The Night Gate

The Night Gate

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  • Create Date:2021-03-06 03:18:42
  • Update Date:2025-09-06
  • Status:finish
  • Author:Peter May
  • ISBN:1784295043
  • Environment:PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Summary

**THE BRAND-NEW THRILLER FROM THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER**
**"AN AUTHOR I'D FOLLOW TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH"- THE NEW YORK TIMES**
**PETER MAY: OVER 5。5 MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE**

In a sleepy French village, the body of a man shot through the head is disinterred by the roots of a fallen tree。
A week later a famous art critic is viciously murdered in a nearby house。
The deaths occurred more than seventy years apart。
Asked by a colleague to inspect the site of the former, forensics expert Enzo Macleod quickly finds himself embroiled in the investigation of the latter。  Two extraordinary narratives are set in train - one historical, unfolding in the treacherous wartime years of Occupied France; the other contemporary, set in the autumn of 2020 as France re-enters Covid lockdown。

And Enzo's investigations reveal an unexpected link between the murders - the Mona Lisa。

Tasked by the exiled General Charles de Gaulle to keep the world's most famous painting out of Nazi hands after the fall of France in 1940, 28-year-old Georgette Pignal finds herself swept along by the tide of history。 Following in the wake of Da Vinci's Mona Lisa as it is moved from château to château by the Louvre, she finds herself just one step ahead of two German art experts sent to steal it for rival patrons - Hitler and Göring。

What none of them know is that the Louvre itself has taken exceptional measures to keep the painting safe, unwittingly setting in train a fatal sequence of events extending over seven decades。

Events that have led to both killings。

The Night Gate spans three generations, taking us from war-torn London, the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, Berlin and Vichy France, to the deadly enemy facing the world in 2020。  In his latest novel, Peter May shows why he is one of the great contemporary writers of crime fiction。

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Reviews

Robin Price

Peter May is in the uppermost echelon of British crime thriller writers。 This is confirmed yet again by one of his very best novels - compelling, incredibly moving, intelligent and suspenseful。One of the main characters in this story is undoubtedly the Mona Lisa, the most famous painting in the world and often the source of a plot for a thriller writer。 The other characters are all drawn with realism and empathy。How good it is to see an author tackling the problem of the current pandemic in his Peter May is in the uppermost echelon of British crime thriller writers。 This is confirmed yet again by one of his very best novels - compelling, incredibly moving, intelligent and suspenseful。One of the main characters in this story is undoubtedly the Mona Lisa, the most famous painting in the world and often the source of a plot for a thriller writer。 The other characters are all drawn with realism and empathy。How good it is to see an author tackling the problem of the current pandemic in his work and not choosing to ignore it as so many others are。 A deft blend of the thrilling and the romantic。 A stunning novel。 。。。more

Tracy

Wow, what another fantastic book in the Enzo MacLeod series from Peter May。 Captivated by the off and love the way it was written too - jumping back and forth between the past and present day to tell the story, and as per usual, a few twists along the way! Whilst it is the 8th Enzo book, you don't need to have read any others in the series to enjoy this one at all。 Highly recommended! Wow, what another fantastic book in the Enzo MacLeod series from Peter May。 Captivated by the off and love the way it was written too - jumping back and forth between the past and present day to tell the story, and as per usual, a few twists along the way! Whilst it is the 8th Enzo book, you don't need to have read any others in the series to enjoy this one at all。 Highly recommended! 。。。more

Susan

Thanks to Quercus and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review。Having read lots of Peter May books I was absolutely delighted to receive this one and I certainly wasn't disappointed。 This is one of the series of Enzo Macleod books and is every bit as good as its predecessors。A cracking read。 Highly recommended。 Thanks to Quercus and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review。Having read lots of Peter May books I was absolutely delighted to receive this one and I certainly wasn't disappointed。 This is one of the series of Enzo Macleod books and is every bit as good as its predecessors。A cracking read。 Highly recommended。 。。。more

Tove R。

Peter May is one of my favourite authors, and I love everything he writes。 The Enzo files have been an incredible journey for me, and I have loved every minute of reading the books。 It is a sad moment now that I have read all seven books in this excellent series。 It was nostalgic getting to read about Enzo and his life today。 He has finally retired, and it seems he has found somewhat of a peaceful life。Even though he is retired he takes one more case, his last one。 It's a typical case, partly se Peter May is one of my favourite authors, and I love everything he writes。 The Enzo files have been an incredible journey for me, and I have loved every minute of reading the books。 It is a sad moment now that I have read all seven books in this excellent series。 It was nostalgic getting to read about Enzo and his life today。 He has finally retired, and it seems he has found somewhat of a peaceful life。Even though he is retired he takes one more case, his last one。 It's a typical case, partly set in the past, and partly in the present。 I found the most interesting parts of the book the ones were the reader gets to see what happened to Enzo and his family members after the jaw-dropping ending of book six。One of the things I love about May's books is that I learn so many interesting things from them, for example about the Waardenburg syndrome。 Another thing I love is how the writing is so smooth, it flows perfectly and the pace is just unbelievable good。 A third thing is the fabulous characters, and I will surely miss this little group of misfits trying to fit into their own family。 The fourth great thing is that the stories are just fantastic。 They draw you in already after the first sentence, and I'm hooked until the last full stop。This book was no exception to the rule, although it was a bit different from the rest in the series, since Enzo had already solved the seven cases of the book he was meant to solve, and there was a lot less family drama in this one。 I guess it really means Enzo has gotten old。 No matter what, this books is definitely worth a read! 。。。more

Naomi Cook

The Night Gate by Peter May⭐️⭐️⭐️---Firstly I must confess, I’ve not read any of the other books in the series and I think this affected my star rating。Two deaths, almost 70 years apart, occurred in a sleepy village in France。 Forensic expert, Enzo Macleod, is called in to inspect the sites and quickly finds himself mixed up in this unusual situation。May writes with such fluency and delight。 The words flow off the page into the readers mind painting a brilliant picture。 This book was heavily foc The Night Gate by Peter May⭐️⭐️⭐️---Firstly I must confess, I’ve not read any of the other books in the series and I think this affected my star rating。Two deaths, almost 70 years apart, occurred in a sleepy village in France。 Forensic expert, Enzo Macleod, is called in to inspect the sites and quickly finds himself mixed up in this unusual situation。May writes with such fluency and delight。 The words flow off the page into the readers mind painting a brilliant picture。 This book was heavily focused on art, France and world war。 If these are your interests then you will love this book。 For me I found some of the terms confusing。 There also appear to be a large number of characters which I found difficult to keep track of。Thank you to NetGalley, @quercusbooks and @authorpetermay for this ARC。 。。。more

Elaine Tomasso

I would like to thank Netgalley and Quercus Books for an advance copy of The Night Gate, the seventh novel to feature forensics specialist Dr Enzo Macleod, set in South-West France。Enzo is retired but is happy to help an old colleague by inspecting the burial site of a wartime murder victim。 When he gets to the village of Cerennac to view the burial site he is invited to assist at a new crime scene, the murder of art critic Emile Narcisse。 He soon comes to realise that despite a gap of 75 years I would like to thank Netgalley and Quercus Books for an advance copy of The Night Gate, the seventh novel to feature forensics specialist Dr Enzo Macleod, set in South-West France。Enzo is retired but is happy to help an old colleague by inspecting the burial site of a wartime murder victim。 When he gets to the village of Cerennac to view the burial site he is invited to assist at a new crime scene, the murder of art critic Emile Narcisse。 He soon comes to realise that despite a gap of 75 years these two murders are linked。There is much to admire about The Night Gate as it is a clever novel, weaving the past and present together into an intriguing plot and a “what if” scenario。 Unfortunately it didn’t hold my attention and I’d to push myself to keep reading。 This, I think, is due to the format which shifts endlessly between past and present and different points of view。 It’s not hard to keep up, but there’s nothing to keep the reader engrossed because just as it starts to offer something meaty it changes course to another character’s story。The present day story follows Enzo as he tries to piece together the events leading up to the present day murder and identity the skeleton。 This is interspersed with the story of Georgette Pignal, sent to France by the Free French to preserve the Louvre’s artworks。 This latter would have made a fine novel on its own, weaving intrigue and real historical people and events together。 It’s well done and interesting, but due to the format of the novel, fragmented。I’m sure that many readers will enjoy The Night Gate as it has a well conceived plot, some genuine moments of tension and betrayal and a clever solution, but it never captured my imagination。 3。5* 。。。more

Tom - Reader of Books

Confession time。 I didn’t realise that this was actually the finale to a series, so that took me by surprise and naturally took a period of adjustment to the characters。What I did find was a beautiful woven, intricate plot of murder, art forgery and deception that jumped from the Second World War to modern day France。Throughout the book are references to the current pandemic and it was actually refreshing to read。 I did think the author liked to draw out some of the descriptive parts which meant Confession time。 I didn’t realise that this was actually the finale to a series, so that took me by surprise and naturally took a period of adjustment to the characters。What I did find was a beautiful woven, intricate plot of murder, art forgery and deception that jumped from the Second World War to modern day France。Throughout the book are references to the current pandemic and it was actually refreshing to read。 I did think the author liked to draw out some of the descriptive parts which meant the writing and the story weren’t as sharp as they should have been which could have caused the attention of the reader to wane slightly。However, because of the twists and turns, this book is worth keeping with and makes a silly error like mine all the more pleasing as I now have 6 other Enzo stories to find。Happy reading! 。。。more

Katie Simpkins

During the Second World War, the paintings in The Louvre were shipped out of Paris and hidden。 A young woman, Georgette is given the task of looking after the most important of all, The Mona Lisa。The story follows her journey from the brutal Stornoway and training to various locations in War torn France。 The story then flips to a Skelton that has emerged during a storm when a tree is uprooted and a man dead with his throat slashed and the main culprit missing。Despite Enzo McLeod being retired he During the Second World War, the paintings in The Louvre were shipped out of Paris and hidden。 A young woman, Georgette is given the task of looking after the most important of all, The Mona Lisa。The story follows her journey from the brutal Stornoway and training to various locations in War torn France。 The story then flips to a Skelton that has emerged during a storm when a tree is uprooted and a man dead with his throat slashed and the main culprit missing。Despite Enzo McLeod being retired he can't help himself and his wife is glad to get him out from under her feet。This book is clearly set during the pandemic, and it is mentioned in detail that is not distracting or annoying。 The movement around timelines is clever so you can keep up, and it leaves you with little teasers so you want to keep reading。I loved that a lot of the characters were real, and situations, even with artistic licence taken with timings。 There is a lot of debate over whether a fake Mona Lisa was created in case the Germans came to look for it。 The question has not been answered! I'm off to ask Google。 。。。more

Pauline

When Enzo is persuaded to come out of retirement to examine a newly unearthed skeleton in a public park, he gets embroiled in a current murder investigation and very soon regrets getting involved。 The pressure to solve the mystery is increased when the country goes back into lockdown due to the resurgence of the current pandemic。A good read embracing two time zones。Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review。

Leanne Cramond

I have read almost everything Peter May has written (or listened to as an audio) and this will go down as one of my favourites。 While I have read all the previous Enzo books, this can easily be read as a stand alone without any knowledge of what has gone before。This is a fantastic page-turning mystery/thriller about forgery in WWII and Hitler's obsession with plundering the art treasures of France。 The story crosses back and forwards in time as Enzo is called upon to help solve the mystery of an I have read almost everything Peter May has written (or listened to as an audio) and this will go down as one of my favourites。 While I have read all the previous Enzo books, this can easily be read as a stand alone without any knowledge of what has gone before。This is a fantastic page-turning mystery/thriller about forgery in WWII and Hitler's obsession with plundering the art treasures of France。 The story crosses back and forwards in time as Enzo is called upon to help solve the mystery of an old skeleton found buried under a tree and a bizarre and bloody murder in the nearby house。 This kept my interest easily from the first chapter, however it did take me a little while to get used to the fact that it is set in modern day during COVID restrictions。 The talk of masks and social distancing and lockdowns was a little bit jarring at first but I got used to it quickly and it took nothing away from the actual story。Excellent! 。。。more

Mandie

The Night Gate is book 7 in the Enzo files and I am going to have to admit that not only is this the first book in the series I have read, it is also the first book by Peter May I have read, neither of which statement stopped me from enjoying the book immensely but may have left me kicking myself that I had not ready any of the other books。 Enzo Macleod is called to assist when the body of a man is discovered after a tree falls over。 The person was shot in the head and appears to have been in th The Night Gate is book 7 in the Enzo files and I am going to have to admit that not only is this the first book in the series I have read, it is also the first book by Peter May I have read, neither of which statement stopped me from enjoying the book immensely but may have left me kicking myself that I had not ready any of the other books。 Enzo Macleod is called to assist when the body of a man is discovered after a tree falls over。 The person was shot in the head and appears to have been in the ground for over 70 years。 Whilst he is there an art critic is murdered in the house very close to the site and Enzo finds himself working on both cases。 For him to work out what happened and if the two incidents are linked, he has to delve into the past, to a time when France was occupied by Nazi Germany during the second world war。 Set over two timelines this is a fast paced and intriguing book that will keep you hooked to the endI quickly grew to like the character of Enzo as he is certainly very passionate about his job, but there is also an ease about him that seems to ensure that those he works with are happy to help him out when needed。 I think that his investigations in an unofficial capacity get many of the people he talks to about events to open up to him as they do not see him as a threat in any way or out to cause trouble。 He has a determination about him that sees him putting himself in danger to get to the truth behind both events and ensure that the wrong person is not blamed at least for the present-day crime。 For me the most intriguing part of the book are the stories of Georgette Pignal and her actions during the second world war。 Part of this is due to my being a complete and utter history nerd and love delving into the past, but it is also where most of the action lies。 Sent to guard the Mona Lisa from falling into Nazi hands, she is never sure who to trust or if she will survive。 They say that to understand the present you often have to understand the past and with The Ninth Gate this is most certainly the case。 Peter May has managed to merge both effortlessly and ensured that I devoured this book in a couple of days。 ( I will also now have to go and buy the rest of the series to see what I have missed so far)I will add a note that the present-day element is just that, set in the current times so there are mentions of coronavirus and all the restrictions that come with it, but they are only mentions and if I am honest once I got well and truly engrossed in the story it was not something I really noticed all that much and were handled brilliantly by the author 。。。more

Ceecee

4。5 rounded up。 Enzo Macleod is now retired from his job as head of forensic science at Toulouse University。 However, he is consulted when a skeleton of a Luftwaffe Officer is found buried in a shallow grave in Carennes in the Dordogne, followed by the murder of an art dealer from Paris。 This intriguing investigation takes us back in time to World War Two where Georgette Pignal is tasked by de Gaulle to prevent the Mona Lisa from falling into Nazi hands, Paul Lange is sent or acquire it by Hitle 4。5 rounded up。 Enzo Macleod is now retired from his job as head of forensic science at Toulouse University。 However, he is consulted when a skeleton of a Luftwaffe Officer is found buried in a shallow grave in Carennes in the Dordogne, followed by the murder of an art dealer from Paris。 This intriguing investigation takes us back in time to World War Two where Georgette Pignal is tasked by de Gaulle to prevent the Mona Lisa from falling into Nazi hands, Paul Lange is sent or acquire it by Hitler for his planned museum in Linz and Karlheinz Wolff is dispatched by Göring to obtain it for his personal collection。 The story is told from several perspectives throughout the war years and in 2020/21。 This is how you write a thriller! I’ve enjoyed previous Macleod books but I think this one will become my favourite! I love the wartime element which is very immersive and compelling。 I love the symbolism of the de Gaulle’s desire to save the La Joconde for France and the world。 The character of Georgette is fabulous, she’s clever, brave, loyal, full of initiative and spirit。 My heart leaps with joy when Georgette is sent to the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides to train for her mission and we get a decent tour of the island。 Thank you!! The tale that the author constructs is credible and believable with episodes of danger and excitement, with fear and tension, plenty of twists some of which are unpredictable。 The characterisation is good with a good balance of likeable and those to despise。 I really like the contrast between 2020 and the war years with France yoked by Nazi control and in the present day under the duress of fighting a different kind of enemy。 I’m glad Peter May chose to include the pandemic because it makes the storytelling realistic and authentic。 Central to the plot is the Mona Lisa which is a superb element adding an excitement all of its own in this fast paced novel。 The settings are fantastic with the Dordogne adding it’s own inimitable atmosphere both in wartime and 2020。 There are some very good descriptions and some tense scenes in places well known by tourists。 The plot unfolds well and I have no difficulty following the threads from then to now and I like how they all connect in this cohesive thriller。 This is a well blended mix of fact and fiction。 Overall, a very enjoyable intelligent thriller which I recommend to fan of Peter May and the genre。 With thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books, riverrun for the much appreciated arc for an honest review。 。。。more

Helen Frost

I’m rapidly becoming a big fan of Peter May so I was confident that this book wouldn’t disappoint and it didn’t。 There’s a lot going on in this story and it, seamlessly, crosses various times, jumping to the war era and back to present time in the blink of an eye but it didn’t feel confusing, it just added to the beauty of the interlinking main theme。 There are inbuilt stories of love, wartime struggles, family loyalty, a certain very famous painting (the prestige of which, the mystery surroundi I’m rapidly becoming a big fan of Peter May so I was confident that this book wouldn’t disappoint and it didn’t。 There’s a lot going on in this story and it, seamlessly, crosses various times, jumping to the war era and back to present time in the blink of an eye but it didn’t feel confusing, it just added to the beauty of the interlinking main theme。 There are inbuilt stories of love, wartime struggles, family loyalty, a certain very famous painting (the prestige of which, the mystery surrounding it and a hint of this possibly being a true theory made it feel a little Da Vinci Code) and a good splattering (pun intended) of forensics。 I also liked the way Covid was worked into the modern day part of the story, the first book I’ve read that has done so。 It very cleverly made Covid just matter of fact rather than gratuitously referencing for Brownie points。 Fantastic, quality craftsmanship, thank you。 。。。more

zoe Hitchen

Enzo Macleod is a retired forensic scientist living in France , he is asked to give his opinion on some remains buried under a tree in a French village 。 Whilst he is there a murder investigation of a gallery owner is taking place and he is invited to consult on the case。 Are the two connected or is it a coincidence? I enjoyed the story , it took the reader back in time to World War 2 and to the present day and I usually find this confusing , but not in this case。 It added an extra dimension to Enzo Macleod is a retired forensic scientist living in France , he is asked to give his opinion on some remains buried under a tree in a French village 。 Whilst he is there a murder investigation of a gallery owner is taking place and he is invited to consult on the case。 Are the two connected or is it a coincidence? I enjoyed the story , it took the reader back in time to World War 2 and to the present day and I usually find this confusing , but not in this case。 It added an extra dimension to the writing which makes it an easy read and it includes the current pandemic and its restrictions which gives it the added edge of credibility。An enjoyable read and highly recommended! Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books for this arc copy 。。。more

Maria Flaherty

'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 '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! 。。。more

Louise

Firstly I'd like to give Mr May a big clap on the back,and thank him for referencing the pandemic,masks,social distancing etc etc。So refreshing to read。I hadn't realised this was a book in a series,so I struggled a bit with Enzos complicated life and family。The rest however was good。。 art,murder and world war 2。Enjoyable。 Firstly I'd like to give Mr May a big clap on the back,and thank him for referencing the pandemic,masks,social distancing etc etc。So refreshing to read。I hadn't realised this was a book in a series,so I struggled a bit with Enzos complicated life and family。The rest however was good。。 art,murder and world war 2。Enjoyable。 。。。more

AtomicBooks

I am a fan of Peter May so much so that I happily read his books without even reading the synopsis and I haven’t been disappointed yet! This book is quite different to any of his I’ve read before as this is most definitely more of a historical story rather than a pure crime thriller but as a fan of both genres this is now one of my favourite Peter May books。 I really enjoyed the way that the history blended with the current timeline and although there are quite a few timelines they are all easil I am a fan of Peter May so much so that I happily read his books without even reading the synopsis and I haven’t been disappointed yet! This book is quite different to any of his I’ve read before as this is most definitely more of a historical story rather than a pure crime thriller but as a fan of both genres this is now one of my favourite Peter May books。 I really enjoyed the way that the history blended with the current timeline and although there are quite a few timelines they are all easily distinguishable and work brilliantly together to tell the whole story。 What makes this story even better is knowing that a lot of he history is true。 This is the first book I’ve read that has referenced the current pandemic, which was included perfectly, as part of the story but not the story。 。。。more

Soozee

Enzo Macleod is a retired forensic scientist invited to a French village to see the body of a man discovered buried under tree roots, having been there for decades。 On his arrival, he finds an art critic has been murdered in a nearby house and the local police rather improbably ask for his help with this murder。He starts to talk to a local woman, and a story emerges from the Second World War of a half-French girl, Georgette, who is recruited by De Gaulle to ensure the safety of the Mona Lisa fro Enzo Macleod is a retired forensic scientist invited to a French village to see the body of a man discovered buried under tree roots, having been there for decades。 On his arrival, he finds an art critic has been murdered in a nearby house and the local police rather improbably ask for his help with this murder。He starts to talk to a local woman, and a story emerges from the Second World War of a half-French girl, Georgette, who is recruited by De Gaulle to ensure the safety of the Mona Lisa from Nazi predators。 We follow her training in Scotland and her arrival in France。We are also introduced to Bauer, possibly suspect for the murder, who's family history links him back to the Nazi seeking the Mona Lisa。It all sounds a bit improbable, but is actually quite a good tale, if you accept the introduction of famous people from history into a fictional story。 However, I found the leaping around between time lines - 1940s, just before the murder, present day - to be rather disjointed。 I also felt the book was rather rushed, perhaps in an effort to produce a 'contemporary' story while the Covid pandemic is still raging。 Overall I enjoyed it, but was not bowled over with the way it was written。Thank you to NetGalley, Quercus Books and riverrun for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more