Blowback by Peter May

Today Mandie is taking a look at the next book in the Enzo Macleod series by Peter May, Blowback. She’s been rather enjoying playing catch up with Enzo having read the final book late last year. Here’s what the book is all about:

About the Book

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.

Mandie’s Thoughts

In the 5th book in the series Enzo McLeod investigates the unsolved murder of top chef Marc Fraysse. Seven years ago, Marc had set off on a run and was found by his brother and wife in what may have been a suicide. The only thing that cast any doubt on this was the fact that he had been about to make a big announcement.

Determined to continue to solve the cases put to him by Roger Raffin, Enzo makes the journey to the Hotel/Restaurant that Marc Fraysse had built up with his family. Despite his death the business seems to have gone from strength to strength. With the end of the season fast approaching Enzo has a limited time to solve the case that the local police had failed to close.

As is often the case Marc’s wife Elizabeth could not think of anyone who would want to kill him, she was adamant with the exception of one food critic everyone loved him and whilst she gave him free reign to investigate you also got the feeling that she was keeping a close eye on him. Marc’s brother however seemed only too happy to assist in anyway he could and bonded with Enzo over their love of fine wines and food. 

Local officer Dominique Chazal is keen to assist in any way she can as she has always felt guilty that she could never work out exactly what had happened on that fateful day. She has also taken quite a liking to Enzo himself, a fact that I think he plays on in order to get the information he needs. Added to this he has also installed a spy in the hotel in his daughter Sophie. As she uncovers rumours that show that maybe not everything was a rosy at Chez Fraysse as he was led to believe. As he digs into these rumours he finds a past that is complicated and has him also confronting his own history and family. 

Due to the location of the action, Blowback seems a lot more contained that the previous books in the series but the twist and turns that reveal betrayals and secrets still engage the reader as much as ever. With each book we are learning a little more about Enzo, his past and his family. He has a determination to solve all the cases, and this is as much to do with his pride as it is to do with refusing to admit defeat to Raffin, a man he does not trust but also one that is now instilled in his family thanks to his eldest daughter Charlotte. 

I am definitely enjoying the series however as I came to it via book number seven I now only have one cold case left to go and I cant wait to see what that will be.

About the Author

Peter May was born and raised in Scotland. He was an award-winning journalist at the age of twenty-one and a published novelist at twenty-six. He is the million-selling author of the Lewis trilogy and the China thrillers; standalone novels including Entry Island, Runaway and Coffin Road; and the Enzo Files – which were first published in the UK by Quercus across 2014 and 2015.