The Critic (Enzo Files Series #2)

Gil Petty, the worlds number one wine critic, goes missing during a tasting tour of the little-known wine region of Gaillac. Four years later, his body is discovered strung up on a cross in the vineyards of southwest France.

Publishers Weekly

Oenophiles and fans of CBS's Cold Casewill 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. (Nov.)

Peter May won the Scottish Young Journalist of the Year Award at 21 and had his first novel published at 26. He went on to become a successful Scottish television dramatist. He lives in France with his wife Janice Halley.