Scan barcode
portybelle's review
5.0
(Review by my husband)
The Night Gate by Peter May is part of the series featuring the investigator Enzo Macleod. Bored with retirement, like all of us he is struggling with the restrictions placed on society dealing with the COVID19 pandemic. He finds himself drawn back into investigation work and is soon trying to piece together clues from a crime scene that has long gone cold.
May develops two parallel stories of present and past with tremendous skill and dexterity teasing the threads and links between the two with the promise of a conjurer – the reader knows the links are there and can sense how they might join, but has no idea how they will form until the very end! How can a dead body found in 2020 be linked to the fate of an art masterpiece in the 1940s? It is May’s effortless style building on wonderful characters and drama that really brings this book to life and makes it an exceptional read.
Set in the second world war, our heroin, Georgette Pignal is a feisty young woman who immediately lights up the page with a strength and determination to do her duty for France. There are some wonderful early scenes as she is posted to a remote camp in Scotland, where she takes on a rough sergeant, and then later whilst undercover in France, a fascinating perspective on the war as the Nazi officers interact with the people of occupied France with the tension and terror brought vividly to life.
One of the most unsettling scenes at the beginning of the story is when the reader first meets Hitler – he oscillates between a sincere love and interest of art and those involved with it to an unbridled unhinged rage and anger with a force that is deeply troubling. May captures the tension and intensity of the characters so well that the reader almost feels bruised by the encounter.
To explore the wider plot further would be to begin to give away the clever development of the storyline and risk spoiling the many twists and turns. The development is carried by powerful characters – Lange, Bauer, Wolff – clever, complex, surprising and so instantly vivid and real that the story seems to unfold with a life of its own. The Night Gate is a fantastic read with a clever fun storyline set on a common World War 2 canvas. The painting of this story is unforgettable. A clear 5 star book.
The Night Gate by Peter May is part of the series featuring the investigator Enzo Macleod. Bored with retirement, like all of us he is struggling with the restrictions placed on society dealing with the COVID19 pandemic. He finds himself drawn back into investigation work and is soon trying to piece together clues from a crime scene that has long gone cold.
May develops two parallel stories of present and past with tremendous skill and dexterity teasing the threads and links between the two with the promise of a conjurer – the reader knows the links are there and can sense how they might join, but has no idea how they will form until the very end! How can a dead body found in 2020 be linked to the fate of an art masterpiece in the 1940s? It is May’s effortless style building on wonderful characters and drama that really brings this book to life and makes it an exceptional read.
Set in the second world war, our heroin, Georgette Pignal is a feisty young woman who immediately lights up the page with a strength and determination to do her duty for France. There are some wonderful early scenes as she is posted to a remote camp in Scotland, where she takes on a rough sergeant, and then later whilst undercover in France, a fascinating perspective on the war as the Nazi officers interact with the people of occupied France with the tension and terror brought vividly to life.
One of the most unsettling scenes at the beginning of the story is when the reader first meets Hitler – he oscillates between a sincere love and interest of art and those involved with it to an unbridled unhinged rage and anger with a force that is deeply troubling. May captures the tension and intensity of the characters so well that the reader almost feels bruised by the encounter.
To explore the wider plot further would be to begin to give away the clever development of the storyline and risk spoiling the many twists and turns. The development is carried by powerful characters – Lange, Bauer, Wolff – clever, complex, surprising and so instantly vivid and real that the story seems to unfold with a life of its own. The Night Gate is a fantastic read with a clever fun storyline set on a common World War 2 canvas. The painting of this story is unforgettable. A clear 5 star book.
cathyrodgers's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
kimberlyp's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
jmatkinson1's review
4.0
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.
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.
derek94f25's review
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
akyrho's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
emnut01's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
vaderbird's review
3.0
5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
mariasmusings's review
3.0
'The Night Gate' by Peter May is described as the "the Razor-Sharp Finale to the Enzo Macleod Investigations" and I cannot think of a more accurate description for this book.
Set in the present day France, under the restrictions caused by the Corona virus, Macleod and his family are being cautious and careful. Enzo is finally relaxing and attempting to enjoy his retirement when a case suddenly arrives on his lap. In a nearby village, an old tree is uprooted after a storm and beneath the tree, a body is discovered. And then a few days later, a murder occurs in the house bordering the trees where the body was discovered. Despite the deaths occurring some 70 odd years apart, there are some strange links revealed between the deaths and Enzo decides that he is time for him to do some more digging.
The story jumps between 1940 - 1944 and the present day, where we learn of events from the perspective of various people involved. Some parts of the tell are more obvious and easy to guess but May keeps some of the story well under wraps and there are some decent twists in the tale that he only reveals in the last pages.
An intriguing tale, mixing fact and fiction in a wonderful manner that ensures a thrill a minute ride for the reader. Don't miss this read!
Set in the present day France, under the restrictions caused by the Corona virus, Macleod and his family are being cautious and careful. Enzo is finally relaxing and attempting to enjoy his retirement when a case suddenly arrives on his lap. In a nearby village, an old tree is uprooted after a storm and beneath the tree, a body is discovered. And then a few days later, a murder occurs in the house bordering the trees where the body was discovered. Despite the deaths occurring some 70 odd years apart, there are some strange links revealed between the deaths and Enzo decides that he is time for him to do some more digging.
The story jumps between 1940 - 1944 and the present day, where we learn of events from the perspective of various people involved. Some parts of the tell are more obvious and easy to guess but May keeps some of the story well under wraps and there are some decent twists in the tale that he only reveals in the last pages.
An intriguing tale, mixing fact and fiction in a wonderful manner that ensures a thrill a minute ride for the reader. Don't miss this read!