Scan barcode
A review by laurieb755
The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny
4.0
Darn, every time I read a Louise Penny~Armand Gamache book my vow is to read it s-l-o-w-l-y and make it last. The 'darn' is because that never happens. While I may start off at a slow pace, because Penny is so adept at writing page turners, I have no choice but to turn the page and then turn it again, and again… Indeed, the only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is because I wanted some time to catch my breath and there didn't feel like there was enough 'bistro' time - time to just breathe. On the other hand, given the nature of this story, I understood the need for the frenzied pace.
Armand is faced with a pending issue that may compromise thousands of lives in Montreal. He is also faced with dealing with his own personal issue regarding a woman from his past who was responsible for a horrible wedge that impacted Armand's family. (Not saying anything further as do not want to provide any spoilers.) Whether he takes her phone call or not will impact the entire rest of this story, and it is not a spoiler to say he chooses to not take her phone call.
With his team of Jean-Guy Beauvoir and Isabelle Lacoste they seek to figure out the causes for several murders and find the people who carried them out. This results in a page turning journey to a remote island, remote locations, three countries in addition to Canada, monks who make Chartreuse, and far too many people both within the Sûreté and the Government falling prey to Armand's suspicions. At stake is a potential environmental disaster that would have devastating repercussions. And in the moment the trio of friends - Armand, Jean-Guy and Isabelle - must figure out the puzzle with which they have been left.
By the way, the story of the two wolves resonated in a big way with me. This book was a much needed bit of escapism from a truly horrible week due to the results of the U.S. Election. The person who will be our next President has truly fed the black wolf…
Armand is faced with a pending issue that may compromise thousands of lives in Montreal. He is also faced with dealing with his own personal issue regarding a woman from his past who was responsible for a horrible wedge that impacted Armand's family. (Not saying anything further as do not want to provide any spoilers.) Whether he takes her phone call or not will impact the entire rest of this story, and it is not a spoiler to say he chooses to not take her phone call.
With his team of Jean-Guy Beauvoir and Isabelle Lacoste they seek to figure out the causes for several murders and find the people who carried them out. This results in a page turning journey to a remote island, remote locations, three countries in addition to Canada, monks who make Chartreuse, and far too many people both within the Sûreté and the Government falling prey to Armand's suspicions. At stake is a potential environmental disaster that would have devastating repercussions. And in the moment the trio of friends - Armand, Jean-Guy and Isabelle - must figure out the puzzle with which they have been left.
By the way, the story of the two wolves resonated in a big way with me. This book was a much needed bit of escapism from a truly horrible week due to the results of the U.S. Election. The person who will be our next President has truly fed the black wolf…