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  • Dry Bones

  • By: Peter May
  • Narrated by: Simon Vance
  • Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (937 ratings)
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Dry Bones cover art

Dry Bones

By: Peter May
Narrated by: Simon Vance
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Summary

What happened to Jacques Gaillard? The brilliant teacher at the École Nationale d’Administration, who trained some of France’s best and brightest as future prime ministers and presidents, vanished ten years ago, presumably from Paris. This ten-year-old mystery inspires a bet—one that Enzo Macleod, a biologist teaching in Toulouse, France, 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 a cold case.

Enzo goes to Paris to meet journalist Roger Raffin, the author of a book on seven celebrated unsolved murders, the assumption being that Gaillard is dead. He 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 château in Champagne, digging up relics and bones. Then Enzo finds the actual head of Jacques Gaillard. The artifacts buried with the skull set him to interpreting the clues they provide and following in someone’s footsteps—maybe more than one someone—seeking the rest of Gaillard’s remains and reviewing some ancient and recent history. As with any quest, it’s as much discovery as detection, and Enzo, despite all his missteps, proves to be an ace investigator, scientific and intuitive, who definitely meets his goals.

Peter May is a Scottish television screenwriter, novelist, and crime writer. He has won several literary awards for his novels.

©2006 Peter May (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“This travelogue-cum-murder mystery makes for a fun puzzle.” ( Publishers Weekly)
“A thoroughly engaging puzzle.” ( Library Journal)

What listeners say about Dry Bones

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
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  • 3 Stars
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Easy Listening

I was put off starting this series from Peter May because of rather lukewarm reviews. I did however finally take the plunge and I'm glad I did because I actually quite enjoyed. No this is nothing like the tremendous Lewis series - but then this isn't a dark,brooding tale. No it isn't as atmospheric as the Chinese detective series either - in fact the reviewer that said it was a cross between Dan Brown & the Famous Five wasn't actually far off the mark. For a bet Enzo is investigating a number of unsolved murders using today's forensic science (well loosely anyway) - and the books are just nice easy listening. Enzo does have a tendency to fluctuate between sounding like BIlly Connelly and Sean Connery, but he's a likeable enough character and the plots and clues a lot more probable than some books I have read or listened to. I cannot understand the complaints about Peter Vance's accents, I think the reading is excellent with just enough accents thrown in to easily recognise the cast of characters. No this may not set the world alight but its a decent enough series and well worth a listen.

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37 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Good murder mystery for Francophiles/Francophones

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend, but would tell them I found the book entertaining, if a little predictable at times, and it went at a good pace with enough excitement to make me stay in bed one Sunday morning to listen to the last 6 chapters! Peter May writes about women from a man's perspective - I don't mean sexist, but more how he would like women to be than how they really are! (Work this out, men!) Nevertheless, I enjoyed his story and enjoyed his wry humour - maybe because I am a Scot and it is such a Scottish thing. Other writers criticise the accents - well, one narrator can only produce so many accents - as a Scot I found it quite authentic (West of Scotland). Also a lot of French used - seems logical to me as it was first printed in French, from what I can gather from internet, and why change those bits when it helps you to learn a bit more of the language of the country in which it is set. Good for those interested in France and happy to learn a bit about the language and country. I've spent a bit of time in France and found it all quite authentic, en fait.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Kinda guessed half way through who the main perpetrator was/would be, but found the ending quite exciting - as mentioned above. The 'changes' in the family relationships were also quite predictable - but perfectly believable.

Which character – as performed by Simon Vance – was your favourite?

Oh, Enzo! And it seemed to me that Simon Vance enjoyed being Enzo and tried very hard to get his character right - and I thought the accent was fine.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Maybe the loss of his second wife. He appeared to have discarded the first one easily enough but he didn't have time to get tired of the second one. Nor did he seem to have struck up any other long-term relationships in the 18 or so years since she had died, so maybe it was the real thing. (I'm a cynic!)

Any additional comments?

Peter May is not Georges Simenon or Ian Rankin, but I thought the book might be of interest to readers of these two authors. It was well written and I enjoyed all the bits of 'education' e.g. Champagne production; and the catacombs of Paris.

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19 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Oh Dear - the accents

What a disappointment! After listening to the 2 Hebridean novels my hopes were high but this book did not engage me. As a print book it may have been better although the constant use of words like ‘sejours’ is an irritating and useless device in creating a feeling of France. However, it was the narration which really spoiled it for me. The narrative was very pleasant to listen to but the dialogue was almost unbelievable. Both French and Scottish men ‘growled’ out a tortured transposition of vowel sounds – ‘Allo, ‘Allo meets Hey Jimmy.

The pace of the story was good until the last section where it was very drawn out. Descriptions of areas of France were fascinating but characters are quite shallow

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19 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

A man with new tech to get blood out of stones.


Enzo Macleod has made a bet, to resolve a crime that has been left open by the french police, he will use new forensics, to get blood out of stones.

I loved the character, he is charming and distinctive, with his family and lady complications. The ambiance of Paris and the french idiosyncrasies of privilege and politics, make and excellent scenario for our scottish friend; but I did not enjoy the clue laden crime as much.

An ok beginning to a good series, that improves with the next parts of the next mysteries. Entertaining and charming if a little too heavy on the complexity of the crime.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Back to the islands for me

I just didn't get this. In comparison to the Lewis trilogy the book was a pale shadow. Characters not brilliant and the plot didn't answer the most basic question "why bother"?

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

a good book ruined

I wish the narrator wouldnot try to do accents and voices that are so wrong. It completely ruined the story for me

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Terrible narration

What did you like best about Dry Bones? What did you like least?

Good storyline

What did you like best about this story?

I struggled more than a little because I really couldn't get passed the appalling narration

How did the narrator detract from the book?

I enjoyed Simon Vance reading Hilary Mantel's books. But oh dear, this was awful. I could almost forgive the french accent but the Scottish accents were abysmal. Having just really enjoyed listening to the Rebus collection read by James McPherson this was positively painful and detracted from the whole experience. If you can't do the accent justice, just read the book, we will cope much better.

Do you think Dry Bones needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Probably if narrated by some one else

Any additional comments?

James McPherson might be available

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Superb!

Great rounded characters, and ingenious plot. Well read with good careful pace and voice. Peter May appeared to know his setting intimately, and this shone through the narrative. Highly recommended.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Dry Bones, dry story

Too many unnecessary street / place names as though to prove that the author had done his research and knew France

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

First and last in the series for me

Bought this as I loved the Lewis Trilogy but was quite disappointed with this. Wasn't sure what I was listening to really. It was a cross between Dan Brown, Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie and at times it was like an Enid Blyton famous five novel. Didn't do it for me and although it brightened up half way through I won't be bothering with the rest of the series.

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6 people found this helpful