A review by leahgustafson
The Madness of Crowds by Louise Penny

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I always look forward to returning to Three Pines. This series is such a comfort read for me. Unfortunately though, this was not my favorite Louise Penny.

It takes a really long time for the reader to figure out what exactly is going on in this one. I know this is intentional, and some element of confusion/suspense is exciting but, this took a little too long to get to the point. 

Once I finally figured out what was going on, it felt like we were turning in circles. Gamache and the other investigators kept having the same conversations, the same speculations, and asking the same questions without really getting anywhere. Even the ending didn’t feel satisfying or “resolved” to me. I also question the inclusion or purpose of some of the characters in this one. However, I trust that Penny may have a plan for them in future books. 

This one does have some trigger warnings that I was not aware of, and this caught me a little off guard. Definitely check into those so you go in knowing what to expect! 

Even though this was not one of my favorites in the series, I still look forward to jumping back into Three Pines again in the future. If you’ve read this series, I’m curious which books are your favorites and which ones didn’t work as well for you?

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