A review by booksrockcal
A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This is the 18th book in the Inspector Gamache series. I waited for a year to read it because I wanted to have another book in the queue, and the next one just came out. This one did not disappoint. The familiar characters are all here- Armand, Reine Marie, Jean Guy and the residents of Three Pines. In this book, Penny takes us back to the case on which Armand and Jean Guy first worked together, the murder of a mother whose damaged children left behind  arrive in Three Pines just as a mysterious and previously unknown room is discovered, filled with treasures with clues that focus on Gamache and his family and history. This installment in the series is dark and twisty, a page turner that includes themes and issues of misogyny, betrayal, trust, nature vs nurture, redemption, forgiveness, witchcraft, and family found and otherwise. It is a compelling and page turning story.