“Many mystery buffs have credited Louise Penny with the revival of the type of traditional murder mystery made famous by Agatha Christie. . . . The book’s title is a metaphor not only for the month of April but also for Gamache’s personal and professional challenges—making this the series standout so far.” –Sarah Weinman Welcome to Three Pines, where the cruelest month is about to deliver on … to deliver on its threat.
It’s spring in the tiny, forgotten village; buds are on the trees and the first flowers are struggling through the newly thawed earth. But not everything is meant to return to life. . .
When some villagers decide to celebrate Easter with a séance at the Old Hadley House, they are hoping to rid the town of its evil—until one of their party dies of fright. Was this a natural death, or was the victim somehow helped along?
Brilliant, compassionate Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec is called to investigate, in a case that will force him to face his own ghosts as well as those of a seemingly idyllic town where relationships are far more dangerous than they seem.
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I’m an unabashed fan of all of Penny’s books and her characters who live outside the confines of the pages. How I love it when Ruth and her duck join me when I’m in a cranky mood. A few minutes in her company, and I’m in stitches. She’s such a faux crank!
I had missed reading this one in my pursuit of catching up on all of Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache series, so it sat at the top of my TBR pile for awhile. I started it, got distracted, but had four hours to kill in an airport on vacation this summer…so, I finally read it! Woot woot! Once again, I love the setting of Three Pines and the …
There has been another death in Three Pines, but it is unclear if it was natural or not. Armand Gamache and his team are sent to investigate the suspicious death. I love the pace of the book and the intricate mystery. Armand is also going through some personal turmoil this time involving a previous case. The setting of these books is so …
Louise Penny is right up there with my other favorite fiction authors — Maeve Binchy, Dorothea Benton Frank, Fredrik Backman, J.K. Rowling, Barbara Delinsky (to name but a few) — so it’s no wonder that I’m enjoying a re-read of her Inspector Gamache series. I just finished book three, The Cruelest Month, and was again reminded of why I love …
Such great characters, I wanted to be their friend.
Tells a good story, well plotted and interesting characters. More of a thinking mystery.
Louise Penny is one of my favorite authors. I have come to feel that I know the characters in her books and always look forward to their further adventures!
Love Louise Penny
All of Louise Penny books are wonderful. Never a disappointment and leaves me craving the next.
I love my visits to Three Pines. Penny never disappoints. And I love the T. S. Eliot references in this one.
A really heart stopping emotional ride. The characters really reflect society all the emotions that can be hidden simmering beneath the surface. You will not regret picking up this book.
I love Louise Penny books!
I think Louise Penny is the master’s master at character building.
Just finished reading this for the second time and it was just as wonderful as the first. Great story.
I have read most of Louise Penny’s novels and they are all great. This is book 3 in the Inspector Gamache series, although not necessary, I advise starting from the beginning of the series to get the full level of enjoyment from all the assorted characters and their back stories. Loved the all the characters, you feel like you are invested in …
Love louise penny
I love how Louise Penny builds a story – from characters and place – and then weaves in books and psychology and a little bit of the mystical. This book beautifully resolved the larger mystery of the first two titles in the series as well as solving the murder of this book, too. But then it set up a new larger mystery for the next title. So …
I’ve never read anything by Louise Penny that was less than outstanding. All are 5 stars!
All her books in this series are marvelous
Another wonderful book in the series. Read them all in order; the characters continue to grow and the twists and turns keep you involved.