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4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
Ok, THIS was the best of the series so far. So SMART and the non-chronological way the story is told is sooo interesting and keeps you truly guessing!!!! I’m obsessed
My first reading left me speechless. Upon more reading and thinking, I am still not entirely certain how I feel about it. It's different than her other mysteries -- and yet not so different -- in that it centers around a philosophical (existential?) question that is pertinent to the lives and consciences of the whole cast of characters. And others. I won't say more, I won't ruin it for the uninitiated.
3.5 really. Much wonderful storytelling, as usual, but a little thin in some places. As someone who’s career has been steeped in the opioid crisis since I began practicing, I so appreciate the fantasy of catching the Bad Guys and dismantling the behemoth organizations that propagate misery and suffering into our world. Gamache’s plan was brilliant, but the notion that it would “win” the war on drugs in counterpoint to his statement that the war on drugs was lost was a little too fantastical. Somehow that left me feeling more disappointed, which I’ll have to do some thinking about. I get it though. In contrast to the richness of most of the characters, the new folks in the story felt a little sketched in. I know I have 12 other books of history with the others, but in the past Penny has not needed a great deal of time to paint that depth. The idea of the cobrodor was genius and one another great example of how Penny can weave together truth and fiction in such an artful way that is all feels real. Also, I never thought I would say this but honestly, Ruth Zardo may be my favorite character in any book series ever. She keeps surprising me and I truly love her. As always, Penny left me already yearning to come back to Three Pines.
I needed time to process how I felt about this book before I felt I could write an adequate review of it. I have been an avid reader of Louise Penny for a number of years and share them with a number of people in my family. I enjoy the general mysteries, the immersion in Montreal (one of my favorite places) and the honest discussion that little towns may be quaint but not quiet. I was wondering where Penny would go after #12 feeling like such a finale in many ways. I was reticent when I ordered this - worried that Armand Gamache and company would feel strange after such a long story arc had been completed. I am delightfully surprised at once again a shake up of how this story was told. (The two timelines converging from the beginning and the end was breathtaking and kept me on the edge of my seat.) The guilt of the heart and the guilt of the law being separate things and the incredibly important aspect that not all offenses are crimes and that there is not justice for all crimes. We watch Gamache and his fearless followers deal with some of the hardest decisions yet and not necessarily win in the end.
2.5 stars I’m glad I finally tried a Louise Penny novel, and o can see how these books can “get better” once you know and love the main characters, but as a stand alone I had trouble keeping interest. I did, however, enjoy reading a book that takes place in Canada and getting a Canadian perspective on American culture and police order / procedure by contrast.
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
There is a lot of watching and waiting in this story, first with the silent cloaked figure and then with the drugs cartel plot. The reader also must watch and wait while kept in the dark--characters coyly refer to "the suspect" and "the murderer."