I have read all of the Enzo series and to date most of Peter May's China thrillers too. His writing style just suits me perfectly, enough description but also causes the reader to use his imagination to fill in the gorier or amorous details, much like films of yesteryear ! This proved not to be my favourite Enzo story.....there was a bit too much back and forth in time for me to settle into reading but nevertheless, worth the effort, always.

True to form, this is the first book in the Enzo Macleod series that I have read. Did that put me at a disadvantage when it came to tucking into this art and war themed murder infused thriller? Well, yes and no. Yes, because I'd have known the central characters of Enzo and his family a little better - their history and the like - a little better? No, because this is a standalone thriller, and whilst it is an investigation in which Enzo plays a rather important part, much of what comes to pass happens in the past. In the height of World War II in fact, where the Germans are not only trying to take over the world, they are also intent on stealing all of its precious artwork, including perhaps one of the most famous of them all - the Mona Lisa.

Now I really enjoyed this book, not only the parts set in the very modern day (watch out for that all too relevant part of our recent history, Covid, folks), but also those set in the past, largely because of the strength of the characters within each segment. Enzo Macleod is a character I grew to like quickly, and I know I'll be going back to read the earlier books to learn more about him. But this book also gives us Georgette, a resistance fighter, of sorts, whose sole purpose in life is to protect the Mona Lisa, a task set for her by none other than Charles de Gaulle. Now, his isn't the only namedrop you'll find in this novel. For all that he wishes to protect this all too precious painting, there are others, namely Hitler and Göring, who seek to make it their own. Not too much of a stretch to given how prevalent the theft of wealth and assets were by the Nazis during the war.

The reason for this trip down memory lane is the discovery of a body which is long buried, understood to have been murdered during the war, a discovery that leads Enzo into a new investigation, including the present day murder of a man, his body discovered in the home of an elderly French woman, who does not know the victim. Enzo's investigation leads him to a story which may seem fantastical at first, but which, due to Peter May's mastery in storytelling, takes on a real air of the possible. There are moments of real tension in both past and present, and an ever growing sense of threat as we journey further into the story.

I really enjoyed the historical scenes, the moments when Georgette came into her own. She was a really believable and authentic character, and seeing things from her perspective, from her early training, to her unorthodox friendship that blossomed with a German representative of the Führer himself, Lange, and all of the various challenges that face her, really drew me in. I was intrigued by her history, and how it fit into the modern day investigation and the backstory of one of the main suspects in the murder. There was a perfect balance of tension and intrigue, offset by the diversions of the modern day and Enzo's personal life, over which there was often a lot of reflection. This gave me enough insight into Enzo's character to take him and his family to my heart as well, even if it was really Georgette's story, and that of the artwork she ha dsworn to protect, that intrigued me the most.

Was the story plausible? Well, when it comes down to it, would be ever really know? I do know that it was thoroughly enjoyable, a careful blend of past and present that entertained and engaged from start to finish. Will I go back for more Enzo? You betcha. If you like a murder mystery with a hint of history threaded through, this is definitely recommended.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Two murders, one recent and one that happened during the war, how are they connected and can Enzo put aside all predjuces and love interests long enough to find the connection and the murderer

The Night Gate by Peter May is the seventh book in the fantastic The Enzo Files series and I have enjoyed every book within this series. Peter May has a way of writing his books that just draw you in from the very first few pages till the end. This latest book is a good mixture of modern day crime and murder mystery and WW2 France.
This book was a fantastic read and I am looking forward to his next book within this excellent series.

I highly recommend all his books they will not disappoint.

Big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

This book was everything I look for in a book. It was so exciting. The plot was fantastic. It really had me on the edge of my seat, and my heart racing. It was very well written and flowed well.

My first book, that I have read by this author, absolutely brilliant! Highly recommended, and I will definitely read others written by this author!

The Night Gate is the seventh (and final?) book in the Enzo Macleod Investigation series by Scottish journalist, screenwriter and author, Peter May. Now married to Dominique Chazal, raising ten-year-old Laurent, and five years retired from teaching, Enzo protests that he has left behind the solving of cold cases when asked by a forensic archaeologist to give an opinion on the scene of an old skeleton exposed by a fallen tree in a park in the village of Carennac.

But it’s October 2020, and COVID lockdowns have left him bored and frustrated, so ex-gendarme Dominique encourages him. When at the scene, they become involved in the investigation of the very recent murder of a Paris art dealer just a stone’s throw from the park. From the physical evidence, it looks like Emile Narcisse was murdered by young Berlin gallery owner, Hans Bauer. But something about the blood spatter pattern has Enzo puzzled.

This latest instalment spans almost eighty years, ranging over London, Paris, Berlin and the Isle of Lewis, and involving the wartime looting of artworks by the Nazis, and the efforts of the French to keep a certain world treasure out of the hands of a megalomaniac dictator and his lieutenant.

It is told through letters, diaries and an old woman’s recall of her mother’s much-told story, as well as narratives from many perspectives, including those of two men charged with acquiring that famous painting. Enzo manages to put himself into mortal danger several times.

This is more a wartime story than a contemporary one, featuring only a token amount of Enzo’s forensic science expertise. All the major players from the series do make appearances, if brief, that provide a sort of “where are they now” nine years on from the events of the last book. Hans Bauer’s result from Google Translate is probably more accurate than what most users would experience. Intriguing and entertaining, as always.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Quercus.

This book is brilliantly written with complex interweaving storylines. It seemed a bit slow paced at first but definitely worth the wait and is hard to put down
Another great novel in this brilliant series from an author who never disappoints

I actually requested this book in error but once approved I thought I should probably read it anyway and I can honestly say this was one of those occasions where a mistake can have a positive outcome.
An intriguing blend of modern-day mystery and historical fiction The Night Gate ticks all the boxes in terms of fast-moving plot, believable characterisation and intrigue.
Although this is part of a series I have not read before I didn't feel that I was unable to keep up and in fact, I have since read the remainder of the collection.
Well written and memorable.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Enjoyed! Several narratives running concurrently which worked perfectly and kept me interested all the way through. Ending was great and very unexpected. Brilliant novel as always from Peter May.

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.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.

An interesting mix of modern day crime/murder mystery and WW2 France. Enjoyable read... I'll have to check out the rest of the series!!

Thank you netgalley and publisher for the copy.

This is the 7th and final book in the Enzo McLeod series and I enjoyed the story. It was an intriguing story with mix of historical fiction and mystery. I liked the different timelines and the POVs as well. Having not read the previous ones in this series, it was difficult for me to keep a track of the characters and their stories. But that is more on me than the book. I feel this was a perfect finale for the fans of Enzo.

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.

In this, the seventh instalment in Peter May's Enzo Macleod series, the discovery of a body buried in a small French village brings forensic expert MacLeod to the scene. An archaeological acquaintance asks him to look at the area and to give his thoughts on his findings. When he arrives, the village is suffering a fresh trauma after the murder of an out-of-town businessman in the home of a local. MacLeod is recognised by the local police who quickly request his assistance. A suspect is identified and is on the run. Two narratives run alongside each other - one historical, unfolding in the wartime years of Occupied France; the other contemporary, set in the autumn of 2020.

The Night Gate is a highly enjoyable tale with a gripping plot that weaves back and forth in time. MacLeod is a brilliantly depicted character and the reader is allowed a closer look at his personal relationships. An intriguing read, the story captures my imagination with the apparent link between the murders being Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, adding an extra layer to this riveting tale of secrecy and danger. This is a very good read so be sure to grab yourself a copy.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Quercus Books/ Riverrun via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

This is the 7th and final book in the Enzo McLeod series which I have really enjoyed. This book sees Enzo now retired, married and awaiting the birth of his second grandchild.
Unlike other books in this series, a lot of the story is set during WW2 and Georgette a young woman tasked with ensuring that Mona Lisa portrait is kept out of Nazi hands. It appears that both Hitler and Görring both desperately seek to get hold of the portrait and each has tasked a man with accomplishing this mission.
In the present Enzo has become involved in the discovery of a body that appears to be of a german soldier buried under a tree in a park. Coincidentally around the time of this discovery another person, namely an art dealer is found brutally murdered nearby. It is set during the COVID-19 pandemic and deals with all that we have come to know in terms of lockdowns, masks and social distancing.
A very intriguing story but not so much about Enzo here, but still a fitting end to this highly entertaining series.
Thank you Netgalley and Quercus Books for the opportunity to read this digital ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Twenty-eight-year-old Georgette Pignal had no idea how her life would change when she met with General Charles de Gaulle in 1940. The job he gave her was overwhelming, but after training on the Isle of Lewis, then the long journey to the airfield, her flight into France saw her wondering what she’d agreed to. The following years of the war saw George move around from Paris to the countryside, always hoping they were one step ahead of the Nazis and what they were prepared to do.

It was 2020 and the Covid pandemic was rife when Enzo, who’d been retired for some time, was asked to consult on a murder investigation. Enzo had his suspicions that the current murder linked with the skeleton that had been unearthed a few days prior, when a dead tree released it from the roots, very near the apartment where the murder had occurred. The French police believed they knew who killed the art critic while Enzo didn’t believe they had it right. But would Enzo find the answers to the chilling murder? And with someone out there trying to stop him, would this be his last investigation?

The Night Gate is the 7th in The Enzo Files by Peter May and it was set in two time frames. I thoroughly enjoyed Georgette’s story and her character; the war years, the protection of the famous pieces of art which had been housed at the Louvre, always staying one step ahead and being aware of what would happen if they were caught by the Nazis. Enzo’s story in 2020 encompassed his family as well as the pandemic along with his search for the truth – and realizing he was getting far too old for what was involved! The Night Gate is an excellent read which I recommend.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

I received this book free from the publishers via Netgalley for a review. A gripping thriller, well paced with good character's. My first Peter May novel I've read but not my last.

The Night Gate is a tale of two halves recent one during the pandemic of an art critic shot in the head and also a skeleton that unearthed itself during a storm only to find its the body of a German officer, and that's the 2nd story although the account takes place 1st during WW2 set in France when Hitler was confiscating a lot of works of art. I don't normally have a problem with reading Peter May but this one did not hold my attention, the story was mainly about the war, and the art and it seems Enzo's investigation of the art critic was a bystander.. I have given it 3* as I think a lot of work went into this and I take it some of it was true other a figment of the author's mind.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Quercus Books for a copy to review alas it was not for me