Reviews

The book started out a little slow, and I was wondering if I wanted to continue. I’m so glad I did! There were so many unexpected events that it really kept me totally engrossed! You could not help but fall in love with the different characters. Penny made them so vulnerable and likable. Well worth the read. I’m glad I did.

lsamuels80's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

nostoneunturned's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

threegoodrats's review against another edition

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4.0

There is a LOT going on here. There are 3 main mysteries (one of which contains a sub-mystery) going on at the same time. Beauvoir has reopened the case from the last book and is back in Three Pines investing. Gamache is in Quebec City recovering from a horrible situation that we hear about in pieces throughout the book, and which honestly could have been its own book (although I guess it would have been a thriller, which isn't what Louise Penny's books are.) While in Quebec there is a murder a the Literary and Historical Society, and the victim had been trying to solve his own mystery. So that's really 4 stories all together. I struggled a bit with the Lit & His since it involved so much Quebec history and there were a lot of names thrown around that I had to keep track of.

The resolution of the Three Pines mystery left me with questions because there were things about the solution that didn't make sense to me, why the murderer did certain things that he did. And the situation that Gamache is recovering from was actually a great story - especially the way he was reliving a very long conversation throughout the book - but the unfolding of this story was disjointed enough that I was left a bit confused about what had actually happened. I got the general idea though.

As always, I'm looking forward to the next book in this series. I can't get enough of Three Pines or these characters!

vlreid's review

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4.0

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache has suffered a great tragedy and loss in the line of duty, and has gone with his wife to Quebec City to stay with his former mentor. It's the middle of winter and frigidly cold in Quebec; we are immediately transported there through the beautiful prose and feel the constant chill along with Gamache.

There are three story lines in this book. The current mystery involves the death of a Champlain historian at the Literary & Historical Society. Another involves Gamache's doubts about a previous case; he sends Jean Guy Beauvoir back to Three Pines to investigate further (The Brutal Telling, #5). And the third is the slow unfolding of the last case they were involved in which left them both scarred physically and emotionally. The three story lines weave together seamlessly and the reader is immersed once again in Louise Penny's characters and locales.

Read more of my reviews at https://thegoodreader13.blogspot.com/.

kpitsker's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

spaulk57's review

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emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Best book in the series so far!

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