Vintage Corpse

August 6, 2007
Oenophiles and fans of CBS's Cold Case
will relish May's slightly far-fetched second outing to feature France-based Scottish sleuth Enzo Macleod (after 2006's Extraordinary People
). When the corpse of powerful American wine critic Gil Petty turned up in southwest France, local cops were perplexed: the body was dressed in the robes of a local fraternal organization and appeared to have been practically pickled in wine. Four years later, shortly after Enzo, who specializes in unsolvable murders, reopens the case, another wine-saturated corpse is found. Petty had made countless enemies in the wine world, and his ex-wife and daughter had few kind words to say about him, but what connects him to the second killing? Enzo's emotional drama with both his daughters and romantic attractions to two charming ladies, plus tidbits about wine production and the art of wine tasting, make this a full-bodied, satisfying read.

October 1, 2007
Enzo Macleod, a former forensics expert now teaching at a small French college, goes to the wine country in southwest France to solve the murder of Gil Petty, wine critic extraordinaire. This cold case leads Macleod to learn the basics of wine making, not to mention puts him in danger of being killed. Here, May loses sight of the group of amateurs who helped Macleod in "Extraordinary People" and dedicates too much time to the Scotsman's rampant libido. The mystery is there and the ending a shock, yet the story lacks May's usual verve. He lives in France. For larger mystery collections. [See Prepub Mystery, "LJ" 7/07.]

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