"This starts as a small-town mystery and becomes something grander and more frightening; Penny has upped her thrills-to-pain au chocolat ratio."
The Chief Superintendent of the Sûreté du Québec finds himself in a unique position: He's tangled up in the life of a recently deceased woman, and it doesn't involve her murder.
Read full book review >
"The year's top 20 mystery stories offer a variety of delights, not the least of which are what Penny calls their 'brilliant marriage of intellect, rational thought, and creativity.'"
The bestselling author of the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache adventures selects this year's outstanding short mystery fiction in the 22nd entry in Otto Penzler's long-running series.
Read full book review >
"A meticulously built mystery that follows a careful ascent toward a breaking point that will leave you breathless. It's Three Pines as you have never seen it before."
A dark, still figure, wearing long black robes and a hood, appears on the charming village green of Three Pines, a small Québec town; though at first it seems scary but harmless, it turns out to be something much more sinister.
Read full book review >
"A chilling story that's also filled with hope—a beloved Penny trademark."
Within a police force, some members must be trained in the science, and art, of solving murders. But does this training create people highly capable of committing them?
Read full book review >
"Penny is an expert at pulling away the surface of her characters to expose their deeper—and often ugly—layers, always doing so with a direct but compassionate hand."
In Inspector Gamache's 11th outing, the sheltering forest around his small village of Three Pines is revealed to be a hiding place for unexpected evil.
Read full book review >
"Gamache's 10th outing (How the Light Gets In, 2013, etc.) culminates in one breathless encounter, and readers may feel they weren't prepared for this story to end. The residents of Three Pines will be back, no doubt, as they'll have new wounds to mend."
Armand Gamache, former chief inspector of homicide for the Sûreté du Québec, is settling into retirement in the idyllic village of Three Pines—but Gamache understands better than most that danger never strays far from home.
Read full book review >
"Of the three intertwined plots, the Francoeur scheme is the deadliest, and the Ouellet saga will remind readers of the real-life Dionne family debacle of the 1940s. But it's Three Pines, with its quirky tenants, resident duck and luminous insights into trust and friendship, that will hook readers and keep them hooked."
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec is pushed toward retirement.
Read full book review >
"Elliptical and often oracular, but also remarkably penetrating and humane. The most illuminating analogies are not to other contemporary detective fiction but to The Name of the Rose and Murder in the Cathedral."
A prior's murder takes Quebec's Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his sidekick, Inspector Jean-Guy Beauvoir, inside the walls of the monastery of Saint-Gilbert-Entre-les-Loupes.
Read full book review >
"Penny, elevating herself to the pantheon that houses P.D. James, Ruth Rendell and Minette Walters, demonstrates an exquisite touch with characterization, plotting and artistic sensitivity. And there could be no better explanation of A.A. than you will find here."
"Gamache's excruciating grief over a wrong decision, Beauvoir's softening toward the unconventional, a plot twist so unexpected it's chilling, and a description of Québec intriguing enough to make you book your next vacation there, all add up to a superior read. Bring on the awards."
The sixth appearance of Armand Gamache, North America's most humane detective.
Read full book review >
"This latest treat in the series (The Cruelest Month, 2008, etc.) will keep fans salivating in anticipation, savoring each delectable morsel and yearning for more."
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his wife Reine-Marie's annual celebration of their wedding anniversary at Manoir Bellechasse is rudely disturbed by murder.
Read full book review >
"Perhaps the deftest talent to arrive since Minette Walters, Penny produces what many have tried but few have mastered: a psychologically acute cozy. If you don't give your heart to Gamache, you may have no heart to give."
Four statements lead to wisdom, but not before mischief and revenge come into play.
Read full book review >
"Remarkably, Penny manages to top her outstanding debut. Gamache is a prodigiously complicated and engaging hero, destined to become one of the classic detectives."
A frozen Quebec lake, a curling competition and two recently published books form a prelude to murder.
Read full book review >
"Cerebral, wise and compassionate, Gamache is destined for stardom. Don't miss this stellar debut."
Three Pines, an appealing Quebecois community, is shaken by the death of a beloved longtime village schoolteacher and unsung artist.
Read full book review >
Thank you! You’ll get the first email of recommendations from our critics within a week!
Bummer. There was a problem adding your email address. Please try again.
Subscribe to Pro Connect
Be the first to discover new talent!
Each week, our editors select the one author and one book they believe to be most worthy of your attention and highlight them in our Pro Connect email alert.
Sign up here to receive your FREE alerts.
