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The Enzo Files #4
Freeze Frame
A promise made to a dying man leads forensics ace Enzo Macleod, a Scot who's been teaching in France for many years, to the study which the man's heir has preserved for nearly twenty years. The dead man left several clues there designed to reveal the killer's identity to the man's son, but ironically the son died soon after the father. So begins the fourth of seven cold cases written up in a bestselling book by Parisian journalist Roger Raffin that Enzo rashly boasted he could solve (he's been successful with the first three). It takes Enzo to a tiny island off the coast of Brittany in France, where he must confront the hostility of locals who have no desire to see the infamous murder back in the headlines. An attractive widow, a man charged but acquitted of the murder--but still the viable suspect, a crime scene frozen in time, a dangerous hell hole by the cliffs, and a collection of impenetrable messages, make this one of Enzo's most difficult cases.
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Published April 19, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 345 reviews
May 22, 2019
In this novel, rather than have his various helpers join in to solve the 20-year-old cold case, Enzo is on his own. An elderly, dying man was murdered in 1990 on the small Ile de Groix, which lies a few kilometres off the coast of Lorient in France. Peter May’s descriptive prose shines in this one because, although the island is only 14.82 square km (5.72 square miles) in area, there are many differences in the geography and geology of the area that are not found elsewhere in France. In this series, Peter May generally doesn’t write long descriptive paragraphs; rather, he brings forth interesting details and vivid observances through his characters and their conversations.
The population on the island is small, and everyone seems to know everyone else’s business. When Enzo arrives, he senses that all the residents are aware of who he is and what he is doing there. He feels the resentment of some, and discovers it is largely because when the murder happened and there was a trial with an acquittal, it did much to damage tourism in the area – one of the industries they rely on.
The best part for Enzo is that the crime scene is almost perfectly preserved. Before he was murdered, the man left a cryptic message with his daughter-in-law for his son, asking that no matter what happened to him, his study must not be touched until his son could find his message. Unfortunately, his son was not able to complete his mission, but the daughter-in-law kept everything in their original places as requested.
However, despite the pristine crime scene, Enzo’s progress through the case is slow-going. He finds several clues but they don’t seem to make sense at all. There is an interesting little piece about how he works with his subconscious to un-riddle the tangled messes he is often presented in these cold cases, (although he continues to sabotage himself with his late nights and hangovers, which isn’t helpful to one’s subconscious).
At one point, his long-term girlfriend, Charlotte, comes to see him. She briefly turns his life upside down and then leaves again. In the brief time she is there, she also uses her brilliantly analytical mind to pinpoint some crucial details from the clues, which helps Enzo move forward in the case.
Enzo makes a side-trip to Paris, and to Agradir in Morocco. We learn some fascinating history of this tiny spot as well, and I even felt the need to look up more information about it on the internet. Fascinating stuff! Back on the island, it slowly emerges that the murderer from so many years ago narrows down to one of two possibilities, and Enzo is determined to discover not only which of the two it is, but why it was done.
This story starts off very fast-paced, and although it slows down once Enzo becomes involved with the people on the island, we do get to learn more about the area, the people, and the clues left behind. There is a brooding, almost haunting feeling throughout this novel that fits with the puzzles and pieces from the past - and Enzo’s struggle to makes sense of it all. I found this novel to be an intriguing read and I am looking forward to the 5th of these six Cold Cases next month.
Thank you to my "Peter May reading buddy", Sue D, for the great discussions!
The population on the island is small, and everyone seems to know everyone else’s business. When Enzo arrives, he senses that all the residents are aware of who he is and what he is doing there. He feels the resentment of some, and discovers it is largely because when the murder happened and there was a trial with an acquittal, it did much to damage tourism in the area – one of the industries they rely on.
The best part for Enzo is that the crime scene is almost perfectly preserved. Before he was murdered, the man left a cryptic message with his daughter-in-law for his son, asking that no matter what happened to him, his study must not be touched until his son could find his message. Unfortunately, his son was not able to complete his mission, but the daughter-in-law kept everything in their original places as requested.
However, despite the pristine crime scene, Enzo’s progress through the case is slow-going. He finds several clues but they don’t seem to make sense at all. There is an interesting little piece about how he works with his subconscious to un-riddle the tangled messes he is often presented in these cold cases, (although he continues to sabotage himself with his late nights and hangovers, which isn’t helpful to one’s subconscious).
At one point, his long-term girlfriend, Charlotte, comes to see him. She briefly turns his life upside down and then leaves again. In the brief time she is there, she also uses her brilliantly analytical mind to pinpoint some crucial details from the clues, which helps Enzo move forward in the case.
Enzo makes a side-trip to Paris, and to Agradir in Morocco. We learn some fascinating history of this tiny spot as well, and I even felt the need to look up more information about it on the internet. Fascinating stuff! Back on the island, it slowly emerges that the murderer from so many years ago narrows down to one of two possibilities, and Enzo is determined to discover not only which of the two it is, but why it was done.
This story starts off very fast-paced, and although it slows down once Enzo becomes involved with the people on the island, we do get to learn more about the area, the people, and the clues left behind. There is a brooding, almost haunting feeling throughout this novel that fits with the puzzles and pieces from the past - and Enzo’s struggle to makes sense of it all. I found this novel to be an intriguing read and I am looking forward to the 5th of these six Cold Cases next month.
Thank you to my "Peter May reading buddy", Sue D, for the great discussions!
May 21, 2023
Cold case investigator Enzo Macleod was called to the small French island of Île de Groix, where Adam Killian's daughter-in-law Jane had kept his study immaculately intact, as per his instruction, before his death. His murder had never been solved, and the message to his son, Jane's husband, Peter, didn't reach his ears as he died not long after his father. Jane wanted the case solved so she could move on with her life. With Enzo given complete access to Killian's study and the bizarre notes he'd left that Enzo had to make sense of, he thought it wouldn't take long. But there was much against him, the main being the man originally arrested for his murder and then acquitted. Could Enzo discover the secrets the island held close to its chest?
Freeze Frame is the 4th in The Enzo Files by Peter May and it was fast paced and packed with adrenalin. Charlotte's minor role was more an annoyance than a necessity, and with Enzo working on his own, he made a couple of silly decisions. But all par for the course, I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it, and the series, to fans of the genre, and of Peter May.
Freeze Frame is the 4th in The Enzo Files by Peter May and it was fast paced and packed with adrenalin. Charlotte's minor role was more an annoyance than a necessity, and with Enzo working on his own, he made a couple of silly decisions. But all par for the course, I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it, and the series, to fans of the genre, and of Peter May.
July 1, 2017
I am loving this series. Enzo becomes a bit better with each book. Charlotte on the other hand deserves a good smack:)
Enzo works on his own in Freeze Frame. His 'team' are hardly mentioned and just Charlotte makes an appearance briefly and annoyingly. There are a few tstl moments - why on earth Enzo goes alone to an obvious set up is pretty silly.
Nevertheless the story is good, the action consistent and Enzo is at his smartest (apart from the occasional lapse in common sense.)
A great read.
Enzo works on his own in Freeze Frame. His 'team' are hardly mentioned and just Charlotte makes an appearance briefly and annoyingly. There are a few tstl moments - why on earth Enzo goes alone to an obvious set up is pretty silly.
Nevertheless the story is good, the action consistent and Enzo is at his smartest (apart from the occasional lapse in common sense.)
A great read.
April 16, 2022
Book 4 in the Enzo MacLeod series published 2010.
Keeping up a 4 star standard.
I’ve really enjoyed these Enzo MacLeod books.
Enzo is such a contradiction. In his professional life he is brilliant but his personal life just gets more and more bizarre with each book. Not something that happens to me often when reading but there is one incident that got me almost foaming at the mouth at the gross injustice that was placed at Enzo’s door.
That apart, you could not call the pace of the book frantic by any means but the plots manages to get a hold of you which keeps you turning pages.
Enzo has been asked to investigate a cold case that is now 30 years old. An elderly man was murdered, three bullets in the chest, 30 years ago. But why anybody would do this is beyond imagination as the man in question was dying of cancer and had only days to live.
But the deceased’s family have been waiting for answers for 30 years. Who would do such a thing and why bother doing it in the first place?
So, Enzo is now on a wind swept island off the coast of Brittany France looking for answers.
30 years is a long time and most of the populous are either to young or too old to bring any insight that might help Enzo.
Just as Enzo is coming around to admitting that this case is a lost cause he is brutally attacked and almost killed. If ever Enzo needed conformation that all was not well with this Island this was it.
So, with renewed vigour Enzo starts to scratch anything that flakes and pretty soon when enough flakes have fallen a picture starts to emerge. A picture so unexpected I still can’t believe it.
A cleaver ending and now on to book 5.
Keeping up a 4 star standard.
I’ve really enjoyed these Enzo MacLeod books.
Enzo is such a contradiction. In his professional life he is brilliant but his personal life just gets more and more bizarre with each book. Not something that happens to me often when reading but there is one incident that got me almost foaming at the mouth at the gross injustice that was placed at Enzo’s door.
That apart, you could not call the pace of the book frantic by any means but the plots manages to get a hold of you which keeps you turning pages.
Enzo has been asked to investigate a cold case that is now 30 years old. An elderly man was murdered, three bullets in the chest, 30 years ago. But why anybody would do this is beyond imagination as the man in question was dying of cancer and had only days to live.
But the deceased’s family have been waiting for answers for 30 years. Who would do such a thing and why bother doing it in the first place?
So, Enzo is now on a wind swept island off the coast of Brittany France looking for answers.
30 years is a long time and most of the populous are either to young or too old to bring any insight that might help Enzo.
Just as Enzo is coming around to admitting that this case is a lost cause he is brutally attacked and almost killed. If ever Enzo needed conformation that all was not well with this Island this was it.
So, with renewed vigour Enzo starts to scratch anything that flakes and pretty soon when enough flakes have fallen a picture starts to emerge. A picture so unexpected I still can’t believe it.
A cleaver ending and now on to book 5.
August 26, 2020
This is the fourth book in the Enzo McLeod series. In this one he makes a departure from his usual circle of family and friends and travels alone to the Breton island of Île de Groix to try and solve another cold case.
Adam Killian was murdered 20 years earlier and his daughter-in-law has preserved his office/crime scene to help resolve the mystery. Enzo can't help but feel that Killian is still present in the office as he sets about trying to work out the clues from apparently random messages on post-it notes. The person who was originally suspected of the murder but not found guilty at trial is also on the warpath to stop Enzo incriminating him all over again.
The story initially alludes back to an unresolved hunt for a man with links to Munich and the Second World War. Was Adam murdered for what he knew or what he had done in a past life?
As usual Enzo comes with his baggage of a short temper and a roving eye.
I recommend this series and look forward to book five.
Adam Killian was murdered 20 years earlier and his daughter-in-law has preserved his office/crime scene to help resolve the mystery. Enzo can't help but feel that Killian is still present in the office as he sets about trying to work out the clues from apparently random messages on post-it notes. The person who was originally suspected of the murder but not found guilty at trial is also on the warpath to stop Enzo incriminating him all over again.
The story initially alludes back to an unresolved hunt for a man with links to Munich and the Second World War. Was Adam murdered for what he knew or what he had done in a past life?
As usual Enzo comes with his baggage of a short temper and a roving eye.
I recommend this series and look forward to book five.
July 7, 2021
Freeze Frame is the fourth book in the Enzo Macleod Investigation series by Scottish journalist, screenwriter and author, Peter May. When Enzo arrives on Ile de Grois to investigate a fourth cold case from Roger Raffin’s book, he is dismayed to see that, due to a local press headline, the whole town is watching him. Thibaud Verjean, the man who was tried, and acquitted, of the murder of English tropical medicine professor, Adam Killian almost two decades earlier, accosts Enzo as he steps off the ferry, taunting him to try to prove his guilt where others have failed.
The gendarme in charge, Richard Gueguen warns Enzo that officially he isn’t permitted to offer any assistance, but is just as eager as anyone else to see the case solved: he was a trainee in Grois at the time it happened. The only genuine welcome is from Jane Killian, who hopes he can resolve the matter. On Adam’s instruction, given moments before her father-in-law was shot dead, she has ensured that nothing has been moved or removed from his study.
Adam’s intention was for his son, Peter to interpret the instruction he left behind and complete the task he had begun, but Jane’s husband died in Africa mere days later. As a forensic expert, this sort of case is right up his alley, but when Enzo examines the scene, what he finds is a diary entry, post-it notes, an inverted poem and a shopping list, all too cryptic to understand. Clearly, he needs to think like Peter. Puzzling, too, is why anyone would want to murder a dying man: Adam would soon have been dead of lung cancer.
At a loss with Killian’s study, Enzo checks out significant spots on the island, talks to witnesses at Verjean’s trial and Killian’s physician. Apart from several nasty encounters with Verjean, though, he learns little. His scientific expertise is not helping, he is at a loss. Meanwhile, he is plagued by a black cat, freezing cold weather and a nightly strip-tease trying to tempt him.
When he (finally!) more closely examines the clues Killian left, he has a minor breakthrough that sends him off to Paris and Morocco. Before he manages to solve the case he is, however, distracted by what his erstwhile lover Charlotte Roux reveals. His paranoia sees him rolling in icy wet grass; poor judgement gets him beaten up, almost killed and his tyres slashed.
Without doubt, this is the best of the Enzo books thus far. May lays a trail of clues for the astute reader to follow; some are very subtle, some quite blatant; enough that the reader will fix on the likely killer well before the reveal, only to find they are quite wrong. Addictive crime fiction.
The gendarme in charge, Richard Gueguen warns Enzo that officially he isn’t permitted to offer any assistance, but is just as eager as anyone else to see the case solved: he was a trainee in Grois at the time it happened. The only genuine welcome is from Jane Killian, who hopes he can resolve the matter. On Adam’s instruction, given moments before her father-in-law was shot dead, she has ensured that nothing has been moved or removed from his study.
Adam’s intention was for his son, Peter to interpret the instruction he left behind and complete the task he had begun, but Jane’s husband died in Africa mere days later. As a forensic expert, this sort of case is right up his alley, but when Enzo examines the scene, what he finds is a diary entry, post-it notes, an inverted poem and a shopping list, all too cryptic to understand. Clearly, he needs to think like Peter. Puzzling, too, is why anyone would want to murder a dying man: Adam would soon have been dead of lung cancer.
At a loss with Killian’s study, Enzo checks out significant spots on the island, talks to witnesses at Verjean’s trial and Killian’s physician. Apart from several nasty encounters with Verjean, though, he learns little. His scientific expertise is not helping, he is at a loss. Meanwhile, he is plagued by a black cat, freezing cold weather and a nightly strip-tease trying to tempt him.
When he (finally!) more closely examines the clues Killian left, he has a minor breakthrough that sends him off to Paris and Morocco. Before he manages to solve the case he is, however, distracted by what his erstwhile lover Charlotte Roux reveals. His paranoia sees him rolling in icy wet grass; poor judgement gets him beaten up, almost killed and his tyres slashed.
Without doubt, this is the best of the Enzo books thus far. May lays a trail of clues for the astute reader to follow; some are very subtle, some quite blatant; enough that the reader will fix on the likely killer well before the reveal, only to find they are quite wrong. Addictive crime fiction.
September 25, 2017
“Freeze Frame”, the fourth of the Enzo files series, begins in 1951 with a gynaecologist fleeing his home in Munich with a ready-packed bag, leaving his wife and daughters behind. The scene moved to Agadir in Morocco, 1960 – where a man tries to flee his pursuers, narrowly escaping the earthquake that leveled much of the old city, entombing thousands.
Fast forward to Paris, 2009. Enzo Macleod (Scottish father, Italian mother, forensics expert teaching at the Université de Toulouse) visits his journalist friend Roger Raffin, author of best-seller Assassins Caché; a collection of cold cases that Enzo has made a bet that he can solve. They discuss the murder of British subject Adam Killen, twenty years earlier, who had retired to the Île de Groix off the coast of Brittany to follow his passion for entomology.
The crime scene (the study in the annexe of his house) has been kept intact and undisturbed by his daughter-in-law, Jane, following Killen’s phone call to her minutes before his death. The accused Kerjean was acquitted at trial after a bungled police investigation, and other attempts at solving the case have failed. Jane is allowing MacLeod access to the study, hoping to have her mind set at rest. The study and adjoining kitchen have little post-it notes with cryptic messages left by the victim for Jane’s husband, who died overseas a short while after his father.
The island is a hotbed of intrigue and gossip. The locals are Celts, naturally suspicious of outsiders; some hostile, others friendly, most with a fondness for scotch. Macleod is assisted (discretely) by adjudant Guéguen, who was a trainee gendarme at the time of the murder. The love interest is provided by the widow Jane and MacLeod’s occasional squeeze, Parisian psychologist Charlotte, a petulant and coquettish woman, whose arrival on the island brings nuisance value but in her own way she gives invaluable insights into the murder victim.
On the far side of the parking area, three houses and a smaller cottage sat upon the bank in an elevated position, looking over the beach, and (Enzo) wondered how it must feel to live this close to the sea. To feel its moods, suffer its tempers, hear its constant breathing. Like living with an unpredictable lover.
Peter May vividly describes the sights, sounds and smells of the landscape from idyllic fishing villages to the treacherous coastline, from the restaurants to gun emplacements dating from the German occupation when Île de Groix gave protection to the U-boats at Lorient.
It’s rare that a book lives up to the blurb on the cover; rarer still to find a plot so intricate and filled with subtle nuances that the denouement caught me completely by surprise.
Fast forward to Paris, 2009. Enzo Macleod (Scottish father, Italian mother, forensics expert teaching at the Université de Toulouse) visits his journalist friend Roger Raffin, author of best-seller Assassins Caché; a collection of cold cases that Enzo has made a bet that he can solve. They discuss the murder of British subject Adam Killen, twenty years earlier, who had retired to the Île de Groix off the coast of Brittany to follow his passion for entomology.
The crime scene (the study in the annexe of his house) has been kept intact and undisturbed by his daughter-in-law, Jane, following Killen’s phone call to her minutes before his death. The accused Kerjean was acquitted at trial after a bungled police investigation, and other attempts at solving the case have failed. Jane is allowing MacLeod access to the study, hoping to have her mind set at rest. The study and adjoining kitchen have little post-it notes with cryptic messages left by the victim for Jane’s husband, who died overseas a short while after his father.
The island is a hotbed of intrigue and gossip. The locals are Celts, naturally suspicious of outsiders; some hostile, others friendly, most with a fondness for scotch. Macleod is assisted (discretely) by adjudant Guéguen, who was a trainee gendarme at the time of the murder. The love interest is provided by the widow Jane and MacLeod’s occasional squeeze, Parisian psychologist Charlotte, a petulant and coquettish woman, whose arrival on the island brings nuisance value but in her own way she gives invaluable insights into the murder victim.
On the far side of the parking area, three houses and a smaller cottage sat upon the bank in an elevated position, looking over the beach, and (Enzo) wondered how it must feel to live this close to the sea. To feel its moods, suffer its tempers, hear its constant breathing. Like living with an unpredictable lover.
Peter May vividly describes the sights, sounds and smells of the landscape from idyllic fishing villages to the treacherous coastline, from the restaurants to gun emplacements dating from the German occupation when Île de Groix gave protection to the U-boats at Lorient.
It’s rare that a book lives up to the blurb on the cover; rarer still to find a plot so intricate and filled with subtle nuances that the denouement caught me completely by surprise.
May 21, 2019
First of the Enzo series I've read but it didn't seem to matter that it was out of order. I've read and enjoyed other books by this author so was happy to try this out. You are quickly reminded of just what a good author he is. Good characters, atmosphere and pace. The story was different and well worked for me. If I have any quibble it would be that for something that is a crime read a lot of the book is about Enzo personally. It didn't bother me as I've found similar in other books by May. More a holiday read than anything much deeper but enjoyable. I'll read more of the series when I can.
May 26, 2019
In this fourth Enzo Files book, there are several elements that affect the feel of the entire story. Firstly, Enzo is drawn away from his home in southern France to a small island off the northern coast where the weather and the people seem influenced more by the islands off Scotland than anything French. Second, Enzo is attacking this new case alone. None of his usual sidekicks are along to assist or be useful sounding boards. Third, Enzo himself seems to be in a particularly thoughtful, if not morose, frame of mind as he begins the investigation.
On to the investigation. The forth case from Raffin’s book was the murder of a retired professor of tropical medical genetics at the University of London named Killian. He had owned a vacation home on Ile de Groix, Brittany for many years but lived there full time after retirement. His wife died in 1987 so he was living alone when he was murdered, shot three times, in 1990. There was no known or apparent motive but there had been a cryptic phone call from Killian to his daughter in law, Jane, on the day he died. His message: don’t allow anyone to change anything in his office if he is killed. There is a message that only his son Peter can interpret to identify his killer. Unfortunately, Peter died before he was able to see the office.
This was a confusing, often difficult case for Enzo. He also is constantly thinking about questions in his own life, wondering how to find answers. The prose often reflects the unsettled situation with descriptions of the island overwhelmed with rainy weather, constantly wet, muddy, unfriendly to Enzo and anyone else out of doors.
Once again Peter May does not disappoint. The motive was unexpected but also “rational” for an irrational mind of the killer. The writing is what I have come to expect, especially of his descriptive writing of the landscape. Recommended. Thanks again to reading partner Jaline for this enjoyable quest through the works of Peter May.
On to the investigation. The forth case from Raffin’s book was the murder of a retired professor of tropical medical genetics at the University of London named Killian. He had owned a vacation home on Ile de Groix, Brittany for many years but lived there full time after retirement. His wife died in 1987 so he was living alone when he was murdered, shot three times, in 1990. There was no known or apparent motive but there had been a cryptic phone call from Killian to his daughter in law, Jane, on the day he died. His message: don’t allow anyone to change anything in his office if he is killed. There is a message that only his son Peter can interpret to identify his killer. Unfortunately, Peter died before he was able to see the office.
This was a confusing, often difficult case for Enzo. He also is constantly thinking about questions in his own life, wondering how to find answers. The prose often reflects the unsettled situation with descriptions of the island overwhelmed with rainy weather, constantly wet, muddy, unfriendly to Enzo and anyone else out of doors.
Once again Peter May does not disappoint. The motive was unexpected but also “rational” for an irrational mind of the killer. The writing is what I have come to expect, especially of his descriptive writing of the landscape. Recommended. Thanks again to reading partner Jaline for this enjoyable quest through the works of Peter May.
December 18, 2021
Freeze Frame is the fourth book in the Enzo Macleod Investigation series by Scottish journalist, screenwriter and author, Peter May. The audio version is narrated by Simon Vance. When Enzo arrives on Ile de Grois to investigate a fourth cold case from Roger Raffin’s book, he is dismayed to see that, due to a local press headline, the whole town is watching him. Thibaud Verjean, the man who was tried, and acquitted, of the murder of English tropical medicine professor, Adam Killian almost two decades earlier, accosts Enzo as he steps off the ferry, taunting him to try to prove his guilt where others have failed.
The gendarme in charge, Richard Gueguen warns Enzo that officially he isn’t permitted to offer any assistance, but is just as eager as anyone else to see the case solved: he was a trainee in Grois at the time it happened. The only genuine welcome is from Jane Killian, who hopes he can resolve the matter. On Adam’s instruction, given moments before her father-in-law was shot dead, she has ensured that nothing has been moved or removed from his study.
Adam’s intention was for his son, Peter to interpret the instruction he left behind and complete the task he had begun, but Jane’s husband died in Africa mere days later. As a forensic expert, this sort of case is right up his alley, but when Enzo examines the scene, what he finds is a diary entry, post-it notes, an inverted poem and a shopping list, all too cryptic to understand. Clearly, he needs to think like Peter. Puzzling, too, is why anyone would want to murder a dying man: Adam would soon have been dead of lung cancer.
At a loss with Killian’s study, Enzo checks out significant spots on the island, talks to witnesses at Verjean’s trial and Killian’s physician. Apart from several nasty encounters with Verjean, though, he learns little. His scientific expertise is not helping, he is at a loss. Meanwhile, he is plagued by a black cat, freezing cold weather and a nightly strip-tease trying to tempt him.
When he (finally!) more closely examines the clues Killian left, he has a minor breakthrough that sends him off to Paris and Morocco. Before he manages to solve the case he is, however, distracted by what his erstwhile lover Charlotte Roux reveals. His paranoia sees him rolling in icy wet grass; poor judgement gets him beaten up, almost killed and his tyres slashed.
Without doubt, this is the best of the Enzo books thus far. May lays a trail of clues for the astute reader to follow; some are very subtle, some quite blatant; enough that the reader will fix on the likely killer well before the reveal, only to find they are quite wrong. Addictive crime fiction.
The gendarme in charge, Richard Gueguen warns Enzo that officially he isn’t permitted to offer any assistance, but is just as eager as anyone else to see the case solved: he was a trainee in Grois at the time it happened. The only genuine welcome is from Jane Killian, who hopes he can resolve the matter. On Adam’s instruction, given moments before her father-in-law was shot dead, she has ensured that nothing has been moved or removed from his study.
Adam’s intention was for his son, Peter to interpret the instruction he left behind and complete the task he had begun, but Jane’s husband died in Africa mere days later. As a forensic expert, this sort of case is right up his alley, but when Enzo examines the scene, what he finds is a diary entry, post-it notes, an inverted poem and a shopping list, all too cryptic to understand. Clearly, he needs to think like Peter. Puzzling, too, is why anyone would want to murder a dying man: Adam would soon have been dead of lung cancer.
At a loss with Killian’s study, Enzo checks out significant spots on the island, talks to witnesses at Verjean’s trial and Killian’s physician. Apart from several nasty encounters with Verjean, though, he learns little. His scientific expertise is not helping, he is at a loss. Meanwhile, he is plagued by a black cat, freezing cold weather and a nightly strip-tease trying to tempt him.
When he (finally!) more closely examines the clues Killian left, he has a minor breakthrough that sends him off to Paris and Morocco. Before he manages to solve the case he is, however, distracted by what his erstwhile lover Charlotte Roux reveals. His paranoia sees him rolling in icy wet grass; poor judgement gets him beaten up, almost killed and his tyres slashed.
Without doubt, this is the best of the Enzo books thus far. May lays a trail of clues for the astute reader to follow; some are very subtle, some quite blatant; enough that the reader will fix on the likely killer well before the reveal, only to find they are quite wrong. Addictive crime fiction.
April 16, 2010
I hadn't read this author before and thought that the mystery did pretty well as a stand-alone. I wouldn't have known why the main character was working his way through unsolved murders if I hadn't read a review but that didn't detract significantly from the story. I cannot tell you what a joy it was to read a mystery with clues. Clear, well-defined clues that actually made it possible to solve the murder. I did figure out who did it but by the time I did, the clues were pretty clearly showing the way. I also liked the main character and his interactions with the townspeople. I did not, however, like the girlfriend but maybe the reason she was so awful was explained in a previous book. I will definitely look for more in this series.
January 18, 2016
Of the Enzo Files, Blacklight Blue earned a spot as my number one in the series. Freeze Frame, however, has managed to make it to number two.
I have enjoyed all of the books, to varying degrees, yet books three and four – are in my opinion – the strongest. We have so much more going on in these books. They’re much more engaging. We are well and truly pulled into the story.
Whilst it is not necessary to have read the prior books in the series, such a thing certainly helps. By this point in the story, Enzo’s life has become a bit of a soap opera. This book adds to that fact – in some rather predictable ways – and to completely understand the personal aspects of the characters you need to have followed the story.
With that being said, when it comes to the criminal aspect of the story each book can be read as a standalone. It followed a general theme, yet none of the crimes are connected (outside of the fact they are the seven Enzo is setting out to solve through them having been in a book). As always with the criminal aspect, Peter May keeps you interested throughout. My statement from the prior books remain – that the mysteries you find in the Enzo series are not as complex as in his Lewis trilogy – but that does not remove the entertainment factor.
Overall, a wonderful addition to the series.
I have enjoyed all of the books, to varying degrees, yet books three and four – are in my opinion – the strongest. We have so much more going on in these books. They’re much more engaging. We are well and truly pulled into the story.
Whilst it is not necessary to have read the prior books in the series, such a thing certainly helps. By this point in the story, Enzo’s life has become a bit of a soap opera. This book adds to that fact – in some rather predictable ways – and to completely understand the personal aspects of the characters you need to have followed the story.
With that being said, when it comes to the criminal aspect of the story each book can be read as a standalone. It followed a general theme, yet none of the crimes are connected (outside of the fact they are the seven Enzo is setting out to solve through them having been in a book). As always with the criminal aspect, Peter May keeps you interested throughout. My statement from the prior books remain – that the mysteries you find in the Enzo series are not as complex as in his Lewis trilogy – but that does not remove the entertainment factor.
Overall, a wonderful addition to the series.
July 4, 2017
As far as crime stories go, I think this was a good one - lots of clues and twists until the end but.....as mentioned before I am not a big fan of Enzo Macleod and I have come to the conclusion as much as love Peter May as a writer he has created a character in Enzo who just doesn't sit right with me. And why does everyone on this tiny French island have to be an expert in Scottish Single Malt ? Found that a bit hard to believe (unless they were all sponsored by a Scottish distillery ?) Regardless, it was a good crime thriller on its own and for that I'll give it 3 marks.
October 15, 2018
Another enjoyable reads Another cold case solved , another woman bedded... hence the lack of 5 star, the cringeworthy sex scenes with the irresistible 6ft plus scraggly haired old hippy , 20+ years the senior of his conquests always ruin cracking stories for me.. but murder mystery wise this is a well written enjoyable yarn in the enzo files, cast away to a small island without the usual team to solve a 20 year murder frozen in time, Hints of ww2 and nazis. It’s written well and keeps me looking forward to the next . Just please no more awful sex scenes they aren’t needed!! They do zero for the story.
February 25, 2013
I've read the first five of the Enzo series (actually listened to Nos. 3-4 on audio). In my opinion, No. 2 is the worst of the series. The debut book is next weakest. The best, I think, are Nos. 3-5. I very much liked all three of those. Peter May is an outstanding writer, and I'm glad I stumbled onto him a few months back. I'm just getting into the Lewis trilogy, and it might be even better than Enzo -- edgier. Why May isn't more popular, I have no idea. His books aren't even in the Barnes & Noble where I'm at.
February 24, 2019
Another very readable and puzzling cold case taken on by Enzo Macleod. Who killed an Englishman on a small island off of Brittany 20 years before, and why? A man has been acquitted, but the clannish villagers still believe he did it. It's up to Enzo to find the killer and the motive. He does not believe the original suspect did it. The victim was an amateur etymologist, who left enigmatic clues for his son--to what? Or whom? The son has passed away. Very clever mystery and fascinating detective and forensic work. The author is one of my favorite mystery writers.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
July 28, 2020
Brilliant yet again
Another page turner with great characters and many twists and turns
Another page turner with great characters and many twists and turns
April 10, 2024
Full of one dimensional characters, cliches & just completely unrealistic scenarios.
Basically the whole island dresses up for Halloween...as every small village does.. Random strangers invite you in for slap up home made dinners, expensive whisky & offer you a bed for the night.
The plot is full of witnesses who everyone says will never tell the main character anything, but he shows up & they do!
Oh and everyone drinks loads of whisky all the time, because they're Celts don't you know.
No idea how this guy could sell 12 million books if all his novels are as bad as this.
Just really poorly written.
I really don't like or want to criticize someone who has taken time to produce a piece of work but it's just so bad. An extra star only because he's Scottish like me.
Basically the whole island dresses up for Halloween...as every small village does.. Random strangers invite you in for slap up home made dinners, expensive whisky & offer you a bed for the night.
The plot is full of witnesses who everyone says will never tell the main character anything, but he shows up & they do!
Oh and everyone drinks loads of whisky all the time, because they're Celts don't you know.
No idea how this guy could sell 12 million books if all his novels are as bad as this.
Just really poorly written.
I really don't like or want to criticize someone who has taken time to produce a piece of work but it's just so bad. An extra star only because he's Scottish like me.
September 20, 2023
Freeze Frame is the fourth series in the Enzo Macleod investigations by Peter May. On a chilling night, Adam Killian phoned his daughter-in-law in fear and advised her to get his son back on the island to solve the clues he had left in his study in case anything happened to him. What Killian feared came to fruition when he was killed. His son died, leaving the clues for him to decipher. With one last hope, Enzo Macleod was called upon to make sense of it all with his modern forensic skills.
(click the link to read the full review)
https://soshereadsbooks.com/freeze-fr...
(click the link to read the full review)
https://soshereadsbooks.com/freeze-fr...
September 2, 2019
Tremendous reading. Gripping. Unexpected twists. Enzo MacLeod investigates a decade old murder on an isolated island off the coast of Brittany. Who could have predicted what he would find. I enjoyed the linkage to Nazi death camps. It was not until the last two pages all was revealed and it was not at all what I would have predicted. Peter May is an author who is able to immerse the reader into a complex interwoven and always evolving plot which means one has to keep reading the next chapter. The vivid descriptions of the landscape are an added bonus.
January 6, 2021
This series started out very very slow. I barely remember the first book, the second book made me want to drink wine because it was so detailed about the wine making process, if you are interested in that...
However, the third and fourth books in this series have been great reading. Enzo is a broken person. Peter May does not let his readers forget it.
However, the third and fourth books in this series have been great reading. Enzo is a broken person. Peter May does not let his readers forget it.
September 28, 2015
Wasn't convinced by this one. An ageing, long haired man in a red silk dressing gown, embroidered with dragons? Getting all the ladies? Hmmm.
Enjoyed the Lewis series much more.
Enjoyed the Lewis series much more.
July 19, 2017
A good sense of place, but the clues were so blindingly obvious. I like the cat.
April 13, 2018
(Audible; Simon Vance, narrator) Enzo’s sometime lover, Charlotte, is a real piece of work. Sometimes this series feels like chick-lit lite.
November 29, 2021
Enzo, du är inte en sympatisk människa. Det är lättsamt, lågmält och lite långsamt.
July 19, 2023
Our sexually incontinent amateur detective follows a Dan Brownesque path of a murderer following opaque clues.
April 1, 2024
Sein aktueller Fall führt Enzo MacLeod auf eine kleine Insel vor der Küste der Bretagne, auf der für eine Frau die Zeit stillgestanden zu sein scheint. Vor zwanzig Jahren wurde ihr Schwiegervater ermordet, kurz danach starb ihr Mann. Der Hauptverdächtige wurde in einem aufsehenerregenden Prozess freigesprochen. Für sie ist Enzo die einzige Hoffnung, den Fall aufzuklären und für sie zu einem Abschluss zu bringen.
Die Atmosphäre ist angespannt. Der vermeintliche Mörder lebt noch auf der Insel und erinnert die Menschen ständig an das Verbrechen. Der Ermordete hat in seinem Haus Hinweise für seinen Sohn hinterlassen, aber durch seinen Tod wurden sie nie gefunden. Auch Enzo tappt lange im Dunkeln. Erst mit der Unterstützung seiner Pariser Freundin Charlotte kann er sie entschlüsseln.
Der Krimi folgt dem Muster, dass ich bis jetzt aus allen Krimis der Reihe kenne: eine Geschichte in der Vergangenheit führt zu der Tat in der Gegenwart. Dieses Mal kann sich Enzo nicht auf die Unterstützung seiner Familie verlassen, denn die ist nicht mit auf die Insel gekommen. Nur Charlotte besucht ihn, aber ihr Besuch bringt mehr Chaos als echte Hilfe. Und natürlich gibt es auch in diesem Teil eine Frau, die Enzo in Schwierigkeiten bringt.
Der Krimi braucht lange, um in Fahrt zu kommen. Peter May lässt sich Zeit, um die Insel und ihre Bewohner zu beschreiben. Das ist für den weiteren Verlauf der Handlung notwendig, war mir mit fast einem Drittel des Buchs persönlich zu lang. Auch dieses Mal gab es viele Hinweise, die mich in die richtige Richtung, aber nicht zum Täter geführt haben. Damit konnte mich Peter May überraschen.
Ich habe die Krimis aus der Reihe in deutsch und in englisch gelesen und dieses Mal erst gemerkt, dass Enzo im englischen Original Enzo McLeod, in der deutschen Ausgabe Enzo MacKay heißt. Diese Namensänderung finde ich unnötig und auch ein wenig verwirrend.
Die Atmosphäre ist angespannt. Der vermeintliche Mörder lebt noch auf der Insel und erinnert die Menschen ständig an das Verbrechen. Der Ermordete hat in seinem Haus Hinweise für seinen Sohn hinterlassen, aber durch seinen Tod wurden sie nie gefunden. Auch Enzo tappt lange im Dunkeln. Erst mit der Unterstützung seiner Pariser Freundin Charlotte kann er sie entschlüsseln.
Der Krimi folgt dem Muster, dass ich bis jetzt aus allen Krimis der Reihe kenne: eine Geschichte in der Vergangenheit führt zu der Tat in der Gegenwart. Dieses Mal kann sich Enzo nicht auf die Unterstützung seiner Familie verlassen, denn die ist nicht mit auf die Insel gekommen. Nur Charlotte besucht ihn, aber ihr Besuch bringt mehr Chaos als echte Hilfe. Und natürlich gibt es auch in diesem Teil eine Frau, die Enzo in Schwierigkeiten bringt.
Der Krimi braucht lange, um in Fahrt zu kommen. Peter May lässt sich Zeit, um die Insel und ihre Bewohner zu beschreiben. Das ist für den weiteren Verlauf der Handlung notwendig, war mir mit fast einem Drittel des Buchs persönlich zu lang. Auch dieses Mal gab es viele Hinweise, die mich in die richtige Richtung, aber nicht zum Täter geführt haben. Damit konnte mich Peter May überraschen.
Ich habe die Krimis aus der Reihe in deutsch und in englisch gelesen und dieses Mal erst gemerkt, dass Enzo im englischen Original Enzo McLeod, in der deutschen Ausgabe Enzo MacKay heißt. Diese Namensänderung finde ich unnötig und auch ein wenig verwirrend.
September 7, 2020
Peter May is like an old friend whose writing makes me feel happy.
This was my favourite of the Enzo McLeod series thus far.
A man’s study where he was killed 20 years previous remains untouched. The clue is in the study and other investigators have been unable to solve the riddle.
This book could be a stand alone and it is not necessary to read the others to make sense of this one. Charlotte is still the villain girlfriend and there is a sneaky cat that made me smile.
Looking forward to book number 5.
This was my favourite of the Enzo McLeod series thus far.
A man’s study where he was killed 20 years previous remains untouched. The clue is in the study and other investigators have been unable to solve the riddle.
This book could be a stand alone and it is not necessary to read the others to make sense of this one. Charlotte is still the villain girlfriend and there is a sneaky cat that made me smile.
Looking forward to book number 5.
February 20, 2025
Pure Enzo. Cracking yarn. All the better for this just being the forensic scientist without any of his side kicks. It’s a better story for that. Less telegraphed. More inventive. Of course he solves the case! No doubt there. And this time he isn’t as lucky with the ladies. Peter May, in my humble opinion, does not write women well. It’s all cleavage and yearning. And Enzo overtaken by his visceral lust, despite himself and his intellect. But in this story Enzo is thwarted anyway and doesn’t get the woman. Right back to work…
February 21, 2025
Finished while enjoying the delights of staying in Western Ireland. A very engrossing read. Full of many twists and turns. The only thing I found impossible was that a fridge would still be functioning 19 years without defrosting the freezer. However, I hope to read more about Enzo Macleod. Hope Charlotte improves her view of him as a potential father. Made me want to look up the various locations.
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