Started: 7/3/06
Finished: 7/5/06
Year: 2006
Pages: 321
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "What has happened to Jacques Gaillard? The brillant teacher who trained some of the France's best and brightest at the Ecole Nationale d'Administration as future Prime Ministers and Presidents vanished ten years ago, presumably from Paris. Talk about your cold case.
"The mystery inspires a bet, one that Enzo Macleod, a biologist teaching in Toulouse instead of pursuing a brilliant career in forensics back home in Scotland can ill afford to lose. The wager is that Enzo can find out what happened to Jacques Gaillard by applying new science to an old case.
"Enzo comes to Paris to meet journalist Roger Raffin, the author of a book on seven celebrated unsolved murders, the assumption being that Gaillard is dead. Enzo needs Raffin's notes. And armed with these, he begins his quest. It quickly has him touring landmarks such as the Paris catacombs and a chateau in Champagne, digging up relics and bones. Then Enzo finds Jacques Gaillard's head.
"The artifacts buried with the skull set him to interpreting the clues they provide and to following in someone's footsteps-maybe more than one someone-after the rest of Gaillard. He must also review some ancient and recent history. As with any quest, it's as much discovery as detection. Enzo proves to be an ace investigator, scientific and intuitive, and, for all his missteps, one who hits his goals including a painful journey toward greater self-awreness. With Extraordinary People, Peter May beigns a fascinating series set in modern France, driven by an outsider to French culture."
Opinion: Lots of twists and turns. Fast-paced. Lots of energy throughout the book. For a more complete review, check out myshelf.com next month.
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