1.93k reviews for:

The Cruelest Month

Louise Penny

3.96 AVERAGE


The best so far! Love the character development and the layered stories!!!

I love Gamache. Cultered, book reader and of course he likes to eat! The last 60 pages of this book are everything you could ask for in a mystery. All the loose ends tied up, even the ones you didn't realize needed to be tied up. Can't recall when I have enjoyed the end of a book as much as I did this one.

Had a very heavy middle that felt like it wasn't going anywhere....not much emphasis on the actual mystery which was disappointing.

Liked this one! They are getting a little more complex which I'm enjoying. Not too dark but a little more meaty.
mysterious relaxing medium-paced

🌟 3.25β˜†   
  πŸ“š 08/04/25  - 14/04/25
  ꧁𝑨𝒔 π’˜π’Šπ’•π’‰ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’‘π’“π’†π’—π’Šπ’π’–π’” π’ƒπ’π’π’Œπ’” π’Šπ’ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’”π’†π’“π’Šπ’†π’”, π‘·π’†π’π’π’šβ€™π’” π’˜π’“π’Šπ’•π’Šπ’π’ˆ π’Šπ’” π’—π’Šπ’—π’Šπ’… 𝒂𝒏𝒅 π’†π’—π’π’„π’‚π’•π’Šπ’—π’†. 𝑻𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆 π‘·π’Šπ’π’†π’” 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒔 π’π’Šπ’Œπ’† 𝒂 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆, π’˜π’Šπ’•π’‰ π’Šπ’•π’” π’„π’π’›π’š π’‰π’π’Žπ’†π’”, π’‡π’“π’Šπ’†π’π’…π’π’š π’“π’†π’”π’Šπ’…π’†π’π’•π’”, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 π’‘π’Šπ’„π’•π’–π’“π’†π’”π’’π’–π’† π’”π’†π’•π’•π’Šπ’π’ˆ. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 π’—π’Šπ’π’π’‚π’ˆπ’† π’Šπ’” π’„π’‰π’‚π’“π’Žπ’Šπ’π’ˆ, π’šπ’†π’• π’Šπ’• π’Šπ’” 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐 𝒂 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 π’‰π’Šπ’…π’…π’†π’ π’•π’†π’π’”π’Šπ’π’π’”.κ§‚ 

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 Ιͺα΄›'ꜱ α΄‡α΄€κœ±α΄›α΄‡Κ€, α΄€Ι΄α΄… ᴏɴ α΄€ Ι’ΚŸα΄Κ€Ιͺᴏᴜꜱ κœ±α΄˜Κ€ΙͺΙ΄Ι’ ᴅᴀʏ ΙͺΙ΄ α΄˜α΄‡α΄€α΄„α΄‡κœ°α΄œΚŸ α΄›ΚœΚ€α΄‡α΄‡ ᴘΙͺΙ΄α΄‡κœ±, κœ±α΄α΄α΄‡α΄Ι΄α΄‡ α΄‘α΄€Ιͺα΄›κœ± κœ°α΄Κ€ Ι΄ΙͺΙ’Κœα΄› ᴛᴏ κœ°α΄€ΚŸΚŸ. α΄›Κœα΄‡Κ α΄˜ΚŸα΄€Ι΄ ᴛᴏ Κ€α΄€Ιͺκœ±α΄‡ α΄›Κœα΄‡ ᴅᴇᴀᴅ... α΄‘Κœα΄‡Ι΄ α΄„ΚœΙͺα΄‡κœ° ΙͺΙ΄κœ±α΄˜α΄‡α΄„α΄›α΄Κ€ Ι’α΄€α΄α΄€α΄„Κœα΄‡ ᴏꜰ α΄›Κœα΄‡ κœ±α΄œΚ€α΄‡α΄›α΄‡ α΄…α΄œ Qα΄œα΄‡Κ™α΄‡α΄„ α΄€Κ€Κ€Ιͺα΄ α΄‡κœ± α΄›Κœα΄‡ ɴᴇxα΄› ᴍᴏʀɴΙͺΙ΄Ι’, Κœα΄‡ κœ°α΄€α΄„α΄‡κœ± α΄€Ι΄ α΄œΙ΄α΄œκœ±α΄œα΄€ΚŸ α΄„Κ€Ιͺᴍᴇ κœ±α΄„α΄‡Ι΄α΄‡. α΄€ κœ±Γ‰α΄€Ι΄α΄„α΄‡ ΙͺΙ΄ α΄€Ι΄ α΄ΚŸα΄… ᴀʙᴀɴᴅᴏɴᴇᴅ Κœα΄α΄œκœ±α΄‡ Κœα΄€κœ± ɒᴏɴᴇ Κœα΄Κ€Κ€ΙͺꜰΙͺα΄„α΄€ΚŸΚŸΚ ᴑʀᴏɴɒ α΄€Ι΄α΄… κœ±α΄α΄α΄‡α΄Ι΄α΄‡ Κœα΄€κœ± ʙᴇᴇɴ κœ±α΄‡α΄‡α΄Ιͺɴɒʟʏ κœ°Κ€ΙͺΙ’Κœα΄›α΄‡Ι΄α΄‡α΄… ᴛᴏ α΄…α΄‡α΄€α΄›Κœ. ΙͺΙ΄ ΙͺΙ΄α΄…ΚΚŸΚŸΙͺα΄„ α΄›ΚœΚ€α΄‡α΄‡ ᴘΙͺΙ΄α΄‡κœ±, ᴛᴇʀʀΙͺΚ™ΚŸα΄‡ κœ±α΄‡α΄„Κ€α΄‡α΄›κœ± ʟΙͺᴇ Κ™α΄œΚ€Ιͺᴇᴅ, α΄€Ι΄α΄… ᴇᴠᴇɴ Ι’α΄€α΄α΄€α΄„Κœα΄‡ Κœα΄€κœ± κœ±α΄α΄α΄‡α΄›ΚœΙͺΙ΄Ι’ ᴛᴏ ʜΙͺᴅᴇ. ᴏɴᴇ ᴏꜰ ʜΙͺꜱ ᴏᴑɴ ᴛᴇᴀᴍ Ιͺꜱ α΄€Κ™α΄α΄œα΄› ᴛᴏ ʙᴇᴛʀᴀʏ ʜΙͺᴍ. Κ™α΄œα΄› ʜᴏᴑ κœ°α΄€Κ€ α΄‘Ιͺʟʟ α΄›Κœα΄‡Κ ɒᴏ ᴛᴏ α΄‡Ι΄κœ±α΄œΚ€α΄‡ Ι’α΄€α΄α΄€α΄„Κœα΄‡'ꜱ α΄…α΄α΄‘Ι΄κœ°α΄€ΚŸΚŸ?
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"π•†π•Ÿπ•”π•– π•—π• π•¦π•Ÿπ•• 𝕋𝕙𝕣𝕖𝕖 β„™π•šπ•Ÿπ•–π•€ 𝕨𝕒𝕀 π•Ÿπ•–π•§π•–π•£ π•—π• π•£π•˜π• π•₯π•₯π•–π•Ÿ 𝕓𝕦π•₯ π•šπ•₯ 𝕨𝕒𝕀 π• π•Ÿπ•π•ͺ 𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣 π•—π• π•¦π•Ÿπ•• 𝕓π•ͺ 𝕑𝕖𝕠𝕑𝕝𝕖 𝕝𝕠𝕀π•₯." 

<i>β‡’I am enjoying this series of novels, especially the characters that we get to meet time and time again.  I'm increasingly immersed in the range of characters, I feel as if I'm getting to know the Three Pines community and am genuinely engaged in their lives, the families and their friendships.  There feels like there is a lot of things bring set up for future novels and I am excited to see what blooms from the seeds that have been sown here.  </i> 

"π•‚π•Ÿπ•–π•–π•π•šπ•Ÿπ•˜ π•šπ•Ÿ π•₯𝕙𝕖 π•—π•£π•’π•˜π•£π•’π•Ÿπ•₯ π•žπ• π•šπ•€π•₯ π•˜π•£π•’π•€π•€ 𝕠𝕗 π•₯𝕙𝕖 π•§π•šπ•π•π•’π•˜π•– π•˜π•£π•–π•–π•Ÿ ℂ𝕝𝕒𝕣𝕒 𝕄𝕠𝕣𝕣𝕠𝕨 𝕔𝕒𝕣𝕖𝕗𝕦𝕝𝕝π•ͺ π•™π•šπ•• π•₯𝕙𝕖 𝔼𝕒𝕀π•₯𝕖𝕣 π•–π•˜π•˜ π•’π•Ÿπ•• π•₯π•™π• π•¦π•˜π•™π•₯ 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦π•₯ π•£π•’π•šπ•€π•šπ•Ÿπ•˜ π•₯𝕙𝕖 𝕕𝕖𝕒𝕕, π•¨π•™π•šπ•”π•™ 𝕀𝕙𝕖 π•‘π•π•’π•Ÿπ•Ÿπ•–π•• π•₯𝕠 𝕕𝕠 π•£π•šπ•˜π•™π•₯ 𝕒𝕗π•₯𝕖𝕣 𝕀𝕦𝕑𝕑𝕖𝕣." 

<i>β‡’This particular book explores jealousy and the concept of the β€˜near enemy’. It made for really interesting reading and connected what ought to be the main plot – the death at the seance – to what often felt like the actual main plot, the attempt by the Surrete to β€˜take down’ Chief Inspector Gamache.</i> 

β€œπ•†π•¦π•£ 𝕀𝕖𝕔𝕣𝕖π•₯𝕀 π•žπ•’π•œπ•– 𝕦𝕀 π•€π•šπ•”π•œ 𝕓𝕖𝕔𝕒𝕦𝕀𝕖 π•₯𝕙𝕖π•ͺ 𝕀𝕖𝕑𝕒𝕣𝕒π•₯𝕖 𝕦𝕀 π•—π•£π• π•ž 𝕠π•₯𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕑𝕖𝕠𝕑𝕝𝕖. 𝕂𝕖𝕖𝕑 𝕦𝕀 π•’π•π• π•Ÿπ•–. π•‹π•¦π•£π•Ÿ 𝕦𝕀 π•šπ•Ÿπ•₯𝕠 𝕗𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕗𝕦𝕝, π•’π•Ÿπ•˜π•£π•ͺ, π•“π•šπ•₯π•₯𝕖𝕣 𝕑𝕖𝕠𝕑𝕝𝕖. π•‹π•¦π•£π•Ÿ 𝕦𝕀 π•’π•˜π•’π•šπ•Ÿπ•€π•₯ 𝕠π•₯𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕀, π•’π•Ÿπ•• π•—π•šπ•Ÿπ•’π•π•π•ͺ π•’π•˜π•’π•šπ•Ÿπ•€π•₯ 𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕀𝕖𝕝𝕧𝕖𝕀. 𝔸 π•žπ•¦π•£π••π•–π•£ π•’π•π•žπ• π•€π•₯ 𝕒𝕝𝕨𝕒π•ͺ𝕀 π•“π•–π•˜π•šπ•Ÿπ•€ π•¨π•šπ•₯𝕙 𝕒 𝕀𝕖𝕔𝕣𝕖π•₯. 𝕄𝕦𝕣𝕕𝕖𝕣 𝕨𝕒𝕀 𝕒 𝕀𝕖𝕔𝕣𝕖π•₯ 𝕀𝕑𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣 π•₯π•šπ•žπ•–.” 

<i>β‡’I'm always hungry reading these books.  I want a croissant and cafe au lait every morning! The dinners at the Morrows sound wonderful and the lunches that Olivier brings to the team are sumptuous. The food descriptions are simply wonderful. </i>

 

<b><u>TROPES </u></b>
 β«Έ Crime
 β«Έ Police Procedural 
 β«Έ Small Town 
 β«Έ Mystery
 β«Έ Easter 

<b><u>TWs</u></b>
 β«Έ Murder
 β«Έ Grief
 β«Έ Cancer
emotional mysterious fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
mysterious reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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: Complicated
dark hopeful mysterious reflective slow-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