I immensly disliked this book. I'm unsure what it is. The protagonist was extremely unlikeable from the very beginning which hindered the plot. There is a moment at the beginning of the book whereby he is ABROAD and thinks to himself 'christ why can't foreigners just speak english?!' or something along those lines. There is an extreme lack of mystery, as from the beginning we are aware that an assassin had killed these men. Not to mention, it takes a million years for the murder to actually take place. This book was slow and not well written at all. It was heavy and the lack of plot was extremely irritating. The switching perspectives were confusing, especially the way it was written so that you knew everyone's thoughts and feelings which confused you further. Not worth your time!

Great pace, indestructible hero, fine twists. Little bit sketchy at the end, but well worth reading.

Peter May is one of my favorites, introduced to me by a good friend. This book was originally written in the 80's and it was republished with minor revisions. It was nice to read something for a change where there are no cell phones or social media. The good old telephone and a typewriter worked just fine. This wasn't as enjoyable as his others books but I still really liked it.
I was going to give it 3 stars until the last paragraph which shattered me and I had to give it 4. Looking forward to others of his I have on my TBR shelf.

Exciting thriller set in Brussels mainly. Made me think that journalists as a species aren't very nice people though.
It was written and first published in 1979 and it's weird with no internet or mobile phones.

I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank the publisher and Agnes for inviting me to be part of this blog tour!

Peter May’s books are like good Scotch — strong, intense in colour and taste. It is a delight to your eyes and a gift to your mind. Well, I don’t drink Scotch but that’s how I see it, and how Mr May’s novel make me feel. The Man With No Face is no exception. I loved the idea of republishing one of Mr May's earlier work, and this revised version is a success!

I love novels set in our time. I barely remember a time without a phone, the Internet, all those things that have shaped my life and the world, for the better and for the worst. But I left it all behind as soon as I opened this latest novel from Peter May.

The 70s. Edinburgh, Brussels, London. Like a door to another world (or a Tardis), the pages transported me to a time where things were different. The perfect descriptions of each setting had me fell the rain on my face, the wind in my hair, and the adrenaline in my blood. To my opinion, Peter May’s novels don’t belong to the explosive action category. The action is everywhere, though. In his character’s brain, in their actions and reactions. In the writing’s pace speeding up before letting you take a break. Unless you’re a spy or a serial killer, that’s how it goes. You don’t go running from page one to page four hundred. The chapters in The Man With No Face are waves. The perfect combination of words setting in motion a movie. This one in black and white (I know TV had colours but let it go!). A retro style that I relished. My imagination took me down narrow roads, with people wearing trench coats passing by, smoked-filled cafés and dark corners. In a nutshell, this book is a jump in time, and not just because of the magnificent style the author uses to take you to a period you weren’t born. Details of political knots and social turmoil give the reader a stronger sense of setting, without ever feeling like you’re reading a history book. Bookish gods know I would have DNFed it had it been the case!

No, The Man With No Face, with its mysterious title and beautiful cover, is a cleverly quiet tale of lives in 1979, with everything we knew at that time, and everything we didn’t.

Old time and politics. A match? YES! After several chapters setting the tone of the novel following the steps of investigative journalist Bannerman, blood gets spilled. Journalism and government blood. Not a good mix if you want my opinion! It’s bound to make a lot of noise. But poor Brannerman was only in the European capital to dig up dirt… Only to find himself at the centre of an intricate web of secrecy and conspiracies. Human, accurate, and dirty indeed, this investigation brings the best of our main character and fully explores a world of scoops, money and corruption.

A killer with more than one face… A cold heart, a conniving mind, and something more. One of my favourite villains!

My biggest surprise was to find myself as drawn to the extra given by the author as I was to the case. Autism is still being researched these days, but it is nothing compared to what we knew back in the 70s. Tania touched my heart thanks to the brilliant portrayal made by Peter May. I was blown away that he chose to include such an element within the story, and the case itself, and really happy it didn’t use it as a rushed too for the sake of a hint or lead to help the main character on his chase. In a blurry but awesome way, we get into Tania’s head in the hardest and strongest way. I dare you not to react to this protagonist. Brannerman doesn’t escape it either and the relationship between them made my heart ache and burn.

To think that many things in this novel have been inspired by real events makes it even better. I like a dose of authenticity around the stories!

So many things happen in The Man With No Face it would not be doing you a favour to say more. Just now that you’re in fantastic hands with Peter May, and that this novel is pure delight. A powerful investigation, a seasoned but flawed journalist, and the shape of international politics in the background. Grab your hat, your red lipstick, and get ready for a superb and engaging mystery.

I’m always eager to dive into Peter May’s next release, and The Man With No Face was no different. However, this is one of a handful of books by the author that I was not crazy about. It certainly had me curious to see how things would play out, but I never felt the connection I had hoped for.

I think my big problem with this one was that the emotional impact was lacking. There was the potential for an intense storyline, with certain details promising to hit hard, but things were too blunt for the connection to appear. Sure, the storyline had me curious. However, the aspects that could have made this hit hard were flat. I kept waiting for the connection to appear, but it never did. Instead, I was left watching the events without much of a care.

I’m clearly in the minority with this one, though. Many seem to adore this, but it didn’t work for me in the way Peter May’s work usually does.

Originally published in 1981 as Hidden Faces, and with a little polish here and there, but remaining by and large faithful to the original text, has reissued it for a new generation of readers as The Man With No Face. Written in the 1970s when May himself was a journalist reporting on the upheaval and consternation of Britain aligning itself with the EU, (oh happy days in the light of the current political debacle) the book is based on real life events, amid the corridors of power in Brussels…

Rich with political intrigue, as a slippery politician and a scheming journalist meet their respective murderous ends, I was fascinated by how little politics and political power changes over the course of decades, and responds significantly little to shifts in society. May conveys this world of corruption and power perfectly throughout as jaded, but tenacious Neil Bannerman starts to dig deeper into the outwardly appearing case of murder-suicide that sends shockwaves through the political community in Brussels and London. Of course, there are darker forces at work and with it a deepening sense of danger as Bannerman launches his own investigation, and forms deep attachments to the nearest and dearest of one of the victims.

I think what struck me most about this book is the sense of resistance to change in political circles, and that the story that May constructed over four decades ago is so easily interchangeable with the current political climate, and the groundless fears that being aligned with Europe had then as well as now. Equally, and sadly, that political corruption is something that never goes away, where the self inflating egos of men (predominantly) become even more avaricious with the heightened status and power they attain, and their increasing distance from those they are meant to represent the best interests of. In addition to this May also shines a rather unflattering light on those members of the fourth estate in this wilfully backstabbing and competitive atmosphere, where the copy is all, and professional allegiances are manipulated to get the column inches. It’s an altogether scurrilous world, and May imbues it with colour, tension and a dry wit that resounds with the reader. It’s a real world of dog eat dog, and a lot of them with their eyes on the juiciest bone…

Neil Bannerman is a wonderfully rounded character, beset as he is with the cynicism inherent in his profession as a journalist, but also the way that he reveals another side to his character in his interactions with the daughter, Tania, of his murdered friend. May builds up a superbly empathetic connection between the two of them, particularly in his sensitive portrayal of Tania cast adrift in a world that her autism complicates further, and this is a real standout feature of the book. Refreshingly, May casts an almost empathetic light on the perpetrator of the crimes, and reserves a good degree of bile for some of the less than savoury characters that inhabit the world of journalism and politics so there’s a great mix of heroes and villains.

I am seldom disappointed with Peter May and The Man With No Face proves once again May’s versatility as a writer whichever world his characters are inhabiting. A strangely prescient read with a good dollop of dramatic tension, and yet underpinned by some real heart-warming interludes. Recommended.

Unfortunately, the Man With No Face had languished on my TBR pile for a while. Well more fool me. For those of us who enjoy good old detective cases, where we have to follow the clues and watch the bodies pile up then this is right up your street.

The book is a reprint of an 80s novel, but its stood the test time. (Although I did giggle at people queuing up for a phone box at Brussels Airport.

Kale is a hit man hired to “hit” two men in Brussels. Go in do the job, collect your money, leave.

Bannerman a cynical Edinburgh journalist is banished to Brussels to dig up some dirt on the forthcoming British Parliamentary elections. There he stays with fellow journalist Slater, and his autistic daughter. However, Slater, a British Politician are found in apparent murder suicide, which turns out to be a hit. Unknown to the “hit man” the hit was witnessed by Slater's Autistic daughter. Whilst not able to communicate orally details of the hitman, she produces a very detailed drawing of the Man With No Face.

The plot is a very well-paced thriller with a race to get the Hitman before he gets to them. I really wasn’t disappointed and will be looking up more books by Peter May.

Thankyou Netgalley for my ARC in return for an honest review.

"La petite fille qui en savait trop"

Agréable thriller politique qui se lit très facilement.

Les élections générales britanniques vont bientôt avoir lieu et pour couvrir tout ce qui tourne autour de la C.E.E, Neil Bannerman, un journaliste écossais, est envoyé à Bruxelles. Et c'est bien là que tout se complique. Ce roman est bourré d'action mais aussi de moments sensibles avec cette pauvre petite fille autiste.
J'aurais d'ailleurs aimé plus de moments "humains" que ce language journalistique et politique à longueur des pages. J'aurais aussi aimé plus de scène en Ecosse mais cela n'est qu'un gout personnel. C'est la premiere fois que je lis un livre de Peter May et je pense que je ne me pencherais pas sur ses autres romans. Ca a été une lecture agréable et fluide mais pour moi, par la lecture de l'année.

Having read at least four novels by Peter May that I really enjoyed, after seeing the high rating for this one I picked it up, not realizing it was a re-publication of a novel May wrote nearly forty years ago at the start of his career. Unfortunately though the plot seemed promising, it was clear early on the May’s writing has significantly improved since he wrote this novel. There is little character development, an unlikeable main character whose actions seem overdone, and a cliched romance. I think I will stick with reading May’s more recent novels.