“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’ll ready anything Louise Penny writes. Her books are wonderful and her character development is the best.
love Louise Penny!!
Everything by Louise Penny is simply wonderful. She writes the kind of book that you read and then spend months thinking about.
I am reading my fourth Louise Penny book. They are all wonderful books with wonderful and interesting characters. Even when you think you know what will come next, you are surprised.
I’ve read many books by Louise Penny and this is a good one, although not her best. Her characters are complex and interesting. The book is well written and the culrpit is hard to guess. , The only reason I did not give it more stars is because I still felt the story a bit far fetched.
I picked this up from a basket outside a charity shop and have since given it to several friends as a present. I loved it and it’s led me to read others in the series. For me it’s always a sign of a good book if it makes me want to visit the location where it’s set. Been looking up flights to Quebec.
Inspector Gamache is a fabulous unusual …
I love all of Louise Penny’s books. Her characters are so engaging and her storylines are unpredictable. This one especially speaks to the love of family. Very touching
I love her writing! She does such character development that you hear their voices and see them in action. I am transported to 3 Pines and feel part of the story. I could read her books FOREVER!
I have read all of Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache series. The reoccurring characters are well defined, flawed but seem to learn from their mistakes.
The murder mysteries are multi faceted and hold you interest. I love this series
I didn’t enjoy this one as much as her first two. I think she tried to accomplish too much with what material she had, and just led everything around in circles. After a point, I no longer cared “who dunnit?”.
Loved this series
I must get a new ‘praise line’ for the Penny reviews. “This is her best” is really wearing thin.
I shall try to find a better line in the future.
I am looking to try and read all she has written and keep finding one I haven’t read in the past. Sometimes I am lucky, as with this one.
Thank you Louise Penny!
Armand Gamache and his Three Pines characters are among my favorites. Armand’s way of solving crimes is unique. He always manages to outwit the culprit. As always there are the quirky characters and of course a murder. It is April and Easter time and a seance and a mysterious house.
I always patiently await another Gamache masterpiece. This …
This one of the Gamache series is the real introduction to the town of Three Pines, The setting for most of the following books. As always, great.
It is another winner for Louise Penny. I have read all of her books as I love the unique characters who truly look out for each other, become a supportive community, and how they continue from one book to the next. It also has given me a look at Canada’s history plus the mythical little village of Three Pines.
This was a very enlightening Louise Penny book. It actually consisted of two story lines – a murder in Three Pines as well as corruption/coverup in the Surete du Quebec. Both stories dealt with jealousy to the point of ultimate betrayal by those closest to us.
This was a very well written book with insights into the human psyche that I found …
All Louise Penny books get 5 stars! I love the Inspector Gamache series – for more, see my review on the boxed set.
Every book is better than the last! I particularly enjoyed the paranormal aspects in this visit to Three Pines. This series is best read in order, and I must say the audio version is even better than the print. I am loving my summer audio binge read of this series!
I love the whole series!
4 stars for another entertaining mystery in the Armand Gamache series. This is book 3 in the series, and I recommend that you start with book 1. There are 2 plots in this book. One is a murder in the fictional town of Three Pines, Quebec, located near the US Vermont border. The second is a group of Surete Quebec officers who want revenge on …