1.92k reviews for:

The Cruelest Month

Louise Penny

3.96 AVERAGE

whatjohanneread's review against another edition

4.25

emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

kellyspitzer's review against another edition

3.0

funny mysterious tense fast-paced

amandajeanne's review against another edition

3.0

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

hthuwal's review against another edition

5.0

mysterious

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

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This is the third book in the Inspector Gamache series. I read the first one back in 2022 and remember enjoying it. The second was fairly average, but this third installment caught me by surprise. Not so much because of the murder mystery itself, but due to the depth of storytelling and complexity of its characters. Like any good thriller, there’s a murder, and both the reader and characters work to uncover the truth. What sets this book apart is that it weaves in a second, subtler mystery in the life of the detective that the series has been building up from the first two books. The book challenges our assumptions: virtues that may in fact be vices, control disguised as concern, pity mistaken for compassion, there is . It explores how we influence others—sometimes knowingly, often not—and how we’re shaped in return.

e_cook_86's review against another edition

4.25

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

marge_batton's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense

alicia_simons's review against another edition

4.0

mysterious 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

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I am loving this series! The character work continues to amaze me and I fall more in love with Three Pines and its people each book I read. I enjoy how the mysteries and the character work come together in the end and I always learn something about humanity. 

slockmil's review against another edition

3.0

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I flew through this one - liked the added element of the Arnot case. It definitely held my interest in a way the other two kind of didn't. I'm starting to vibe with the village a little more, but these still might be too cozy-adjacent for me.

manameck's review against another edition

4.0

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One of the best books ive read. The ending made my heart race.

amybburden's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes