by avoiding this device. The story is fairly interesting but the relationships among the characters tend to get more complex than necessary. It is an OK read but nothing special.
May 27, 2018
Blow Back
Peter May
Enzo Macleod #5
2017 (this version)
Peter May’s Enzo Macleod is at it again. Cooking, romancing, drinking, tussling, poetry and discovering, all in a different part of France. Did we mention Scottish philosophy and drinking? Oh, and he is a father – again.
Enjoy the ride as we live the hard life of fine wine and fine dining as Enzo looks into the death of a Michelin 3 star chef and his iconic and slightly remote restaurant.
Did you know that Enzo had a brother?
And we even learnt a little more of Enzo’s Italian roots…
But why the daughter…and another attack while Enzo travels alone.
Seven years earlier, France's top chef, Marc Fraysse, summoned the world's culinary press to his remote restaurant in central France to make an announcement that he said would cause shockwaves in the culinary community. Speculating that Fraysse's restaurant was about to lose one of his precious Michelin stars, the reporters were shocked to find instead that the great chef had been murdered. In the end, the media left without a clue about the message the chef intended to deliver or about who might have killed him.
Continuing his string of investigations into stubborn cold cases, ex-forensics superstar Enzo Macleod takes on the case, diving into the big business and high stakes of French haute cuisine. Winter has settled in around the mountaintop restaurant, causing complications. And as he learns more about the complex web of relationships that surrounded the celebrated (if also mercurial) chef--a spurned lover, a jealous wife, an estranged brother, an embittered food critic--Macleod begins to see parallels with his own life and loves. In diving into this new case, he finds himself reopening old wounds of his own . . .
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XR93P35/...
Notes:
La nature parle el l’experience traduit ~ Jean-Paul Sartre
21: High-end guest rooms for a three-star restaurant so remotely located were a must. Not only to provide overnight accommodation…to maximize the high-income stream which would mean survival in a tough business.
33: The phrase, la nature parle el l’experience traduit , written in Marc Fraysse’s distincitive had. Nature speaks, experience translates. A quote, Enzo knew, from Jean-Paul Sartre.
36:…the black wine of Cahors. The Malbec is a difficult grape, but when it’s crafted properly the results can be magnificent.
41: The organization of the kitchen is fairly simple. It is divided into four. The larder, or garde-manager; the vegetable section; fish and meat; and the boulangerie-patisserie. There is a chef in charge of each, the chef de partie. Then there is the sous-chef or second, the chef de cuisine, and of course, the chef himself. Le patron.
44: Aged long enough, I guess, for most of the tannin to have turned to fruit.
87: The Macleods had not been a wealthy family, which is why they had lived in the east end of the city. The prevailing wind came from the west, so all the filth from the factory chimneys got carried east. In those does the buildings were black with it.
My mum’s family owned a café. There were a lot of Italians in Glasgow at that time. I think many of them had been interned during the war and stayed on afterwards.
88: Tallys, the cafes were called, and no one made ice cream like the Italians.
In the 19th and 20th centuries the Scottish education system was reckoned to be just about the best in the world. Everyone had access to it. Rich and Poor. Why do you think so many inventions of the industrial age are attributed to Scots?
100: It had taken a long time…to make him realize that measuring yourself against others was a futile pursuit.
114: Then take care, monsieur. You shouldn’t upset the chef before dining. You never know what you might find in your food.
121: He did, however, employ Loiseau’s technique of boiling the garlic cloves, changing the water several times in the process.
123: Clichés become clichés….because they are oft repeated universal truths. And here’s one that I always pay attention to. No smoke without fire
126: It sounds like socialism to me.
It’s not really. I take my inspiration from a Scottish poet called Robert Burns. A marvelous poem called A Man’s a Man for a’That.
EN: decided to include the poem here, though not in the novel.
For a' That and a' That
BY ROBERT BURNS
Is there, for honest poverty,
That hings his head, an' a' that?
The coward slave, we pass him by,
We dare be poor for a' that!
For a' that, an' a' that,
Our toils obscure, an' a' that;
The rank is but the guinea's stamp;
The man's the gowd for a' that,
What tho' on hamely fare we dine,
Wear hoddin-gray, an' a' that;
Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine,
A man's a man for a' that.
For a' that, an' a' that,
Their tinsel show an' a' that;
The honest man, tho' e'er sae poor,
Is king o' men for a' that.
Ye see yon birkie, ca'd a lord
Wha struts, an' stares, an' a' that;
Tho' hundreds worship at his word,
He's but a coof for a' that:
For a' that, an' a' that,
His riband, star, an' a' that,
The man o' independent mind,
He looks and laughs at a' that.
A prince can mak a belted knight,
A marquis, duke, an' a' that;
But an honest man's aboon his might,
Guid faith he mauna fa' that!
For a' that, an' a' that,
Their dignities, an' a' that,
The pith o' sense, an' pride o' worth,
Are higher rank than a' that.
Then let us pray that come it may,
As come it will for a' that,
That sense and worth, o'er a' the earth,
May bear the gree, an' a' that.
For a' that, an' a' that,
It's coming yet, for a' that,
That man to man, the warld o'er,
Shall brothers be for a' that.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem...
It sounds like socialism to me.
127: Are all Scots such flatterers?
Yes, it’s our genetic inheritance. The three Fs: Flatter, flirting and flippancy.
170: Delicate like an w illustration.
183: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
196: But scent can cling to objects for years.
197: Independent can sometimes just be another word for lonely
242: Here’s tae us, wha’s like us? Damn few, and they’re a’deid ~ A classic Scottish toast.
245: The café was packed. Enzo never ceased to be amazed at how easy it was to be lonely in a crowd.
246: Kir
EN: Kir is a popular French cocktail made with a measure of crème de cassis topped up with white wine. In France it is usually drunk as an apéritif before a meal or snack. It was originally made with Bourgogne Aligoté, a white wine of Burgundy.
249: Lorenzo, Laurent. Same name, different languages. She had named him after his father
258: But Moliere was born Jean-Baptiste Poquelin
300: His experience of driving in snow in Scotland had taught him to keep the care in second gear, or even third, to maximize traction.
#BlowBack @authorpetermay
Peter May
Enzo Macleod #5
2017 (this version)
Peter May’s Enzo Macleod is at it again. Cooking, romancing, drinking, tussling, poetry and discovering, all in a different part of France. Did we mention Scottish philosophy and drinking? Oh, and he is a father – again.
Enjoy the ride as we live the hard life of fine wine and fine dining as Enzo looks into the death of a Michelin 3 star chef and his iconic and slightly remote restaurant.
Did you know that Enzo had a brother?
And we even learnt a little more of Enzo’s Italian roots…
But why the daughter…and another attack while Enzo travels alone.
Seven years earlier, France's top chef, Marc Fraysse, summoned the world's culinary press to his remote restaurant in central France to make an announcement that he said would cause shockwaves in the culinary community. Speculating that Fraysse's restaurant was about to lose one of his precious Michelin stars, the reporters were shocked to find instead that the great chef had been murdered. In the end, the media left without a clue about the message the chef intended to deliver or about who might have killed him.
Continuing his string of investigations into stubborn cold cases, ex-forensics superstar Enzo Macleod takes on the case, diving into the big business and high stakes of French haute cuisine. Winter has settled in around the mountaintop restaurant, causing complications. And as he learns more about the complex web of relationships that surrounded the celebrated (if also mercurial) chef--a spurned lover, a jealous wife, an estranged brother, an embittered food critic--Macleod begins to see parallels with his own life and loves. In diving into this new case, he finds himself reopening old wounds of his own . . .
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XR93P35/...
Notes:
La nature parle el l’experience traduit ~ Jean-Paul Sartre
21: High-end guest rooms for a three-star restaurant so remotely located were a must. Not only to provide overnight accommodation…to maximize the high-income stream which would mean survival in a tough business.
33: The phrase, la nature parle el l’experience traduit , written in Marc Fraysse’s distincitive had. Nature speaks, experience translates. A quote, Enzo knew, from Jean-Paul Sartre.
36:…the black wine of Cahors. The Malbec is a difficult grape, but when it’s crafted properly the results can be magnificent.
41: The organization of the kitchen is fairly simple. It is divided into four. The larder, or garde-manager; the vegetable section; fish and meat; and the boulangerie-patisserie. There is a chef in charge of each, the chef de partie. Then there is the sous-chef or second, the chef de cuisine, and of course, the chef himself. Le patron.
44: Aged long enough, I guess, for most of the tannin to have turned to fruit.
87: The Macleods had not been a wealthy family, which is why they had lived in the east end of the city. The prevailing wind came from the west, so all the filth from the factory chimneys got carried east. In those does the buildings were black with it.
My mum’s family owned a café. There were a lot of Italians in Glasgow at that time. I think many of them had been interned during the war and stayed on afterwards.
88: Tallys, the cafes were called, and no one made ice cream like the Italians.
In the 19th and 20th centuries the Scottish education system was reckoned to be just about the best in the world. Everyone had access to it. Rich and Poor. Why do you think so many inventions of the industrial age are attributed to Scots?
100: It had taken a long time…to make him realize that measuring yourself against others was a futile pursuit.
114: Then take care, monsieur. You shouldn’t upset the chef before dining. You never know what you might find in your food.
121: He did, however, employ Loiseau’s technique of boiling the garlic cloves, changing the water several times in the process.
123: Clichés become clichés….because they are oft repeated universal truths. And here’s one that I always pay attention to. No smoke without fire
126: It sounds like socialism to me.
It’s not really. I take my inspiration from a Scottish poet called Robert Burns. A marvelous poem called A Man’s a Man for a’That.
EN: decided to include the poem here, though not in the novel.
For a' That and a' That
BY ROBERT BURNS
Is there, for honest poverty,
That hings his head, an' a' that?
The coward slave, we pass him by,
We dare be poor for a' that!
For a' that, an' a' that,
Our toils obscure, an' a' that;
The rank is but the guinea's stamp;
The man's the gowd for a' that,
What tho' on hamely fare we dine,
Wear hoddin-gray, an' a' that;
Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine,
A man's a man for a' that.
For a' that, an' a' that,
Their tinsel show an' a' that;
The honest man, tho' e'er sae poor,
Is king o' men for a' that.
Ye see yon birkie, ca'd a lord
Wha struts, an' stares, an' a' that;
Tho' hundreds worship at his word,
He's but a coof for a' that:
For a' that, an' a' that,
His riband, star, an' a' that,
The man o' independent mind,
He looks and laughs at a' that.
A prince can mak a belted knight,
A marquis, duke, an' a' that;
But an honest man's aboon his might,
Guid faith he mauna fa' that!
For a' that, an' a' that,
Their dignities, an' a' that,
The pith o' sense, an' pride o' worth,
Are higher rank than a' that.
Then let us pray that come it may,
As come it will for a' that,
That sense and worth, o'er a' the earth,
May bear the gree, an' a' that.
For a' that, an' a' that,
It's coming yet, for a' that,
That man to man, the warld o'er,
Shall brothers be for a' that.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem...
It sounds like socialism to me.
127: Are all Scots such flatterers?
Yes, it’s our genetic inheritance. The three Fs: Flatter, flirting and flippancy.
170: Delicate like an w illustration.
183: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
196: But scent can cling to objects for years.
197: Independent can sometimes just be another word for lonely
242: Here’s tae us, wha’s like us? Damn few, and they’re a’deid ~ A classic Scottish toast.
245: The café was packed. Enzo never ceased to be amazed at how easy it was to be lonely in a crowd.
246: Kir
EN: Kir is a popular French cocktail made with a measure of crème de cassis topped up with white wine. In France it is usually drunk as an apéritif before a meal or snack. It was originally made with Bourgogne Aligoté, a white wine of Burgundy.
249: Lorenzo, Laurent. Same name, different languages. She had named him after his father
258: But Moliere was born Jean-Baptiste Poquelin
300: His experience of driving in snow in Scotland had taught him to keep the care in second gear, or even third, to maximize traction.
#BlowBack @authorpetermay
February 20, 2025
How is it I forget about the various series written by Peter May when I know I will find a good read picking up any of them. I was on edge of seat most of this reading and appreciated the construction of the plot, the development of the characters and the descriptions of place, landscape, wines and food preparation and Michelin system of rating, etc. All good! Enzo and his daughter another factor leading to a very enjoyable read.
Believe it or not...price of this great read is currently only 82 cents from Amazon.
Believe it or not...price of this great read is currently only 82 cents from Amazon.
March 5, 2013
I like this series, and Blowback is a strong addition. It does, however, contain a few errors, which surprised me. May uses "manilla" envelopes, when it should be manila. The Italian soccer team appears as "Juventas"; it's Juventus. For the second time (I think) in an Enzo book, he makes a dam/damn error. ("It was like a damn had burst inside her" -- that should be dam.) When Enzo is stumbling around in the snow, he describes it as too dark and black for Enzo to see. That didn't work for me. When I'm out at night in those kind of conditions, the snow tends to lighten everything up. I don't think it's possible to have a pitch-blackness issue on white ground. Another snow complaint: in another scene, snow is supposedly coming down heavily and Enzo looks down at the town below. In that case, with the snow blocking his vision, he wouldn't be able to see much of anything in the distance. And there's this strange sentence: "Not only to provide overnight accommodation for those who wished to drink and drive, but in combination with the restaurant ..." I think May meant to write those who wished to NOT drink and drive. But I'm just quibbling over little stuff. This is a solid book, and I look forward to seeing how the series concludes.
October 30, 2025
Peter May ma pred cca desiatimi rokmi uchvátil svojou knihou Skála. To bola udalosť, neuveriteľný svet škótskeho ostrova...atmosféra...postavy...zápletka...príbeh.
Od autora som si vybrala jeden z jeho príbehov série Akta Enzo.
Žiadne očarenie, žiadny detektívny zázrak sa ale nekonal. Vkĺzla som mimovoľne už do pateho pokračovania série, kde si stárnuci detektív Enzo Macleod púšta do sedem rokov starého nevyriešeného prípadu vraždy. Neviem kto prípad riešil pred ním, ale jeho kolegovia spred siedmych rokov boli asi babráci a neschopáci, ktorí zabudli prekontrolovať poriadne počítač obete a použiť na pátranie na mieste činu policajného psa. Do príbehu sa zapletie aj Enzova dcéra, ktorá otcovi pomáha v pátraní ako akýsi "agent v utajení" a skončí s pištoľou pri hlave, ale otec ju samozrejme v štichu nenechá!
Neoriginálna postava detektíva samotára, ktorý si robí a vyšetruje čo chce a nikomu sa " nespovedá", dcéry detektívov v rukách vrahov ( aké originálne!).
Príbeh ma nebavil, postavy boli ploché a prostredie michelinskej reštaurácie a zákulisných intríg ma tiež vôbec nezaujali. Opisy jedla v beletrii ma nezaujímajú a v detektívkach už vôbec nie.
Od autora som si vybrala jeden z jeho príbehov série Akta Enzo.
Žiadne očarenie, žiadny detektívny zázrak sa ale nekonal. Vkĺzla som mimovoľne už do pateho pokračovania série, kde si stárnuci detektív Enzo Macleod púšta do sedem rokov starého nevyriešeného prípadu vraždy. Neviem kto prípad riešil pred ním, ale jeho kolegovia spred siedmych rokov boli asi babráci a neschopáci, ktorí zabudli prekontrolovať poriadne počítač obete a použiť na pátranie na mieste činu policajného psa. Do príbehu sa zapletie aj Enzova dcéra, ktorá otcovi pomáha v pátraní ako akýsi "agent v utajení" a skončí s pištoľou pri hlave, ale otec ju samozrejme v štichu nenechá!
Neoriginálna postava detektíva samotára, ktorý si robí a vyšetruje čo chce a nikomu sa " nespovedá", dcéry detektívov v rukách vrahov ( aké originálne!).
Príbeh ma nebavil, postavy boli ploché a prostredie michelinskej reštaurácie a zákulisných intríg ma tiež vôbec nezaujali. Opisy jedla v beletrii ma nezaujímajú a v detektívkach už vôbec nie.
April 14, 2019
This was a great combination of detective story and food... him driving a 2cv put the icing on the cake for me. A great yarn and interesting denouement when it finally came to the 7 year old murder case. It was a sensory experience in its description of place and of tastes and sounds ... very rural French.
January 24, 2014
What drew me into this novel was the complexity of the characters, especially after the cookie cutter perfection of the characters in my last James Patterson reading. Life is messy, but these guys faced it with intellect and a glass of wine. Being wrapped up in the storyline was serenely peaceful for me, because whatever drama was thrown out, the characters dealt with it in quiet confidence. And the true motive of the murder seemed justified in my opinion. I liked this novel a lot. [return][return]The only drawback I found were the young, beautiful love interests who, of course, could not resist hooking up with much older fellows double their age. It is fiction, so I will suspend my skepticism.
March 15, 2013
I’m nearly done with this series…and I’ll miss Enzo and his entourage of supporting characters. I particularly liked this book in the series because it was all about food and wine. A combination with which you can’t go wrong. Also the writing. Peter May gets better with every book he writes. He knows how to paint the scene. He knows how to work a dialogue. He knows how to keep the plot of a book moving along in just the right way to hook you and grab your attention.
In “Blowback” Enzo sets out to solve his fifth cold case. This case takes him into the life and death of a Michelin three-star chef. Enzo once again has to unravel the complexity of truth and lies that happened seven years ago. He also has to face some of his own demons from the past. A fun fun book to read.
In “Blowback” Enzo sets out to solve his fifth cold case. This case takes him into the life and death of a Michelin three-star chef. Enzo once again has to unravel the complexity of truth and lies that happened seven years ago. He also has to face some of his own demons from the past. A fun fun book to read.
February 2, 2016
This was my fourth Peter May book, and my first Enzo Macleod book (are all his main characters called Macleod?). It did take me awhile to get into this properly, a really slow starter but it did kind of set the scene well. My main issue was that it was far too descriptive of the restaurant business at the start of the book, but I suppose that is useful for those who know nothing about that kind of business and how the structure works. Once the book got going it did move quite quickly, the characters are believeable, but someone of them not likeable and you can relate with some of the goings on. Not enough forensic detail for me , but this deals more in people than scientific accuracy.
January 13, 2019
Really a first-class mystery/thriller all the way around. Enzo McLeod is investigating another unsolved cold case--the mysterious murder of one of the most famous chefs in France several years earlier. The twists and complexities of the case unfold as Enzo pursues his investigation while enjoying superb food and impeccable wine. While he delves into the splintered family relationships relating to his case, he deals with his own issues, with his daughters, long-lost brother, and newborn son. The parallels of the cold case with his own life add a delicious frisson to the story, like the perfect finishing touch in a classic cassoulet.
September 5, 2018
"Good mystery - have read other books by May but not this character series. Great for me - more good reads!"--patron
August 3, 2020
Brilliant as ever
Great characters
Lots of twists and turns.
Keeps you on edge of your seat.
Great characters
Lots of twists and turns.
Keeps you on edge of your seat.
May 4, 2021
I think, looking at my own compared with other people's reviews, that I'm obviously much harder to please.
It's not that this clunky thriller is bad; it's just that this is a top author, and I expect more.
Characterisation and relationships are not the author's strong points. Enzo, the forensic expert who's investigating a cold case, is presumably about fifty, and a university teacher, with a pony tail, and a complicated personal background. Also, he can still pull the women. The action takes place at a Michelin three star restaurant, where the celebrity chef has been murdered several years earlier. We gradually learn a lot about him, but like the characterisation of Enzo, he never truly becomes a convincing personality, just a collection of traits. To help him gather information, Enzo has planted his daughter incognito as a worker in the kitchen, and she steals to his room at night to pass on what she's found out.I found it difficult to believe no one would have noticed. There is an attempt to rack up the tension by having Enzo steal into the private office of the victim without anyone knowing in order to look at his computer. Enzo himself doesn't know why he does it, and we certainly don't, as he could have just asked. We then have to believe that despite the passing years, the computer and printer are in situ, and still working.
Enzo is cooperating with the local gendarmerie, whose representative is, of course, a woman, and about the first thing Enzo notices about her as he walks behind her is her body in her tight uniform trousers. And that about sums up her role as Enzo's romantic interest - a very dated view of the role of women by the author that really put me off.
I could go on. There is a lot of very detailed stuff about fine food and wine, but although I'm not a foodie, I didn't mind that, as it gives the story its character, and in any case is linked to the plot. We are also treated to details of Enzo's somewhat chaotic personal life with several children who may or may not be his, plus a brief account of his childhood and a long lost brother. I found this of little interest, and confusing to anyone who hadn't read any earlier books in the series. I guessed its purpose was to counterpoint the themes in the main plot. Unfortunately, the writing was too shallow to bear the weight of this device. The climax was unoriginal, though it had a nice twist - I liked the motive.
As I find so many books disappointing these days, I now use the simple rule that if I finish a book, it can't be that bad. I did finish it, quite quickly, hence three stars.
It's not that this clunky thriller is bad; it's just that this is a top author, and I expect more.
Characterisation and relationships are not the author's strong points. Enzo, the forensic expert who's investigating a cold case, is presumably about fifty, and a university teacher, with a pony tail, and a complicated personal background. Also, he can still pull the women. The action takes place at a Michelin three star restaurant, where the celebrity chef has been murdered several years earlier. We gradually learn a lot about him, but like the characterisation of Enzo, he never truly becomes a convincing personality, just a collection of traits. To help him gather information, Enzo has planted his daughter incognito as a worker in the kitchen, and she steals to his room at night to pass on what she's found out.I found it difficult to believe no one would have noticed. There is an attempt to rack up the tension by having Enzo steal into the private office of the victim without anyone knowing in order to look at his computer. Enzo himself doesn't know why he does it, and we certainly don't, as he could have just asked. We then have to believe that despite the passing years, the computer and printer are in situ, and still working.
Enzo is cooperating with the local gendarmerie, whose representative is, of course, a woman, and about the first thing Enzo notices about her as he walks behind her is her body in her tight uniform trousers. And that about sums up her role as Enzo's romantic interest - a very dated view of the role of women by the author that really put me off.
I could go on. There is a lot of very detailed stuff about fine food and wine, but although I'm not a foodie, I didn't mind that, as it gives the story its character, and in any case is linked to the plot. We are also treated to details of Enzo's somewhat chaotic personal life with several children who may or may not be his, plus a brief account of his childhood and a long lost brother. I found this of little interest, and confusing to anyone who hadn't read any earlier books in the series. I guessed its purpose was to counterpoint the themes in the main plot. Unfortunately, the writing was too shallow to bear the weight of this device. The climax was unoriginal, though it had a nice twist - I liked the motive.
As I find so many books disappointing these days, I now use the simple rule that if I finish a book, it can't be that bad. I did finish it, quite quickly, hence three stars.
October 30, 2017
Scottish author Peter May's newest Enzo Files series book, "Blowback", is set in the world of Michelin-rated restaurants in France. Enzo MacLeod, a man with an Italian mother and Scots father, a white streak in his hair, and eyes of different hues, is certainly one of the more interesting protagonists in mystery writing. The streak and eye color connote Enzo's Waardenburg's syndrome (look it up on Wiki), which seems not to have stood in the way of his professional accomplishments and his luck with the ladies. This book, "Blowback", is another in a series of MacLeod's investigation of "cold cases".
Michelin-rated 3 star chef, Marc Fraysse was found dead in a small cabin on the grounds of his restaurant-hotel. Mercurial and a prima donna in the kitchen (and out), seven years before the book begins. Was it murder? Was it suicide? The death remains unsolved and Enzi MacLeod is called in poke around and try to solve the case. Author May delves into the world of the Michelin ratings and the politics behind the awarding of stars. And as the subject of seven books, May brings along Enzi MacLeod's past relationships and brings his life up to date.
"Blowback" is a pleasant mystery, set in the Massif Central region of France. It's a good read.
Michelin-rated 3 star chef, Marc Fraysse was found dead in a small cabin on the grounds of his restaurant-hotel. Mercurial and a prima donna in the kitchen (and out), seven years before the book begins. Was it murder? Was it suicide? The death remains unsolved and Enzi MacLeod is called in poke around and try to solve the case. Author May delves into the world of the Michelin ratings and the politics behind the awarding of stars. And as the subject of seven books, May brings along Enzi MacLeod's past relationships and brings his life up to date.
"Blowback" is a pleasant mystery, set in the Massif Central region of France. It's a good read.
March 8, 2019
Another well written and intriguing episode in the life of Enzo. Sophie was his undercover assistant this time, a fact revealed in a surprising way. She’s been working in the kitchen of the Luxurious establishment that is the setting for the cold case occupying Enzo’s time. Seven years earlier the Chef and owner was murdered no obvious motive or suspect. I guessed the murder early on but couldn’t figure out why. I also suspect that they were the one that tried to kill Enzo on the road one dark night, but that was neither confirmed or denied. But we can still assume that the person who has tried to kill him every time so far hasn’t given up.
Charlotte redeems herself, after Kirsty giving her a bit of a telling off and explaining what it felt like growing up without her father, and agrees Enzo can be part of his son’s life but they are finished.
Kirsty is still with Roger but it gets worse, she’s pregnant and is going to marry Roger, who of course is not Enzo’s idea of a suitable son-in-law; even more so since Charlottes insistence he’s dark and very dangerous. So I’m wondering if he is the one who is trying to kill Enzo.
The mystery grows with each novel and now there’s only the final one to go. I’m hoping it’ll end well.
Charlotte redeems herself, after Kirsty giving her a bit of a telling off and explaining what it felt like growing up without her father, and agrees Enzo can be part of his son’s life but they are finished.
Kirsty is still with Roger but it gets worse, she’s pregnant and is going to marry Roger, who of course is not Enzo’s idea of a suitable son-in-law; even more so since Charlottes insistence he’s dark and very dangerous. So I’m wondering if he is the one who is trying to kill Enzo.
The mystery grows with each novel and now there’s only the final one to go. I’m hoping it’ll end well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2019
I quite enjoyed this one - the death of a 3 Star Michelin Chef - near Thiers. What I LOVED was all the food and wine description. Brought back memories of great food in France. As usual, there was the usual type of book - Enzo's complicated love life, his being hit on the head - some of the predictability. Still enjoyed it.
January 1, 2018
Solid police procedural/mystery set in France featuring a Scottish forensics scientist who works cold cases. This one was about a dead chef and its description of various wines and delicacies makes it a foodie's delight. This was the first I have read in the series and it stood fine on its own.
April 19, 2018
I hadn’t read a Peter May for a while and I enjoyed this one. Enzo has really grown on me as a character and the cold cases he is tasked with solving are always interesting. For me his Chinese series is much more gripping but nevertheless this series makes for a good read.
May 16, 2020
Audiobook. Great detective yarn. Top marks for giving depth to characters and a top class plot. Light entertainment, well served.
August 20, 2022
Simple and easy read.
November 6, 2022
En bra May bok, utreder fortfarande gamla fall.
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