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4.34 AVERAGE
4.34 AVERAGE
mysterious
medium-paced
dark
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:
Complicated
mysterious
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
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Another mystery featuring Gamache, now the commander at the police academy and set on rooting out the corruption that has led to a new generation of officers full of cruelty. I always love Louise Penny’s lyrical writing, and this book features many beautiful lines about character, honesty, integrity, and kindness. These virtues shine especially bright when she contrasts them with truly evil actions and cruel people. There’s a few mysteries intertwining as well, from murder to conspiracy to digging into history to solve a puzzle. Some of these stories are interconnected, but it’s hard to figure out how at times, and which ones are completely incidental.
I had a hard time with this one because I deeply dislike when Gamache is being persecuted, especially unfairly, and the “unbiased” independent investigator Paul Gélinas was particularly annoying. I couldn’t figure out why he was so intent on aiming circumstantial evidence at Gamache and insisting he was the murderer, until the end. Hearing Jack constantly bad mouthing Gamache was also incredibly annoying, though I know he was just an abused, scared young man echoing the thoughts of the evil man who had manipulated him for years.
I can’t say I felt that connected to the other cadets, either, mostly because I didn’t know if they could be trusted! Even Amelia, who I was pretty sure hadn’t done anything, was off-putting most of the time. I guessed pretty early on who Amelia was to Gamache, and shame on Gamache’s friends for even *thinking* he could ever cheat on Reine-Marie. It’s absolutely ridiculous.
I don’t think this is one I would re-read, but it’s worth reading if you enjoy the series as a whole. I always enjoy seeing life in the village, with all our favorite neighbors, and it’s interesting to see things in Three Pines that have seemed like background props suddenly become relevant to the story.
Here are some of the lines I liked the most:
“Secrets don’t make you powerful, they make you weak.”
“Character is not created in times like these, it is revealed.”
“Don’t believe everything you think.”
“Kindness beats cruelty in the long run.”
“Being lost is so much worse than being on the wrong road. That’s why people stay on it so long.”
“We are all of us marred and scarred and imperfect. We make mistakes. We do things we deeply regret. We are tempted, and sometimes we give in to that temptation. Not because we are bad or weak, but because we’re human.“
“It’s our humanity that allows us to find criminals, but it also means we care, and get hurt in places that don’t bleed. Every day, when I see this scar in the mirror… it reminds me of the pain—mine, but mostly theirs. But also it reminds me every day of the healing, of the kindness that exists. We are introduced to goodness everyday, even in drawing rooms among a crowd of faults. It’s so easy to get mired in the all-too-obvious cruelty of the world. It’s natural. But to really heal, we need to recognize the goodness, too.”
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-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
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-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
Rating: 🥰/5
Source: Series
Review: This might be my favorite of the series so far. Love the academy setting! I tabbed so much in this book. There is so much character insight in this one - the depths of the relationship between Gamache and Jean-Guy, the love of the Gamache’s marriage, the healing of pasts, the darkness of the mystery and the vulnerability of learning what is strength and what is weakness.
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I gave this five stars back when I read it and of course I did - there was a map hidden in wall! In the months since I've thought a lot about Cadet Amelia and still don't know how I feel about that character and the storyline, but I do think it may be fair to say this is one of my top favorite Gamache books.
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes