Louise Penny's Armand Gamache series is now up to 19 books, with the latest book due to be published October 29, 2024. When I began reading the series, it was primarily a police procedural series, with Gamache as a Chief Inspector of the Surêté du Québec.
This book is the 12th in the series, and in a previous book in the series, Gamache left his position as head of homicide. At least two of the books after that focus on mysteries not related to Gamache's role as a policeman. But both he and his wife knew that he would someday look for a new career and return to active work. At the beginning of this story, Gamache has made that decision and accepted an offer to become the head of the Sûreté Academy. In the past, the Sûreté had become filled with corrupt officials and the Academy still shows the results of that influence. Gamache hopes to correct that, but he knows it will take time.
Thus this book is primarily set at the Sûreté Academy, and that is an interesting setting. But Armand and his wife Reine-Marie now live in Three Pines, so a good amount of time is also spent there. I like the books no matter where they are set, but when they are in Three Pines, it means that some of the interesting characters who live there will be featured: Ruth, Clara, Olivier and Gabriel, and Myrna at the bookstore.
Not long after Gamache comes to the Academy in his new position, an instructor at the Academy is killed. And Gamache is one of the suspects, although no one believes that it could be him. Clearly Gamache cannot run the investigation of the crime, but he is involved in the investigation as much as possible.
There are several smaller mysteries in this story. One is why Gamache decided to approve Amelia Choquet for admission to the academy. She is a misfit, has been in trouble with the law and has obvious tattoos and piercings. He obviously feels some connection to her.
There is another mystery around an old map found in the walls of Olivier and Gabriel's bistro in Three Pines. It turns out to be an orienteering map; some cadets from the Academy and the residents of Three Pines work together to figure out its origins.
At this point in the series, I have a hard time reviewing the books because going into much detail can spoil plot points of earlier books in the series. I also think that reading the books in order is important because some of characters just seem needlessly quirky and irritating without know some of their background.
The mysteries in this series are always rewarding. Usually very complex and sometimes circuitous and perplexing, they keep me guessing. I never even came close to suspecting the perpetrator in this book.
Louise Penny is very good at creating characters we want to read about. She also continues to develop the characters, both the main characters and the continuing secondary characters in Three Pines. It is hard to look back and compare all the books, but I think this is my favorite book so far.
See other reviews at Mysteries and More from Saskatchewan and Mysteries in Paradise.
Publisher: Minotaur Books, 2016
Length: 386 pages
Format: Hardcover
Series: Armand Gamache, #12
Setting: Quebec, Canada
Genre: Police Procedural
Source: I purchased this book.
20 comments:
I'm really glad you liked this one, Tracy. Penny is such a talented writer; even her weakest is better, in my opinion, than a lot of people's best. I agree with you 100% that it's best if the books are read in order. I think there's so much more you can get out of the books that way.
Margot, it took me a while to get hooked on Louise Penny's Gamache series. But after 4 or 5 books, I was committed to reading them all. I still have seven to go, but that is not a bad thing.
I love this series. I will be going into book 10 in the next month or two. And it's very good in audio as well. And agree you really have to read this series in order.
This soon became one of my go-to series, and I hope it goes on forever. This one is one of my favorites in the series, too, largely because of the change of focus for Gamache and the introduction of some really interesting characters. As others have said, it's definitely best to read these in order because of the way they are linked, making the series read like one very long (and always entertaining) novel.
Kathy, I can imagine how good these books would be in audio. I have never really tried that method of reading. I am always amazed to hear how many people like this series so much. Penny has a real gift.
Sam, I was very pleased with this book. And I can't wait to see what is in store for Gamache next. I still have seven books to read to catch up, and I do hope that Penny continues to write about Gamache.
She is so talented. I wish the TV series had been renewed.
Patti, I wish that they had kept the TV series going also. And especially to leave it with such an ending. The series wasn't perfect but I would have watched it for sure.
I agree it's a series best read in order. My brother and his wife jumped in mid-stream and I've always thought how much they missed out on by doing so. It did take me to book three to really become invested (the first was for our book club), but I've been hooked since then. I've already got a "pre-hold" at my Libby for the next one.
Kelly, it was the same for me. I think book 4, A Rule Against Murder, was the first one I really liked. It will still take me a while to catch up, but in addition to liking Louise Penny's writing and the stories she tells, I really like to read books set in Canada.
I've only read a few of these books, but I did really like them. Such great characters. And I like the setting, too. Someday I'll get caught up on the rest. Maybe. ;D
Lark, I read through the first few books in this series slowly. Now sometimes I wait a year between books, sometimes I read a couple of them back to back. And my Canadian Reading Challenge motivates me to read more of them.
I own most of the series but not this one. I mostly remember the odd cadet, Amelia Choquet, so I probably need to reread it. I agree these books are hard to review without revealing too much.
Constance, I thought I had kept some of the Louise Penny books for rereading but it appears I donated them to the Planned Parenthood book sale. This was a good one and the Amelia Choquet part of the story was interesting.
Oh wow so this is your favorite one of the entire series? That's good to hear. I have not started the series (as I'm not really a big mystery reader) but being in Canada I do want to read the first couple.
Susan, even if you don't plan to read the series all the way through, I think that the first two would be good choices. I read the first one in 2008, then did not return to the 2nd one until 2013. I remember little about the first one, but I think the theme of the second one was very good. They are both set in Three Pines, which is a fictional village in Quebec which does not show up on any maps and and cell phones, GPS, and the internet don't work there. I don't know if that is really possible, but it comes up over and over again in the stories. The stories are not cozy at all, especially the later ones in the series.
thanks Tracy I'm glad you let me know about them. The first two have been on my shelves for years ... I will get there.
Susan, another aspect that I like in this series is that I have learned more about the difficulties between French Canadians and English Canadians in Quebec. I was very unaware of that before reading these books. It doesn't play a big part in most of the books, but enough to raise my awareness.
Just read your review. I equally thought it a brilliant book. It is one of my favourites in the series. The map was such a powerful element of the story.
Bill, Although I still have small quibbles with some of Louise Penny's books, I have definitely been drawn into her stories. Although I hate being behind in the series, it is nice knowing I still have at least seven more to read.
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