The Cruelest Month (Chief Inspector Gamache Novel, 3)

April is known as the cruelest month, not just here in the States but also in Three Pines, a tiny town near Quebec. The month is especially cruel for Madeleine, who dies unexpectedly during an impromptu seance in the old Hadley House. But as April showers bring May flowers, a death in Three Pines brings Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his team from the Surete du Quebec. Inspector Gamache is an old-school detective, using simple observation and human relationships alongside the more modern scientific techniques. He believes in looking people in the eyes, old-fashioned shoe-leather detecting, and long hours of hard work to catch a killer. It is his dedication to finding the truth, to searching out the evil to protect the good, that drives him as a policeman and as a man. His team balances him well, from Jean-Guy Beauvoir's strength to Isabelle Lacoste's quiet intelligence. And Gamache will depend on the entirety of his team to solve the murder, there is trouble brewing for him back in Surete headquarters that even his dream team may not be able to help him overcome. Anyone who has visited Louise Penny's captivating corner of Canada know that while the murder can draw you into the story, you stay for the characters. The residents of Three Pines are so completely imagined that they feel like friends. From the innkeepers Olivier and Gabri to bookstore owner Myrna and artists Clara and Peter Morrow, and (of course) resident poet and all-around crank Ruth, the true genius of Louise Penny and her Detective Gamache series is in creating a place where we as readers want to spend as much of our spare time as possible. The Cruelest Month is book 3 in the series, and I can't stop recommending them all to anyone who will listen to me. While this book may not have a crime that is as carefully crafted as some of the other novels in the series, there is still a lot going on. The fact that there is a seance or two in the town is unusual for Three Pines, but a visitor is drawn to the town to explore its spiritual power. The fact that there is drama back at police headquarters is not unusual, but the lengths that certain officers would go to to sabotage Gamache and his work is shocking. The fact that Clara is a talented artist is not a surprise, but her anxiety in the face of a major art critic's visit is extreme. That's how it is with The Cruelest Month. April is a lot of drama--rainstorms (or this year, snowstorms), waiting, working, grinding away, and then at the end, all that trouble melts into beautiful warm days and gardens with the promise of lush flowers and bushels of vegetables and fruit. And the novel has a lot of that hard work and slow grinding, but what you get in the end is a lush story filled with amazing characters in a place where you could truly visit, or even retire. And if you're like me, and you've discovered the phenomenon that is Ralph Cosham as narrator, then you'll be able to enjoy this as an audiobook, letting his perfect reading of Louise Penny's prose wash over you like a rainbow. Did you know that he never read his pages in advance? What you're hearing is him coming to the pages of the book for the first time and enjoying the story as much as we do. Just one more thing about this series that makes it so magical.

The Cruelest Month (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #3) by Louise Penny. Someone told me this series gets better. This motley collection of characters, in mythical small village in Quebec, which just happens to have the highest known murder rate per capita in the entire world outside the equally fictional Midsomer series, has piqued my interest. I accidentally started book 12 so I guess I’m in it for the long haul. Most of Book three is further development of the cast characters including the very wise and paternal Inspector Gamache. It's fun reading how Gamache ferret out clues. He always knows so much more than he lets on. You are mostly along for the ride, but it’s an enjoyable ride, especially now that I've gotten to know the townsfolk so well. There are 2 plots in this book. One is a murder in Three Pines, Quebec. The second is a group of Surete Quebec officers who want revenge on Gamache for something that happened years before. This part of the story is more thriller, in that the reader learns who the bad guys are in book 2. So it helps to read these in order. Side note: I love all the Canadian references, something that many may not notice if never visited. Highly recommended, and NOT just for mystery lovers, but for those who live to discover subtlety and grace in writing.

Wonderful characters and beautiful writing. Learned a little French along the way.

"The Cruelest Month" is the third installment in the Three Pines mystery series by Louise Penny. Having read the first two and loving them both, I was quite excited to read this book and wasn't disappointed. The setting is Three Pines which is a village near Montreal, but it's not found on any map. A bit of a throwback to a simpler time, the village is picturesque and the setting completely enchanting. Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is again called to this small, rural village to investigate an unusual death. It's not immediately known whether the woman died of natural causes or was murdered, but even natural causes aren't all that "natural" in this situation. She was attending a séance in a house with a lot of negative history and she appears to have been scared to death. As Gamache works his investigative magic by talking with the inhabitants of this charming village, another bit of his history is unfolding. He accused his superior at the Sûreté du Québec of heinous crimes and the superior is now serving time in prison for those crimes. But is the case really over? Are there people out there who want to seek revenge for him bringing the scandal to light? This has been a story line throughout the three narratives and the reader is allowed to further understand what happened and why. A book full of interesting, quirky characters, beautiful writing heavy on atmosphere and enough storylines to keep things interesting without overwhelming the reader with too many - it's just right. Bottom line: A great read that I think would be enjoyed by mystery fans as well as literary fiction readers. There is poetry and life philosophy sprinkled through these pages and I actually read passages to a friend since I found such a need to share portions of this delightful book.

Louise Penny is becoming one of my favorite authors. The Cruelest month is suspenseful and keeps you at attention weaving two mysteries throughout the novel. Gamache is intelligent and intuitive, managing and maneuvering between the surprise attack on his reputation and the murder investigation in front of him. The core characters in Three Pines are a significant part of the novel and the reader is made to feel a part of their group trying to discover who the killer is and help Gamache And his team. Louise Penny keeps you guessing til the very end going back and forth with who it could be. So much I could say more but just know it’s worth the read.

I have now read two of Louise's books and find them highly addictive. She tells a story about the lives of the Three Pines villagers that is really interesting. The reader gets to know all the characters, their desires, secrets and abilities and then the murder! Inspector Gamache comes from Montreal with his own problems and has to work out what happened - you couldn't ask for more. Highly recommended.

This is good writing! I was always changing my mind on who did the murder and why. There is food for thought, humour and sorrow and the characters are interesting but feel real. So much is going on that it kept me interested in reading every word.

This murder mystery set in 3 pines again, follows the solving of a murder in the town plus the unfolding drama around Inspector Gamache and the Arnott case. It’s hard to tell who he should trust, causing some anxiety to the reader. Gamache is such a wonderful character and absolutely worth following.

Adoro i romanzi di Louise Penny con protagonista l'ispettore capo Armand Gamache, ma sfortunatamente non tutti sono stati tradotti in italiano. Grazie ad Amazon ho potuto recuperare anche i primi della serie. E questo "The cruellest month" è uno dei migliori che abbia letto finora.

excellente lecture