Reviews

Extraordinary People by Peter May

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jumbleread's review against another edition

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4.0

Enzo is a challenging but still attractive character to follow along as he solves mysteries, criminal and personal.

nonna7's review against another edition

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4.0

This was really an interesting book about a puzzle. Enzo McCleod is a Scot who is half Italian and currently living in France. He left his wife and child for another woman who was pregnant with his child, gave up his life as a forensic science and has been teaching biology at a small college in Toulouse. He is estranged from his daughter by his first marriage. His second wife died when their child was very young. Now it's just him and his daughter, Sophie.

A journalist who investigates cold cases is intrigued by the disappearance of a famous French politician and film buff. Enzo sets out with the Raffin, the journalist, and soon they discover the first body part in a box along with items that are designed to be clues to the location of the next body part.

In the meantime, Enzo meets a beautiful woman, makes contact with his daughter from his first marriage and more.

This is a complicated and interesting book although it is a bit on the slow side. It also features some interesting journeys to French towns and cities as they follow the clues. This is the first in the series from 2006. It should be interesting to see how the series progressed. There aren't that many in the series, but the author has written several different series, the most recent of which is the Lewis Trilogy.

sdc46250's review

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4.0

I have loved Peter May's Lewis Island series and fully expected to love this one too. I wasn't disappointed; it is a fine book, well written. It was rather slow at the beginning, well really the first half but it kept me interested, until it got toward the end when I had trouble putting it down!

One of the things I love about May's work is the sense of humor that threads through it. It is done with a light touch but makes the characters come alive and keeps the books moving.

taisie22's review against another edition

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3.0

On a bet, Enzo MacLeod agrees to look into a ten-year-old disappearance, thinking he might be able to solve it using new technology. This is the early 2000s so he has DNA and the Internet at his disposal. It reads like a non-religious Dan Brown book as he runs around France digging up clues (and bones).
I love Mr. May's Lewis trilogy and his other Scottish books. Unfortunately, the plot here was somewhat simplistic in that solutions to improbable clues came too easily. The villain proved easy to determine if you follow the Checkov's gun principle.
The characters are okay but the writing has some flaws. I'm willing to cut Mr. May some slack based on his Scottish books, but I find it hard to believe a man who's lived in France for twenty years never heard of the Paris catacombs. Also, I don't mind sex scenes but the ones in this book should be contenders in the #menwritingwomen subreddit, especially when it comes to Nicole's jiggling breasts.
Anyway, it's an okay airport/beach sort of read, but I think I'll go back to Mr. May's other series.

pavlinas's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

writes_and_wrongs's review against another edition

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4.0

I started listening to this audiobook on a long drive, thinking it might help pass the time. Usually I have a hard time maintaining focus on audiobooks, especially when driving, as my mind tends to wander. That wasn't a problem with this book, though. My mind was engaged the whole time, to the point that I was almost disappointed when I reached my destination before the book was over! I will definitely read and/or listen to other books by Peter May in the future!