Armand Gamache comes out of retirement to clean up the Surete Academy, which has been beset by corruption both financial and moral. He makes some inteArmand Gamache comes out of retirement to clean up the Surete Academy, which has been beset by corruption both financial and moral. He makes some interesting choices in both faculty and new students. Meanwhile in Three Pines, a fascinating map is found in a trunkful of ephemera taken from the walls of the Bistro when it was remodeled. And then a professor is murdered. Ms. Penny wrote this book while dealing with her beloved husband's increasing dementia, and perhaps that's why it's even more philosophical than others in the series. Yet the philosophy never interferes with the story. Highly recommended....more
First I must say that as soon as I have time, I must replace my shelf "Books set in Canada" with separate shelves for each province, and perhaps the tFirst I must say that as soon as I have time, I must replace my shelf "Books set in Canada" with separate shelves for each province, and perhaps the territories as well. Louise Penny's books, set in Québec, have such a sense of place that they could not be set in Ontario, British Columbia, or the Maritimes. Once again in The Cruelest Month, the almost-fairy-tale village of Three Pines is the setting for a murder case and Gamache and his team return to solve it. But besides the murder -- which at first looks like something supernatural -- Gamache is dealing with the continuing blowback from what we might call an Internal Affairs case that occurred before the first book in the series. Whom can he trust among his team and his colleagues? This mystery was, for me, harder to solve than the murder of Madeleine Favreau in Three Pines. I was pretty sure who the murderer was, but the continual harassment of Gamache and his family had one surprise for me at the end. Gamache is a bit of a philosopher and fits well in Three Pines, where nearly every character has something important to say about life, art, or love. I came late to the enjoyment of Louise Penny's work, and that's a good thing because I still have nine books left to read. Very highly recommended....more
Dwight and Deborah are finally getting to take their honeymoon in New York City, and Maron's other series detective, Sigrid Harald, appears in this boDwight and Deborah are finally getting to take their honeymoon in New York City, and Maron's other series detective, Sigrid Harald, appears in this book too -- which is a bonus. Can they spend a few days in the Big Apple without a murder investigation? Well, no. Too bad for them, but great for the readers of this excellent series....more
Although I did have to put this book down a few times (dogs must be walked, and these old eyes get tired at night), I did finish it within 24 hours. TAlthough I did have to put this book down a few times (dogs must be walked, and these old eyes get tired at night), I did finish it within 24 hours. The third adventure for Jake Brogan, Boston Police Department, and Jane Ryland, reporter, was just as good as the first two. The theme of mortgage foreclosures was up-to-the-minute, and the introduction of a cold case gave us more insight into Jake's character. There was also a plot twist that I absolutely didn't see coming. I especially like this series because both Jake and Jane are people who take their professional ethics seriously, even when it interferes with their love affair. Very strongly recommended!...more
Although this is not the first Inspector Gamache novel, it's the first one I've read. In a twist on the locked-room murder, a very disagreeable woman Although this is not the first Inspector Gamache novel, it's the first one I've read. In a twist on the locked-room murder, a very disagreeable woman is killed while sitting in a chair on the ice among many other spectators at an outdoor curling match in Three Pines, the artsy Quebec village which Gamache has visited before. There were interesting characters and an ingenious plot, and I enjoyed the setting. Many references to events in the previous book made this a bit confusing at times and reinforced my usual practice of reading series from the beginning. (The first book is the well-regarded Still Life.) Nevertheless, recommended....more
As part of my A Mystery for Every State project, I picked up THE VIRGIN OF SMALL PLAINS by Nancy Pickard. I must be the last mystery reader who hadn'tAs part of my A Mystery for Every State project, I picked up THE VIRGIN OF SMALL PLAINS by Nancy Pickard. I must be the last mystery reader who hadn't already read this terrific book -- even my daughter, who normally reads only mysteries with knitting or vampires, raved about it -- and there's not much I can say that hasn't already been said. It definitely satisfied my standards for a great regional mystery -- besides fascinating characters and a plot full of surprises, there is a real feel for the setting, a small town in the Flint Hills region of Kansas. The weather descriptions are particularly good, and no one could say the weather isn't essential to the plot. If there is someone out there who hasn't read this book yet, don't wait. It's excellent. ...more
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