The reader of an Enzo Macleod mystery faces a formidable task: Confronted by the deviousness of the unsolved crime Enzo seeks to solve, the magnificent descriptions of the area in France in which he works to complete the task, and the culinary delights of le haute cuisine Francaise, the reader has to overcome the temptation to weigh one element against the other. Fortunately, in this novel, the fifth of seven unsolved cases on which Enzo has wagered he can bring to a successful conclusion, all three aspects are on such a high level, that the reader shouldn’t even try.
The case is a seven-year-old murder involving a world renowned chef of a three-star Michelin restaurant in the central French plateau, Chez Fraysse, named after its chef and half-owner, Marc. There are no clues or forensic evidence, making Enzo’s task harder. He places his daughter on the kitchen staff to give him an inside view. Working with a young, female, gendarme, Enzo plows ahead, gastronomically as well as on the case. As a side issue, some deep insight into Enzo’s personal life and past is provided, giving a more rounded view of the protagonist.
A well-written novel which only gives rise to the desire to read about the sixth unsolved mystery (much less the seventh!) yet to come, and recommended.
