What do you think?
Rate this book
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #12
Una ofensa mortal
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Mystery & Thriller (2016)LA NOVELA MÁS PREMIADA DE UN FENÓMENO INTERNACIONAL: LOUISE PENNY.
El antiguo inspector jefe Armand Gamache se ha pasado toda su carrera cazando asesinos y luchando contra la corrupción. Ahora, como nuevo comandante de la academia de la Sûreté, tiene la oportunidad de combatir las corruptelas y la brutalidad que se ha extendido como una plaga por este cuerpo policial. Sin embargo, tras encontrar asesinado a un antiguo colega y profesor de la academia, junto a un misterioso mapa de Three Pines, Gamache se ve ante una tarea aún más dura.
Cuando la sospecha recae sobre el propio Gamache y su posible implicación en el crimen, la frenética búsqueda de respuestas lleva la investigación hasta el pueblo de Three Pines, donde está a punto de desvelarse una serie de secretos devastadores...
El antiguo inspector jefe Armand Gamache se ha pasado toda su carrera cazando asesinos y luchando contra la corrupción. Ahora, como nuevo comandante de la academia de la Sûreté, tiene la oportunidad de combatir las corruptelas y la brutalidad que se ha extendido como una plaga por este cuerpo policial. Sin embargo, tras encontrar asesinado a un antiguo colega y profesor de la academia, junto a un misterioso mapa de Three Pines, Gamache se ve ante una tarea aún más dura.
Cuando la sospecha recae sobre el propio Gamache y su posible implicación en el crimen, la frenética búsqueda de respuestas lleva la investigación hasta el pueblo de Three Pines, donde está a punto de desvelarse una serie de secretos devastadores...
552 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 30, 2016
6339 people are currently reading
33943 people want to read
About the author
Louise Penny
77 books26.7k followersLOUISE PENNY is the author of the #1 New York Times and Globe and Mail bestselling series of Chief Inspector Armand Gamache novels. She has won numerous awards, including a CWA Dagger and the Agatha Award (seven times), and was a finalist for the Edgar Award for Best Novel. In 2017, she received the Order of Canada for her contributions to Canadian culture. Louise lives in a small village south of Montréal.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 7,437 reviews
June 21, 2016
To say she has done it again is an understatement. I very seldom rate mysteries five stars but in this case it is well deserved. Gamache accepts a job as the head of the Surete, the school where cadets train. But why and what does he hope to accomplish there? Some of the most well known players from previous books return. There is a murder and a map, a new cadet with ties to Gamache. Three Pines is featured prominently in this one, the characters, the church. Old mystery, new mystery.
Louise Penny has such a winning combination in these books. The characters, I always wonder if I actually met Ruth if I would like her, and well all of them, all add something special. There is friendship, love, caring and cunning, loyalty and a very smart, wonderful man in charge. In this book I ran through a gambit of emotions, fear, wonder, laughter and yes, one part even brought me to tears. How many authors can accomplish this? Even some of the bad are more than just that. So I take away a very important point, " Don't believe everything you think." just love that quote. Also, make sure you read the acknowledgements, they are extremely heartfelt.
ARC from publisher.
Louise Penny has such a winning combination in these books. The characters, I always wonder if I actually met Ruth if I would like her, and well all of them, all add something special. There is friendship, love, caring and cunning, loyalty and a very smart, wonderful man in charge. In this book I ran through a gambit of emotions, fear, wonder, laughter and yes, one part even brought me to tears. How many authors can accomplish this? Even some of the bad are more than just that. So I take away a very important point, " Don't believe everything you think." just love that quote. Also, make sure you read the acknowledgements, they are extremely heartfelt.
ARC from publisher.
December 30, 2022
A Great Reckoning (Chief Inspector Gamache #12)
by Louise Penny, Robert Bathurst (Narrator)
As is usually the case with the Gamache stories, the buildup is long, with trails leading into the story and trails seeming to lead away from the story, and it often takes me a while for me to feel settled into the story, especially when it takes us away from Three Pines and the people there that I've come to think of as family. At least when Gamache is away from Three Pines, we often have the people he mentored along for the ride. Jean Guy is there, eagerly awaiting the birth of his first child, who will be Gamache's third grandchild.
Gamache has taken over leadership of the Sûreté academy, hoping to weed out the corruption that is infusing the older students. To the surprise of everybody, Gamache has kept on or hired those who are the opposite of good men, but then Gamache always has reasons that we don't find out until much later in the book. He's also picked potential cadets that had been rejected by his predecessor. No one can figure out what he is thinking and that's part of the fun of hanging out with Gamache. He holds his thoughts close to the vest and even his readers/listeners don't know what is going on in his head for the longest of times.
A very old map was found in the walls of the Bistro, a map that is confusing and mysterious. Gamache gives that map to four cadets, instructing them to work together to find out the origin and history of the map. There are always lessons to be learned when Gamache tells someone to do something and often the biggest lessons come when that thing is not done at all or is done wrong. I'm so glad that this story, which started out being mostly at the school, does let us spend a large amount of time in Three Pines with the long time characters we've come to know so well. It was in the second part of the story that I became entranced with everything that was happening and had happened in the past. It helped that the new to us cadets became people I began to care about and worry over.
Once again, this was a buddy read with DeAnn. She has now watched the new Three Pines Amazon Prime series and I've got it set up on my TV now (it's been almost a year since I've watched TV so this is a big deal). It'll be fun discussing the TV series with her, too. Oh, and I'm adjusting to Robert Bathurst's narration, he was a good choice to take over the audio version of the stories.
Pub 2016 by Macmillan Audio
by Louise Penny, Robert Bathurst (Narrator)
As is usually the case with the Gamache stories, the buildup is long, with trails leading into the story and trails seeming to lead away from the story, and it often takes me a while for me to feel settled into the story, especially when it takes us away from Three Pines and the people there that I've come to think of as family. At least when Gamache is away from Three Pines, we often have the people he mentored along for the ride. Jean Guy is there, eagerly awaiting the birth of his first child, who will be Gamache's third grandchild.
Gamache has taken over leadership of the Sûreté academy, hoping to weed out the corruption that is infusing the older students. To the surprise of everybody, Gamache has kept on or hired those who are the opposite of good men, but then Gamache always has reasons that we don't find out until much later in the book. He's also picked potential cadets that had been rejected by his predecessor. No one can figure out what he is thinking and that's part of the fun of hanging out with Gamache. He holds his thoughts close to the vest and even his readers/listeners don't know what is going on in his head for the longest of times.
A very old map was found in the walls of the Bistro, a map that is confusing and mysterious. Gamache gives that map to four cadets, instructing them to work together to find out the origin and history of the map. There are always lessons to be learned when Gamache tells someone to do something and often the biggest lessons come when that thing is not done at all or is done wrong. I'm so glad that this story, which started out being mostly at the school, does let us spend a large amount of time in Three Pines with the long time characters we've come to know so well. It was in the second part of the story that I became entranced with everything that was happening and had happened in the past. It helped that the new to us cadets became people I began to care about and worry over.
Once again, this was a buddy read with DeAnn. She has now watched the new Three Pines Amazon Prime series and I've got it set up on my TV now (it's been almost a year since I've watched TV so this is a big deal). It'll be fun discussing the TV series with her, too. Oh, and I'm adjusting to Robert Bathurst's narration, he was a good choice to take over the audio version of the stories.
Pub 2016 by Macmillan Audio
August 24, 2016
This is a character driven mystery crime novel which engages the reader effortlessly. Louise Penny returns to Three Pines, and the eccentric, wonderful and comical characters that reside there. Armand Gamache, after almost dying in his efforts to cleanse the dirty cops in the Quebec Surete, has a new challenge in his life. He is the Commander of the Surete Training School for which his wife Reine-Marie is grateful as she imagines he will be safe. However, Armand's unenviable task is to root out the corruption and ugly practices that have in turn produced numerous brutal and cruel officers in the Surete.
Armand plays a dangerous game in dismissing and appointing staff in the expectation that there will be a conflagration. This would allow him to gather evidence for arrests to take place and to identify the powerful figure outside who has instigated the corruption. This backfires as he misjudges the depths of cruelty and brutality of the corrupt and arrogant Serge Leduc. Leduc is discovered dead in a carefully stage managed manner with the murder weapon, a revolver. Perceiving those cadets closest to Leduc to be in danger, Armand locates them to Three Pines with the task of investigating a mysterious map found in the walls of the Bistro. Overlooking Lacoste's investigation into the murder is Assistant Commissioner Gelinas of the RMCP who takes an inordinate interest in Armand. Questions are asked about the nature of the relationship Armand has with the unconventional but bright cadet, Amelia.
What really drives this novel are the characters in all their flawed depths and humanity. Armand is a towering figure who understands the strengths to be found in kindness and humanity. The complexities in relationships are what make this riveting reading. The village characters add charm and comic touches to the story. There is the bickering relationship of Olivier and Gabri, the cantankerous and querulous poet, Ruth, not to mention Clara, the artist and Myrna. The tale is peppered with wisdom coming from a number of quarters. The tragedies associated with the First World War at Three Pines add multiple layers to the book. It is beautifully plotted and an absorbing read. I would urge others to read this. Highly recommended and a superb read. Thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.
Armand plays a dangerous game in dismissing and appointing staff in the expectation that there will be a conflagration. This would allow him to gather evidence for arrests to take place and to identify the powerful figure outside who has instigated the corruption. This backfires as he misjudges the depths of cruelty and brutality of the corrupt and arrogant Serge Leduc. Leduc is discovered dead in a carefully stage managed manner with the murder weapon, a revolver. Perceiving those cadets closest to Leduc to be in danger, Armand locates them to Three Pines with the task of investigating a mysterious map found in the walls of the Bistro. Overlooking Lacoste's investigation into the murder is Assistant Commissioner Gelinas of the RMCP who takes an inordinate interest in Armand. Questions are asked about the nature of the relationship Armand has with the unconventional but bright cadet, Amelia.
What really drives this novel are the characters in all their flawed depths and humanity. Armand is a towering figure who understands the strengths to be found in kindness and humanity. The complexities in relationships are what make this riveting reading. The village characters add charm and comic touches to the story. There is the bickering relationship of Olivier and Gabri, the cantankerous and querulous poet, Ruth, not to mention Clara, the artist and Myrna. The tale is peppered with wisdom coming from a number of quarters. The tragedies associated with the First World War at Three Pines add multiple layers to the book. It is beautifully plotted and an absorbing read. I would urge others to read this. Highly recommended and a superb read. Thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.
October 5, 2016
"Things are strongest where they're broken," said Commander Gamache, his voice deep and calm and certain.
I must tell you.
I don't know where the magnitude of strength came from that propelled Louise Penny to write this most beautiful of life sonnets to her husband, Michael. She penned A Great Reckoning while her husband battled dementia. "Dementia is a marauder, a thief. But every hole it drills has been filled by our friends. By practical help and emotional support."
And her beloved character of Armand Gamache battles the corruption and evil nature of an old friend and also a long time adversary in the mix. Gamache draws his enemies closer by placing them in positions within the Surete Academy of which he is head. These professors have access to the young cadets and Gamache bides his time.
Louise Penny inserts intense complications as only she can. An old map of Three Pines has been found sealed up in a wall from the Great War and somehow it has a connection to a stained glass window in the church. Gamache assigns four cadets to unlock the mysteries of the map. One cadet, Amelia Choquet, tattooed and pierced and a highly unlikely new member of the academy, has been hand-picked by Gamache. For heaven's sake, why? And when one of the professors ends up dead with a copy of the map in his bedside table, all are under suspicion, including Gamache.
Those of you who have read many a novel in this series know that friendship and goodness are the fine threads that intertwine throughout her Inspector Armand Gamache series. Nothing has touched me more than this recent one. A Great Reckoning parallels itself to the world that we find ourselves living in...........the corruption, the deceit, the lies easily spoken, and the automaticity of hate-filled words.
But Louise Penny draws on Gamache's words: "There is always a road back. If we have the courage to look for it, and take it." Even in the midst of profound heartache, Louise Penny gifts us with the sweet touch of joy.
I must tell you.
I don't know where the magnitude of strength came from that propelled Louise Penny to write this most beautiful of life sonnets to her husband, Michael. She penned A Great Reckoning while her husband battled dementia. "Dementia is a marauder, a thief. But every hole it drills has been filled by our friends. By practical help and emotional support."
And her beloved character of Armand Gamache battles the corruption and evil nature of an old friend and also a long time adversary in the mix. Gamache draws his enemies closer by placing them in positions within the Surete Academy of which he is head. These professors have access to the young cadets and Gamache bides his time.
Louise Penny inserts intense complications as only she can. An old map of Three Pines has been found sealed up in a wall from the Great War and somehow it has a connection to a stained glass window in the church. Gamache assigns four cadets to unlock the mysteries of the map. One cadet, Amelia Choquet, tattooed and pierced and a highly unlikely new member of the academy, has been hand-picked by Gamache. For heaven's sake, why? And when one of the professors ends up dead with a copy of the map in his bedside table, all are under suspicion, including Gamache.
Those of you who have read many a novel in this series know that friendship and goodness are the fine threads that intertwine throughout her Inspector Armand Gamache series. Nothing has touched me more than this recent one. A Great Reckoning parallels itself to the world that we find ourselves living in...........the corruption, the deceit, the lies easily spoken, and the automaticity of hate-filled words.
But Louise Penny draws on Gamache's words: "There is always a road back. If we have the courage to look for it, and take it." Even in the midst of profound heartache, Louise Penny gifts us with the sweet touch of joy.
September 18, 2016
I have read the previous 11 Armand Gamache books, and they all led to the events and revelations in this, the 12th. I felt like I was coming home as I started the book. I wanted to go slow and immerse myself in Three Pines, and I was successful until I had to know the secrets and I couldn't stop reading. Many people talk about certain books as if they were peeling away layers of an onion. To me, this story was like a rose, opening petal by petal.
Armand has found a new purpose as the Commander of the Sûreté Academy. The professional past has not completely healed, and he keeps on some professors and brings in new ones. Everything is done with a purpose, including accepting certain new students and befriending current cadets. And Armand must also face his personal past, including Michel Brébeuf with whom Armand had been blood brothers as boys and as men.
A Great Reckoning was an awesome story, possibly Louise Penny's best, but to appreciate all the characters and the story, I strongly urge readers to start at the beginning. You must experience Three Pines and the ambience and food in the bistro and the lives of Clara the artist, Myrna the bookseller, Gabri and Olivier the bistro owners, and Ruth the crusty poet. You must also learn the personal history of Armand, his wife Reine-Marie, his second in command Jean-Guy Beauvoir, and others of the Sûreté du Québec. There is still more to learn, I'm sure, and I can hardly wait.
Armand has found a new purpose as the Commander of the Sûreté Academy. The professional past has not completely healed, and he keeps on some professors and brings in new ones. Everything is done with a purpose, including accepting certain new students and befriending current cadets. And Armand must also face his personal past, including Michel Brébeuf with whom Armand had been blood brothers as boys and as men.
A Great Reckoning was an awesome story, possibly Louise Penny's best, but to appreciate all the characters and the story, I strongly urge readers to start at the beginning. You must experience Three Pines and the ambience and food in the bistro and the lives of Clara the artist, Myrna the bookseller, Gabri and Olivier the bistro owners, and Ruth the crusty poet. You must also learn the personal history of Armand, his wife Reine-Marie, his second in command Jean-Guy Beauvoir, and others of the Sûreté du Québec. There is still more to learn, I'm sure, and I can hardly wait.
October 4, 2016
5★ Shining so brightly!
While the author was writing this 12th book in her Inspector Gamache series her husband was in the last stages of Alzheimer’s disease and passed away shortly after its publication. In the acknowledgements she writes tenderly and lovingly about him and the many friends, neighbors, and colleagues whose help and emotional support were invaluable to her. That list included “Armand, Reine-Marie, Clara, Myrna, Gabri, Ruth, et al.”
Those of us who love this series can understand that very well. As soon as I picked it up and started reading it was as if I was on vacation visiting with beloved friends. I’m sure the love between Armand and Reine-Marie is inspired by what Ms. Penny shared with her husband Michael. But I wasn’t expecting too much with this one as I was thinking after the last book that the inspector had seen his best days. But I’m always thrilled to be back in Three Pines and not ready to see an end to the stories.
Well, what did I know. It was excellent on so many levels and now one of my favorites in the series. Inspired, deeply satisfying, and pure pleasure from beginning to end. I don’t know how she keeps pulling it off but so very grateful she does. Gosh I loved this. It will be a hard act to follow for my next book, I almost feel sorry for the author.
Now the long wait for #13.
While the author was writing this 12th book in her Inspector Gamache series her husband was in the last stages of Alzheimer’s disease and passed away shortly after its publication. In the acknowledgements she writes tenderly and lovingly about him and the many friends, neighbors, and colleagues whose help and emotional support were invaluable to her. That list included “Armand, Reine-Marie, Clara, Myrna, Gabri, Ruth, et al.”
Those of us who love this series can understand that very well. As soon as I picked it up and started reading it was as if I was on vacation visiting with beloved friends. I’m sure the love between Armand and Reine-Marie is inspired by what Ms. Penny shared with her husband Michael. But I wasn’t expecting too much with this one as I was thinking after the last book that the inspector had seen his best days. But I’m always thrilled to be back in Three Pines and not ready to see an end to the stories.
Well, what did I know. It was excellent on so many levels and now one of my favorites in the series. Inspired, deeply satisfying, and pure pleasure from beginning to end. I don’t know how she keeps pulling it off but so very grateful she does. Gosh I loved this. It will be a hard act to follow for my next book, I almost feel sorry for the author.
Now the long wait for #13.
July 19, 2018
In my review of the previous book in this series I wished that Armand Gamache would soon come out of retirement and get back to what he is really good at - taking charge and solving crimes. I got my wish and after sifting through a number of offers for very senior positions Gamache chooses one nearest to his own heart as Commander of the Surete Academy.
Action in the book is divided between Three Pines and the Academy which made me happy. There is an interesting twist when Gamache himself is suspected of murder and a lot of emotions are aroused especially amongst all the friends in Three Pines. Then a number of people suspect him of something else altogether! Poor Armand certainly leaves himself open to suspicion as he plays his cards close to his chest and does not share his personal knowledge with anyone, including the reader.
This is a book that is hard to put down. The story is tense and mysterious and moves along at a great pace. As it approached the final page I thought we were never going to discover who Amelia really was. It was saved to the very last sentence.
A very special book written at a time when the author was going through an awful upheaval in her own life. Make a point of reading the Acknowledgements.
Action in the book is divided between Three Pines and the Academy which made me happy. There is an interesting twist when Gamache himself is suspected of murder and a lot of emotions are aroused especially amongst all the friends in Three Pines. Then a number of people suspect him of something else altogether! Poor Armand certainly leaves himself open to suspicion as he plays his cards close to his chest and does not share his personal knowledge with anyone, including the reader.
This is a book that is hard to put down. The story is tense and mysterious and moves along at a great pace. As it approached the final page I thought we were never going to discover who Amelia really was. It was saved to the very last sentence.
A very special book written at a time when the author was going through an awful upheaval in her own life. Make a point of reading the Acknowledgements.
November 7, 2018
Louise Penny shows her creative side in reimagining the central characters in her well-established Canadian police procedural series, taking the reader on a mysterious journey in which only Armand Gamache could find himself. Gamache has decided that a life of retirement might not yet be for him. While huddled around a pile of paperwork, the former Chief Inspector has to make the final decisions on new admission to the Sûreté du Québec Police Academy. Having accepted the role of the academy’s commander, there is little time to waste in order to get the new semester started. This will also be a time for Gamache to make his mark and reshape those cadets who graduate in the years to come. One can only wonder if this might be his reaction after such poor treatment by new Sûreté officers in the last novel. While Armand works, Reine-Marie and others are gathered in another of the village’s homes, where an old map has been found, one that lists Three Pines clearly, a sure anomaly. What could it all mean? As Commander Gamache makes his mark at the Academy, he hires a few former colleagues to work alongside him, many of whom have a great deal of experience in the world of policing. After Gamache takes a number of the new cadets under his wing, having them open their own investigation into this mysterious map, they come to find themselves in Three Pines, where they discover the wonders of this community in the Eastern Townships, while also connecting with some of its unique inhabitants. Back at the Academy, one of the professors, Serge Leduc, is found murdered, shot in the head. Who could have killed this man, whose list of enemies is quite long? While Commander Gamache is present and happy to use the intelligence that he has at his disposal, he must cede some control to Chief Inspector Isabelle Lacoste and her team, as well as an independent outsider in the form of a senior official of the RCMP. The more the map is discussed, the greater the mystery. Could the symbols found on its page be tied to similar images seen in stained glass at the local church? Might this map be a motive to kill Leduc, who had a copy in his room? While the killer lurks in plain sight, Gamache will stop at nothing to solve this case and clean-up the Sûreté, if it’s the last thing he ever does! Penny keeps the story fresh and pulls the curious reader in with a new angle. After a little growing pains with trying to reshape Armand Gamache, I can highly recommend this book to series fans who have a great handle on the characters and writing style. Readers new to Penny’s series ought to begin where the stories began and progress accordingly.
It is always difficult to write long fiction series, I would surmise. With characters advancing throughout the narratives, they can either age out of their profession or become stale doing the same job each time. Penny has tackled this after a tumultuous end to Chief Inspector Armand Gamache’s career as Head of Homicide within the Sûreté. Penny dabbled around with putting her protagonist into a state of retirement, bringing Reine-Marie along for the ride. There is just too much spunk in the man to keep him idle, as Penny soon came to discover with complex narratives evolving around him. Having been put in charge of the Sûreté Academy, Gamache has new life, as Penny shows throughout the piece. She breathes passion into his actions and vigour into all he does, while not shelving him from being a key player in investigations. It would seem ideal for Gamache to pass along his passion for policing to the next generation, while still carrying that large broom as he cleans-up the Sûreté from within its hallowed halls. Gamache continues to grow on me and I can see a great deal of success coming from this new posting, though I await Penny’s masterful style of how to keep his involved in both investigations and balancing out a zany collection of residents inside Three Pines. Other characters make appearances throughout, including the aforementioned Three Pines folk. One cannot miss that Penny has given a new set of characters the potential for being included in future stories, as she pushes a handful of cadets into the limelight of this piece, particularly Amelia Choquet. I have a few that I think would work well, particularly if the bantering continues. The story stays fresh and exciting in this piece, pulling Three Pines into the middle of discussions, while also looking for a killer at the Sûreté Academy. Penny uses her trademark description to bring the story alive and keeps the reader from getting too bogged down with some sharp wit and wonderful dialogue, sure to bring forth laughter from the reader on many occasions. I especially found the extensive building of a backstory surrounding this town that does not appear on any maps to be brilliantly woven into the larger narrative. It is surely a gift for series fans, who have been amassing information for so long and wondering why there is no topographical imprint. I cannot say enough about this series, as I continue bingeing. I need to get my hands on the last few novels—one of which is out soon—to complete the collection. Bring them on!
Kudos, Madam Penny, for never letting me feel cheated by your novels. Some may have left, but I am firmly committed to this series and all its nuances.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
It is always difficult to write long fiction series, I would surmise. With characters advancing throughout the narratives, they can either age out of their profession or become stale doing the same job each time. Penny has tackled this after a tumultuous end to Chief Inspector Armand Gamache’s career as Head of Homicide within the Sûreté. Penny dabbled around with putting her protagonist into a state of retirement, bringing Reine-Marie along for the ride. There is just too much spunk in the man to keep him idle, as Penny soon came to discover with complex narratives evolving around him. Having been put in charge of the Sûreté Academy, Gamache has new life, as Penny shows throughout the piece. She breathes passion into his actions and vigour into all he does, while not shelving him from being a key player in investigations. It would seem ideal for Gamache to pass along his passion for policing to the next generation, while still carrying that large broom as he cleans-up the Sûreté from within its hallowed halls. Gamache continues to grow on me and I can see a great deal of success coming from this new posting, though I await Penny’s masterful style of how to keep his involved in both investigations and balancing out a zany collection of residents inside Three Pines. Other characters make appearances throughout, including the aforementioned Three Pines folk. One cannot miss that Penny has given a new set of characters the potential for being included in future stories, as she pushes a handful of cadets into the limelight of this piece, particularly Amelia Choquet. I have a few that I think would work well, particularly if the bantering continues. The story stays fresh and exciting in this piece, pulling Three Pines into the middle of discussions, while also looking for a killer at the Sûreté Academy. Penny uses her trademark description to bring the story alive and keeps the reader from getting too bogged down with some sharp wit and wonderful dialogue, sure to bring forth laughter from the reader on many occasions. I especially found the extensive building of a backstory surrounding this town that does not appear on any maps to be brilliantly woven into the larger narrative. It is surely a gift for series fans, who have been amassing information for so long and wondering why there is no topographical imprint. I cannot say enough about this series, as I continue bingeing. I need to get my hands on the last few novels—one of which is out soon—to complete the collection. Bring them on!
Kudos, Madam Penny, for never letting me feel cheated by your novels. Some may have left, but I am firmly committed to this series and all its nuances.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
August 20, 2017
3.5*. Armand Gamache has recently taken over as the commander of the Sûreté Academy for the training of new cadets. He begins his new position by firing many of the inferior and no doubt corrupt Professors. But he keeps one on, the one suspected of fraud, kickbacks, and an unorthodox way of training the new cadets. Gamache is desperate to discover the evidence he needs to put this Professor behind bars for a very long time However, things rarely go as planned and once a murder takes place everything changes. Gamache realizes he should bring in an outsider, and requests RCMP Deputy Commissioner Gelinas to oversee the investigation to ascertain everything discovered about the murder is above board. As the inquiry begins, Gamache is taken aback that Gelinas has promptly put him in his crosshairs and will no doubt arrest him for the crime once he is satisfied with the evidence. Louise Penny has introduced some rather quirky characters in A Great Reckoning; one who carries around a pet duck and swears like a sailor, along with a newly enrolled cadet who looks more like a criminal than someone on the right side of the law. It is a complex crime thriller with several suspects, including Gamache himself who many begin to suspect could have done the deed.
July 6, 2021
4.5 stars
Why did I wait two years to read this book?! Sure, some of the books prior to this one were a little lackluster, and the unfortunately necessary change in audiobook narrator had me hesitant to continue on with this series. But obviously Louise Penny still has some aces up her sleeve. Case in point: this book.
It starts out a little slow, but trust the process. I’ll definitely read the next book in this series sooner than later now that my love for this series has been revived.
Why did I wait two years to read this book?! Sure, some of the books prior to this one were a little lackluster, and the unfortunately necessary change in audiobook narrator had me hesitant to continue on with this series. But obviously Louise Penny still has some aces up her sleeve. Case in point: this book.
It starts out a little slow, but trust the process. I’ll definitely read the next book in this series sooner than later now that my love for this series has been revived.
April 10, 2017
Robert Bathurst does a great job of narrating Louise Penny's A Great Reckoning, #12 in The Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series.
This is only my second Louise Penny and I have to admit to being enamoured by Gamache's steely yet gentle personality, his sense of honour.
Central to this story is an old orienteering map discovered hidden in the wall of the old Bistro at Three Pines, a town that appears on no map other than this one.
This tale of murder is intricately wound with false trails and leads, misinformation and innuendo.
A delightful 'read'.
This is only my second Louise Penny and I have to admit to being enamoured by Gamache's steely yet gentle personality, his sense of honour.
Central to this story is an old orienteering map discovered hidden in the wall of the old Bistro at Three Pines, a town that appears on no map other than this one.
This tale of murder is intricately wound with false trails and leads, misinformation and innuendo.
A delightful 'read'.
July 19, 2020
4.5★
“They stomped their feet, brushed wet snow off their coats, and slapped their hats against their legs. It was a singular Québec jig learned in the womb.”
Hardly unique, but typical of the kind of scene readers are so familiar with in Three Pines, the village in Québec that doesn’t exist in real life, or even on Canadian maps in the series. In this novel, we learn what happened to it, as well as to a village first called Roof Trusses. That’s right. Roof Trusses.
Gamache is now Commander of the Sûreté Academy, deciding which young people will make the cut for incoming cadets and figuring out how to repair the damage done to the older cadets by the rotten hierarchy that has now been weeded (mostly) out of the former Sûreté and the academy. As the former Chief Inspector Homicide of the Sûreté, Gamache knows what qualities are needed in the police service.
This one has everything. Intrigue, excitement, betrayal, family (food!), and the beautiful Canadian winter. Our favourite characters are still in Three Pines and take part in this story, but it’s the village history that becomes a focal point, alongside the mystery of – oh yes – I forgot to mention a murder in the academy!
Gamache is one of the first on the scene and quickly becomes a suspect himself, but other clues point to Amelia, the cadet nobody expects to see in a place like this.
“She’d shown up at the Surete Academy the first day expecting to be turned away. Told that some mistake had been made and she didn’t belong there. Once through the door, she then expected to be ordered to remove her piercings. Not just the one through her tongue, but the ones in her nose, through her lip, her eyebrow, her cheek, all over her ears like a caterpillar. Had they known about the others, the ones they couldn’t see, she’d definitely be told to get rid of them too.
She was expecting to receive, in the weeks before the academy started, warning that dyed hair and body art would not be tolerated.
But all she’d received was a reading list and a box.”
Gamache had specifically approved her application after others had turned her down. She’s a lost soul, an addict, and a prostitute. She’s also pretty smart and taught herself classical languages.
Old papers and a map are found behind a wall during renovations of the bistro, and the map sends them all scrambling for archival material about WW1, which includes a favourite stained class window in the church depicting “our boys” going off to war.
I always enjoy Penny’s books. I think this moves a little more slowly, but she has taken the time to get into the heads of several different people. Her structural style is to break the writing into short sections, often only a paragraph or two, and then moving on to the next person or the next situation. I enjoy the jumps.
Most of the action takes place either at the academy or in Three Pines, but we do get a chance to see Gamache as a teacher. Amelia has just given him back the book Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, that he wanted her to read.
“She dropped the book on the desk. Amelia wanted no further debt to this man.
Commander Gamache picked it up and placed it in his satchel. As he left the classroom, he pointed to the very first quote he’d put on the blackboard.
The one that stayed, even as the others came and went.
It was from some Buddhist nun. The other cadets had snickered at that, but Amelia had written it down. They were the very first words in the very first notebook.
‘Don’t believe everything you think’.”
She’s learned to trust nobody, but we know, of course, that she will probably become indebted to this good man before this adventure is over.
It is always a delight to return to Three Pines, and I particularly enjoyed learning the history of the trees, “our boys”, and the story that goes with the map.
“They stomped their feet, brushed wet snow off their coats, and slapped their hats against their legs. It was a singular Québec jig learned in the womb.”
Hardly unique, but typical of the kind of scene readers are so familiar with in Three Pines, the village in Québec that doesn’t exist in real life, or even on Canadian maps in the series. In this novel, we learn what happened to it, as well as to a village first called Roof Trusses. That’s right. Roof Trusses.
Gamache is now Commander of the Sûreté Academy, deciding which young people will make the cut for incoming cadets and figuring out how to repair the damage done to the older cadets by the rotten hierarchy that has now been weeded (mostly) out of the former Sûreté and the academy. As the former Chief Inspector Homicide of the Sûreté, Gamache knows what qualities are needed in the police service.
This one has everything. Intrigue, excitement, betrayal, family (food!), and the beautiful Canadian winter. Our favourite characters are still in Three Pines and take part in this story, but it’s the village history that becomes a focal point, alongside the mystery of – oh yes – I forgot to mention a murder in the academy!
Gamache is one of the first on the scene and quickly becomes a suspect himself, but other clues point to Amelia, the cadet nobody expects to see in a place like this.
“She’d shown up at the Surete Academy the first day expecting to be turned away. Told that some mistake had been made and she didn’t belong there. Once through the door, she then expected to be ordered to remove her piercings. Not just the one through her tongue, but the ones in her nose, through her lip, her eyebrow, her cheek, all over her ears like a caterpillar. Had they known about the others, the ones they couldn’t see, she’d definitely be told to get rid of them too.
She was expecting to receive, in the weeks before the academy started, warning that dyed hair and body art would not be tolerated.
But all she’d received was a reading list and a box.”
Gamache had specifically approved her application after others had turned her down. She’s a lost soul, an addict, and a prostitute. She’s also pretty smart and taught herself classical languages.
Old papers and a map are found behind a wall during renovations of the bistro, and the map sends them all scrambling for archival material about WW1, which includes a favourite stained class window in the church depicting “our boys” going off to war.
I always enjoy Penny’s books. I think this moves a little more slowly, but she has taken the time to get into the heads of several different people. Her structural style is to break the writing into short sections, often only a paragraph or two, and then moving on to the next person or the next situation. I enjoy the jumps.
Most of the action takes place either at the academy or in Three Pines, but we do get a chance to see Gamache as a teacher. Amelia has just given him back the book Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, that he wanted her to read.
“She dropped the book on the desk. Amelia wanted no further debt to this man.
Commander Gamache picked it up and placed it in his satchel. As he left the classroom, he pointed to the very first quote he’d put on the blackboard.
The one that stayed, even as the others came and went.
It was from some Buddhist nun. The other cadets had snickered at that, but Amelia had written it down. They were the very first words in the very first notebook.
‘Don’t believe everything you think’.”
She’s learned to trust nobody, but we know, of course, that she will probably become indebted to this good man before this adventure is over.
It is always a delight to return to Three Pines, and I particularly enjoyed learning the history of the trees, “our boys”, and the story that goes with the map.
February 9, 2017
This is one of the best books in the series! Now that I am caught up...I have to wait a year for the next book to come out and return to one of my favorite spots, with my favorite characters, in Three Pines.
November 23, 2016
A new Louise Penny novel is like getting together with a group of old friends. She paints her characters so well that you feel you know them as real people. In this latest book in the series, Armand has taken over the commander position of the Surete Academie. As with all her books, the action is as much interior, in thought, as it is external. We are witness to all Armand’s decisions, some quite risky, to bring the Academy out of the quagmire.
Penny introduces us to several students, Amelia in particular. She is one of Armand’s most daring choices as a new inductee to the school. And you have to love Penny’s ability to capture a character. As Clara notes about Amelia, who has piercings and multiple earrings and “fingers looked like they'd been dipped in metal. It was as though the girl was encasing herself in armor.”
I love all the Gamache books but this ranks as one of my favorites. It encompasses so many of Penny’s themes about justice, family and honor. A full five stars!
March 13, 2017
Every time I read a title in this series, I think how could it possibly be better than the last, and yet it is. Penny writes with a depth of complexity that reaches out and draws the reader in.
In this latest title Gamache has taken his quest to clean up police corruption to its very beginning, the police academy. Where better to stop corruption than to prevent it from starting. It soon becomes clear that it won't be an easy task, old foes and forces are still at work.
When murder arrives at the academy, it will become necessary for Gamache and his team to delve into the past to solve the crimes of the present. Once again, we are reminded, as Gamache has said in the past, if we understand why, we will know who.
For anyone who hasn't read this series, start at the beginning, while the books can stand alone, the depth of storytelling is truly revealed through the evolution of the series.
This title is an extraordinary achievement, perhaps one of her best.
In this latest title Gamache has taken his quest to clean up police corruption to its very beginning, the police academy. Where better to stop corruption than to prevent it from starting. It soon becomes clear that it won't be an easy task, old foes and forces are still at work.
When murder arrives at the academy, it will become necessary for Gamache and his team to delve into the past to solve the crimes of the present. Once again, we are reminded, as Gamache has said in the past, if we understand why, we will know who.
For anyone who hasn't read this series, start at the beginning, while the books can stand alone, the depth of storytelling is truly revealed through the evolution of the series.
This title is an extraordinary achievement, perhaps one of her best.
September 8, 2016
EVERY FREAKIN' ONE OF HER BOOKS I start out enjoying the characters and the tension and end up face to face with a completely unbelievable situation. And that damn old poet and her duck. And that stupid fairy-tale village. ARRRGGGGHHHH. By now I should know better.
October 9, 2017
By the time you get to the 12th novel in a series I often find myself losing interest and that the stories just aren't as good as they were. Not with this series. If anything the series seems to get stronger. I feel like I know the characters and they could be friends. Louise Penny has a superb gift for describing scenes and people so that you feel like you are right there ... enjoying the food, sitting in front of a fire, and are part of the conversation. These are stories of relationships and morality. Stories of the human heart.
An old map is found stuffed into the walls of the bistro in Three Pines. At first it does not appear to be more than a curiosity. It is a hand made map, intricate, and contains strange icons such as a snowman and pyramid. Something for the residents to talk about in front of a fire on a cold Quebec night. The map is given to Armand Gamache as a gift the first day of his new job as Commander of the Sûreté academy. Armand had retired as Chief of Homicide for the Sûreté du Québec. He had come to Three Pines seeking sanctuary and to heal. But his love of the Sûreté is too strong and he agrees to take over the academy.
Armand gives copies of the map to four cadets as an investigative exercise. One of the cadets is Amelia Choquet. Tattooed, pierced and angry she would seem more likely to be in a police line-up than a police cadet. She had been rejected but one of Armand Gamache's first acts as Commander was to override the rejection. When one of the professors at the academy is found murdered and in his bedside table is one of the copies of the odd map there is a murder investigation naturally but because the murder occurred at the Sûreté academy an independent observer is brought in. The focus of the investigation soon turns to Gamache himself and his mysterious relationship with Amelia.
A mysterious map, corruption at the Sûreté academy ... and murder, a former friend and now adversary. A complex story about complex people and complex emotions. Weakness in the face of temptation, despair, forgiveness, and compassion. It is all here. As the famous introduction from The Shadow radio program says "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?"
An old map is found stuffed into the walls of the bistro in Three Pines. At first it does not appear to be more than a curiosity. It is a hand made map, intricate, and contains strange icons such as a snowman and pyramid. Something for the residents to talk about in front of a fire on a cold Quebec night. The map is given to Armand Gamache as a gift the first day of his new job as Commander of the Sûreté academy. Armand had retired as Chief of Homicide for the Sûreté du Québec. He had come to Three Pines seeking sanctuary and to heal. But his love of the Sûreté is too strong and he agrees to take over the academy.
Armand gives copies of the map to four cadets as an investigative exercise. One of the cadets is Amelia Choquet. Tattooed, pierced and angry she would seem more likely to be in a police line-up than a police cadet. She had been rejected but one of Armand Gamache's first acts as Commander was to override the rejection. When one of the professors at the academy is found murdered and in his bedside table is one of the copies of the odd map there is a murder investigation naturally but because the murder occurred at the Sûreté academy an independent observer is brought in. The focus of the investigation soon turns to Gamache himself and his mysterious relationship with Amelia.
A mysterious map, corruption at the Sûreté academy ... and murder, a former friend and now adversary. A complex story about complex people and complex emotions. Weakness in the face of temptation, despair, forgiveness, and compassion. It is all here. As the famous introduction from The Shadow radio program says "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?"
December 29, 2016
It is always terrific to return to Three Pines, the neighbourly if eccentric cast and catch up with Armande Gamache and his family. Louise Penny has created a unique series, close to being "cozy" and driven by the Inspector's keen intelligence and compassionate soul. At the same time, the mysteries are intense and multi-layered, with unexpected solutions.
In the latest book in the series, Armande Gamache has accepted a job with the Police Training Academy. Le Sûreté has recovered from the corruption in its ranks, and after a short retirement Armand is ready to reach out to the next generation, leading to serve the people and giving the new recruits a different outlook from its earlier staffers.
Plans go awry. A simple search to find out more about a map puts four new police interns in precarious situations. A murder puts everyone under suspicion. In typical Penny style, it is the emotions and relationships which direct the way to the solution as well as round the story out with warmth.
I found the first part of the novel a bit slower moving than her earlier works - but it might be because I've been visited by a bad headcold and I'm the one who is dragging! The conclusion was excellent.
No Great Reckoning gets 4.5 stars
In the latest book in the series, Armande Gamache has accepted a job with the Police Training Academy. Le Sûreté has recovered from the corruption in its ranks, and after a short retirement Armand is ready to reach out to the next generation, leading to serve the people and giving the new recruits a different outlook from its earlier staffers.
Plans go awry. A simple search to find out more about a map puts four new police interns in precarious situations. A murder puts everyone under suspicion. In typical Penny style, it is the emotions and relationships which direct the way to the solution as well as round the story out with warmth.
I found the first part of the novel a bit slower moving than her earlier works - but it might be because I've been visited by a bad headcold and I'm the one who is dragging! The conclusion was excellent.
No Great Reckoning gets 4.5 stars
June 10, 2019
It's always wonderful to be back with the somewhat eccentric folk of Three Pines and it was good to see Armand Gamache recovered and ready to take on a new challenge. He has taken the position of Commander of the Sûreté Academy determined to stamp out the cruelty he has seen in it's more recent police graduates. He makes a few risky decisions in which staff to sack and who to recruit, which backfires somewhat when there is a murder.
Back in Three Pines, an unusual map has been found in the walls of the Bistro and is found to have links with a group of local boys who fought and died in WWI. To keep some of the students occupied and away from the college, Gamache asks them to research the origins of the map and what they find will have important revelations for the village.
The two plots integrate well and each contributes to a build of tension, however the strength of these books is in the characters. Not just Gamache, who is astute and also kind but his charming wife Reine-Marie and his previous deputy and protegé Jean-Guy but also crazy, foul-mouthed poet Ruth, artist Clara, bookseller Myrna and Olivier and Gabri who run the Bistro, the centre of Three Pines village life. This is now the twelfth book in the series and to understand the evolution of the characters and their relationships to each other it's important to have followed them through the earlier books, as many have a rich and tumultuous past prior to the current tranquility of life in Three Pines. 4.5★
Back in Three Pines, an unusual map has been found in the walls of the Bistro and is found to have links with a group of local boys who fought and died in WWI. To keep some of the students occupied and away from the college, Gamache asks them to research the origins of the map and what they find will have important revelations for the village.
The two plots integrate well and each contributes to a build of tension, however the strength of these books is in the characters. Not just Gamache, who is astute and also kind but his charming wife Reine-Marie and his previous deputy and protegé Jean-Guy but also crazy, foul-mouthed poet Ruth, artist Clara, bookseller Myrna and Olivier and Gabri who run the Bistro, the centre of Three Pines village life. This is now the twelfth book in the series and to understand the evolution of the characters and their relationships to each other it's important to have followed them through the earlier books, as many have a rich and tumultuous past prior to the current tranquility of life in Three Pines. 4.5★
August 30, 2016
First Sentence: Armand Gamache sat in the little room and closed the dossier with care, squeezing it shut, trapping the words inside.
No longer the head of homicide for the Sûreté du Quebec, Armand Gamache has finally decided on his next position, and the people with whom he wants to work. It's a position where he feels he can made a difference and a correction to something gone very wrong. When one person dies, the situation becomes even more dire then simply uncovering the facts behind the crime. Yet even before beginning, the ladies of Three Pines investigate the contents of a chest; document found in the walls of the bistro during renovation. Among them is a most unusual map with all roads leading to Three Pines, a town which doesn’t exist on any official maps. Can this map lead everyone to their own sense of home, including Gamache?
Penny is a remarkable visual writer—“The curtains of his study fluttered and he could feel a cold draft coming in through the slightly open window. And he knew if he draw back the curtains and turned on the porch light, he would see the first snow of the season swirling in the light. Falling softly and landing on the roofs of the homes in this tiny village of Three Pines.” She doesn’t just tell you, she brings you into the story and allows you to see alongside her characters.
Penny enables you to see her characters as well—“It was a care-worn face. But most of the lines, if followed back like a trail, would lead to happiness. To the face a face made when laughing or smiling, or sitting quietly enjoying the day. Though some of those lines led elsewhere. Into a wilderness, into the wild. Where terrible things had happened. Some of the lines of his face led to evens inhuman and abominable. To horrific sights. To unspeakable acts. Some of them his.” It's that descriptiveness that truly brings everything to life.
Her characters, particularly Gamache, surprise you, but they are real, flesh and blood, and nuanced. The circle of friends in Three Pines, are those among whom you want to be, even the irascible Ruth. Their friendship is loyal, strong and insightful. The wonderful meals they share are a part of that bond—“They’d gathered at Clara’s place this wintery night for a dinner of bouillabaisse, with fresh baguette from Sarah’s boulangerie. Clara and Gabri were in the kitchen just putting the final ingredients into the broth….A delicate aroma of garlic and fennel drifted into the living room and mingled with the scent of wood smoke from the hearth.” Penny's dialogue is as real as her characters, particularly those scenes involving Ruth. She makes you smile, but she makes you think.
Penny is an author with a beautifully lyrical style who causes you to pause and consider; to see things, and people, in a new way, sometimes through the scene, and sometimes through literary references—“Don’t believe everything you think.” The dialogue is realistic, and occasionally humorous—“Through the kitchen window, they saw Commander Gamache supporting Ruth, Keeping her upright on the icy road….”Alzheimer’s?” asked Huifen. “Reine-Marie shook her head. “Poetry.”” She is an author whose work one finds oneself re-reading as in the end, her stories are about love, trust, and redemption.
“A Great Reckoning” is a wonderful story that touches all the emotions. The plot that is layered and puzzled; not in a way which is difficult to follow, but in a way such that one can’t help but admire the thinking that created it. As with life, there are numerous situations and threads, involving different characters in different ways, yet all roads lead us back to Three Pines.
A GREAT RECKONING (Pol Proc-Armand Gamache-Canada-Contemp) – Ex
Penny, Louise – 12th in series
Minotaur Books – Aug 2016
No longer the head of homicide for the Sûreté du Quebec, Armand Gamache has finally decided on his next position, and the people with whom he wants to work. It's a position where he feels he can made a difference and a correction to something gone very wrong. When one person dies, the situation becomes even more dire then simply uncovering the facts behind the crime. Yet even before beginning, the ladies of Three Pines investigate the contents of a chest; document found in the walls of the bistro during renovation. Among them is a most unusual map with all roads leading to Three Pines, a town which doesn’t exist on any official maps. Can this map lead everyone to their own sense of home, including Gamache?
Penny is a remarkable visual writer—“The curtains of his study fluttered and he could feel a cold draft coming in through the slightly open window. And he knew if he draw back the curtains and turned on the porch light, he would see the first snow of the season swirling in the light. Falling softly and landing on the roofs of the homes in this tiny village of Three Pines.” She doesn’t just tell you, she brings you into the story and allows you to see alongside her characters.
Penny enables you to see her characters as well—“It was a care-worn face. But most of the lines, if followed back like a trail, would lead to happiness. To the face a face made when laughing or smiling, or sitting quietly enjoying the day. Though some of those lines led elsewhere. Into a wilderness, into the wild. Where terrible things had happened. Some of the lines of his face led to evens inhuman and abominable. To horrific sights. To unspeakable acts. Some of them his.” It's that descriptiveness that truly brings everything to life.
Her characters, particularly Gamache, surprise you, but they are real, flesh and blood, and nuanced. The circle of friends in Three Pines, are those among whom you want to be, even the irascible Ruth. Their friendship is loyal, strong and insightful. The wonderful meals they share are a part of that bond—“They’d gathered at Clara’s place this wintery night for a dinner of bouillabaisse, with fresh baguette from Sarah’s boulangerie. Clara and Gabri were in the kitchen just putting the final ingredients into the broth….A delicate aroma of garlic and fennel drifted into the living room and mingled with the scent of wood smoke from the hearth.” Penny's dialogue is as real as her characters, particularly those scenes involving Ruth. She makes you smile, but she makes you think.
Penny is an author with a beautifully lyrical style who causes you to pause and consider; to see things, and people, in a new way, sometimes through the scene, and sometimes through literary references—“Don’t believe everything you think.” The dialogue is realistic, and occasionally humorous—“Through the kitchen window, they saw Commander Gamache supporting Ruth, Keeping her upright on the icy road….”Alzheimer’s?” asked Huifen. “Reine-Marie shook her head. “Poetry.”” She is an author whose work one finds oneself re-reading as in the end, her stories are about love, trust, and redemption.
“A Great Reckoning” is a wonderful story that touches all the emotions. The plot that is layered and puzzled; not in a way which is difficult to follow, but in a way such that one can’t help but admire the thinking that created it. As with life, there are numerous situations and threads, involving different characters in different ways, yet all roads lead us back to Three Pines.
A GREAT RECKONING (Pol Proc-Armand Gamache-Canada-Contemp) – Ex
Penny, Louise – 12th in series
Minotaur Books – Aug 2016
September 19, 2016
I love the Fall. It’s the season where the weather is more moderate--better for running. Football starts. There’s usually a new iPhone coming out, pumpkins can be found everywhere from front porch stoops to fancy coffee drinks, and it is the season where the new books from my authors (usually mystery series) are released.
Louise Penny is right on schedule this September with her newest Chief Inspector Armand Gamache mystery, A Great Reckoning and it’s sensational. I can’t say this series is underappreciated anymore seeing as how this book has ascended to the pinnacle of the bestseller lists, last week debuting at #1, but it still does not get near as much press as it should.
The Gamache books have always been a strange mixture of locked-room murder mystery and police procedural, mixed with a heaping helping of conspiracy, and laboriously garnished with a healthy amount of warmth and heart. And it works. Oh, it works quit well. Penny’s accomplished writing brings everything together into a soufflé of exquisite sumptuousness.
In A Great Reckoning, Gamache now retired from investigating homicides for the Surete du Quebec, has taken the reins of an out of control police-training academy. His new goal is to weed out the corrupt administrators and professors who have infected the force. One particularly pernicious and sadistic weed, the creeping thistle who was previously the academy’s original commander is found murdered with a bullet to the head and the chase is afoot. Meanwhile back in the cozy hamlet of Three Pines, home to Gamache and his friends, a mysterious map is discovered inside the wall of the local Bistro. It seems to be from around the time of World War 1. Is there a connection to this map and the murdered academy administrator?
Penny, historically the only Canadian author of note (not counting the esteemed memoirist and sci-fi guru William Shatner) has the skills to make many of the current crop of mystery writers nervous at being exposed as 5-cent hacks. If Penny’s body is ever found in a deserted patch of Canadian woodlands and the Mounties label her death foul play, you will need only to look at the current crop of writers on the New York Bestseller list for your suspects. Penny’s writing is funny, suspenseful, and warmer than the gravy on a recently delivered order of poutine. There is real humanity behind her characters and a goodness in humanity not found in the conspicuously jaded modern mystery titles found on the shelves at your local Barnes and Noble.
Any of the Armand Gamache books are good, but A Great Reckoning is wildly excellent. It’s rich and poignant. There are moments you will want so badly to see how high pressure situations get resolved you must force yourself not to skip ahead, and moments of piercing pathos that you must remind yourself you are in a public area and you must not break down bawling. Great addition to the series and highly recommended.
Louise Penny is right on schedule this September with her newest Chief Inspector Armand Gamache mystery, A Great Reckoning and it’s sensational. I can’t say this series is underappreciated anymore seeing as how this book has ascended to the pinnacle of the bestseller lists, last week debuting at #1, but it still does not get near as much press as it should.
The Gamache books have always been a strange mixture of locked-room murder mystery and police procedural, mixed with a heaping helping of conspiracy, and laboriously garnished with a healthy amount of warmth and heart. And it works. Oh, it works quit well. Penny’s accomplished writing brings everything together into a soufflé of exquisite sumptuousness.
In A Great Reckoning, Gamache now retired from investigating homicides for the Surete du Quebec, has taken the reins of an out of control police-training academy. His new goal is to weed out the corrupt administrators and professors who have infected the force. One particularly pernicious and sadistic weed, the creeping thistle who was previously the academy’s original commander is found murdered with a bullet to the head and the chase is afoot. Meanwhile back in the cozy hamlet of Three Pines, home to Gamache and his friends, a mysterious map is discovered inside the wall of the local Bistro. It seems to be from around the time of World War 1. Is there a connection to this map and the murdered academy administrator?
Penny, historically the only Canadian author of note (not counting the esteemed memoirist and sci-fi guru William Shatner) has the skills to make many of the current crop of mystery writers nervous at being exposed as 5-cent hacks. If Penny’s body is ever found in a deserted patch of Canadian woodlands and the Mounties label her death foul play, you will need only to look at the current crop of writers on the New York Bestseller list for your suspects. Penny’s writing is funny, suspenseful, and warmer than the gravy on a recently delivered order of poutine. There is real humanity behind her characters and a goodness in humanity not found in the conspicuously jaded modern mystery titles found on the shelves at your local Barnes and Noble.
Any of the Armand Gamache books are good, but A Great Reckoning is wildly excellent. It’s rich and poignant. There are moments you will want so badly to see how high pressure situations get resolved you must force yourself not to skip ahead, and moments of piercing pathos that you must remind yourself you are in a public area and you must not break down bawling. Great addition to the series and highly recommended.
June 17, 2023
A full review later.
March 20, 2017
These books are so hard to review because no matter what I say, no matter how inconsequential it may seem, I don't want to give away anything at all that might be spoilerish for someone. As the title hints, some things that have gone unanswered are answered, about Three Pines' history especially. There's also a murder to solve, this time at the Sûreté academy, where Gamache has just started a new career. The murderer could be one of the cadets, a professor, or even Gamache himself. Anyone and everyone who happened to be at the Academy the night of the murder is suspect.
It's always good to spend some time with all my friends in Three Pines. I'm still not enthralled with the new audio narrator -- I really think he needs to give Armand a much stronger voice, to stand out from everyone else.
Au revoir .... Until we meet again.
It's always good to spend some time with all my friends in Three Pines. I'm still not enthralled with the new audio narrator -- I really think he needs to give Armand a much stronger voice, to stand out from everyone else.
Au revoir .... Until we meet again.
June 20, 2024
The mystery of the old map, hidden behind the wall of the bistro in Three Pines, for at least 100 years, was an enigma that hadn’t seemed that important at the beginning. But when Armand Gamache began his new job at the Sûreté academy, it suddenly took on an importance that was surprising. The cadets of the academy – four in particular – were involved. Gamache knew that but he didn’t know how or why. It was when one of the professors was murdered and Inspector Jean-Guy Beauvoir and Chief Inspector Lacoste became part of the investigation, that dark secrets were uncovered, the small church at Three Pines was involved, and the folk from Three Pines proved insightful…
The long ago past was beckoning – but how, or why? What would be the outcome of this strange and compelling mystery?
A Great Reckoning is the 12th in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series by Louise Penny and it was brilliant! This author can do no wrong in my opinion! A Great Reckoning was intense, shattering, funny in places – and my goodness - the twists!! Outstanding. Highly recommended.
The long ago past was beckoning – but how, or why? What would be the outcome of this strange and compelling mystery?
A Great Reckoning is the 12th in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series by Louise Penny and it was brilliant! This author can do no wrong in my opinion! A Great Reckoning was intense, shattering, funny in places – and my goodness - the twists!! Outstanding. Highly recommended.
August 31, 2016
Love this series, but this book is possibly the best in the series yet. Emotional, layered, and thoughtful.
October 26, 2016
This novel is my introduction to the works of novelist Louise Penny. I was encouraged to read her from a few trusted GR friends(thank you Esil and Carol). I am so grateful for the encouragement. I can’t believe her work has escaped my interest.
This is a smart, funny, and well-crafted police detective novel with a rich cast of characters. Penny provides clues to the “who done it” thread that is subtle and enjoyable. I enjoyed the many twists and turns that were peppered throughout the novel. The characters are marvelous; some of the dialogue is cheeky. The protagonist, Armand Gamache is a character that we wish was in our lives. He provides thought-provoking adages such as “Our life is what our thoughts make it.” And “Don’t believe everything you think”. How can you not like a character who lives by those dictums?
If you are looking for a well-written police/detective novel that will keep you up at night to see how it ends, this is a novel for you. It’s a fantastic read!
This is a smart, funny, and well-crafted police detective novel with a rich cast of characters. Penny provides clues to the “who done it” thread that is subtle and enjoyable. I enjoyed the many twists and turns that were peppered throughout the novel. The characters are marvelous; some of the dialogue is cheeky. The protagonist, Armand Gamache is a character that we wish was in our lives. He provides thought-provoking adages such as “Our life is what our thoughts make it.” And “Don’t believe everything you think”. How can you not like a character who lives by those dictums?
If you are looking for a well-written police/detective novel that will keep you up at night to see how it ends, this is a novel for you. It’s a fantastic read!
October 18, 2016
I'm in the minority, but I thought this book would be terrific, and frankly, it isn't, and it certainly isn't what I expected based on the glowing reviews. I couldn't get past the half-way point because I felt no connection to these characters. The Chief Inspector is TOO perfect and the foul-mouthed old woman is TOO imperfect. And so it goes with the characters, everyone seemingly "good" or "bad." Maybe this series is an acquired taste because it has many wonderful reviews from fans who obviously follow this series, but to me this book is predictable, plodding, and boring.
September 18, 2016
4.5 stars
Wow. As usual, the combination of Ms. Penny's sublime prose & a twisty mystery with several sub plots creates a story that guarantees you'll be packing this with you everywhere until you're done. The last book almost felt like she was ending the series. It answered a lot of questions, tied up story lines & I wondered if Armand & Reine-Marie were riding off into the sunset over Three Pines.
Here, they're back in fine form with a sinister murder taking centre stage. Wonderful moments of humour (usually involving Ruth, my idol) are interspersed with rising tension as Gamache attempts to finish the job he started several books ago. And the author's prose continues to sparkle & captivate as we follow the lives of these characters who are now old friends.
The only mystery left open is....what is Gracie? puppy, ferret, wolverine?
Can't wait 'til the next one.
Wow. As usual, the combination of Ms. Penny's sublime prose & a twisty mystery with several sub plots creates a story that guarantees you'll be packing this with you everywhere until you're done. The last book almost felt like she was ending the series. It answered a lot of questions, tied up story lines & I wondered if Armand & Reine-Marie were riding off into the sunset over Three Pines.
Here, they're back in fine form with a sinister murder taking centre stage. Wonderful moments of humour (usually involving Ruth, my idol) are interspersed with rising tension as Gamache attempts to finish the job he started several books ago. And the author's prose continues to sparkle & captivate as we follow the lives of these characters who are now old friends.
The only mystery left open is....what is Gracie? puppy, ferret, wolverine?
Can't wait 'til the next one.
December 17, 2023
This December I am fortunate enough to have multiple house guests, and that means I don’t have the mental wherewithal to read the deep literary fiction or long biographical tome that has been lurking on my bucket list for sometime. I am grateful for the company but that means a month of lighter reading, which I am ok with. I am using this opportunity to plow ahead in some of my favorite series and start new ones. Mystery has long been my genre that I use as a palette cleanser between deeper books, but that is before I discovered Louise Penny. Unlike a cozy mystery or the majority of mass produced thrillers, Penny’s creative mind has produced a world where even the most minute detail is important. She has created a community of a village comprised of many complex characters of diverse backgrounds. Although I am primarily reading light books this month, I thought it was high time that I returned to Three Pines, Quebec.
Armand Gamache has made his “what’s next” decision. Rather than live out his retirement years in the blissful comfort of Three Pines, he has decided to take over the Sureté Academy, still mired in the corruption that nearly brought down the Sureté and lead him to early retirement. Although Francour is out of the picture, the Academy had been run by one of his handpicked men, Serge Leduc, a man oozing in hatred and graft. Younger members of the Sureté graduated from this environment and saw their station in life as a means for cruelty, brutality, and overall meanness, which is diametrically opposed to the Sureté motto and the lessons Gamache had been imparting to his trainees for years. In order to complete the cleanup of the Sureté, Gamache would return to the Academy and clean out the graft, allowing cadets to graduate with a mind free of corruption, beginning their careers with a more Nobel opinion of what it means to be a police officer. In order for this plan to work, Gamache would first have to purge the Academy of Leduc’s men and remove him from his pedestal. Allowing the impressionable cadets to see that Leduc was not a leader but a weak tyrant would be more difficult, but it is a job that Gamache had to do in order to restore the Sureté to its reputation as the best police force in Canada.
While mired in this muck at work, Three Pines has a mystery of its own. For years guests would arrive in the village only to find that there is no internet or phone connection. Even the sharpest minds would scratch their heads because Three Pines is not found on any map or GPS. Villagers have began to undertake renovating the bistro and have unearthed a myriad of papers once insulating its walls. One of these documents is a map of Three Pines from one hundred years earlier signed with the name Antony Turcotte. Who is this Turcotte, whose name is missing from the archives, and why create an early orienteering map of Three Pines, that was otherwise removed from all maps of Quebec. Gamache entrusts this task to four impressionable cadets who had been influenced by Leduc, two seniors and two freshmen. Besides being a team building exercise, Gamache believed that these four cadets could use a challenge that Leduc would deem unimportant because it does not involve the use of police brutality. The two freshmen rose to the challenge more so than the seniors who were Leduc’s people. All was going well until Leduc was found murdered, and all fingers pointed to the four cadets and Gamache himself. It was obvious to outsiders that he wanted to bring down Leduc but at what cost.
Many readers have stated that they haven’t enjoyed the overall story arc of the Gamache series because Penny has inserted her politics, and the books become darker over time. Rather than produce three books in a series a year, Penny has deeply thought about where the series will go next. How do the characters develop so they don’t become stale. How does the Sureté advance so it is not just Gamache and his cronies meeting for coffee and laughs. Life is not about meeting for coffee at the bistro and reconnecting with old friends. It is a facet of life and I do envy the community of Three Pines that friends can spontaneously arrange dinner parties at the drop of a hat. Beneath the surface there is conflict and the ability to overcome obstacles, whether at work, in one’s personal life, emotionally and physically. Isabel Lacoste asserts herself as the Chief Inspector, creating a layer of her personality and relationship with Gamache that was not there in previous books. Jean Guy, after all he had overcome in earlier books, is getting ready to become a father. The fact that he will be responsible for a child has changed his outlook toward the two cases in this book. In Three Pines, Clara is still attempting to create the perfect painting that has been missing from her life since Peter’s death. As she attempts to discover the identity of the mapmaker, this knowledge also reflects itself in her painting, creating yet another layer to the book’s depth.
Due to the depth and darkness of these books, Penny’s books are not for the faint at heart. Not to the level that Tara French’s novels are scary, but due to the emotional pull of the cases and characters. The four cadets, the prime suspects, are removed to Three Pines to work on solving the map mystery. The cadets come from diverse backgrounds and the two freshmen were only admitted after Gamache reversed Leduc’s decision. Amelia Choquet comes from the streets, months removed from doping and prostitution. Her body is covered in tattoos and piercings, and Leduc found her destestable. The same could be said for Nathaniel Smythe, an Anglo who happens to be gay and just wants to fit in at the academy. Leduc attempted to mold these two to a life of police brutality, but Amelia saw right through him and then Leduc is murdered before any further damage can be done. As Gamache tells Lacoste, Amelia is at the top of her class and will be running the Sureté one day. I would love to see where this story arc goes in future cases if this is how Penny chooses to insert her politics, by showing that women are clearly cut out for leadership positions, even in traditional male stomping grounds like the police force and mapmaking.
I give Louise Penny all the credit in the world for writing this book while her husband suffered from dementia. This is something near to me as well as it claimed multiple members of my father’s family, and seeing the disease’s progression is painful to say the least. Penny notes that her husband had been a model patient and greeted visitors with joy even if he had began to forget who they were. Penny found comfort in her friends, both her ones in real life and the characters she created for Three Pines. After twelve books, she could list the villagers as her friends, and she continued to develop new story lines for them. I am curious as to where Penny will take Gamache next now that the Academy has been purged of graft and the Sureté could use new leadership to weed out Leduc’s men. With multiple books left to read in this series, I will surely savor my next trip to Three Pines, regardless if it is a dark or cheery visit.
4+ stars
Armand Gamache has made his “what’s next” decision. Rather than live out his retirement years in the blissful comfort of Three Pines, he has decided to take over the Sureté Academy, still mired in the corruption that nearly brought down the Sureté and lead him to early retirement. Although Francour is out of the picture, the Academy had been run by one of his handpicked men, Serge Leduc, a man oozing in hatred and graft. Younger members of the Sureté graduated from this environment and saw their station in life as a means for cruelty, brutality, and overall meanness, which is diametrically opposed to the Sureté motto and the lessons Gamache had been imparting to his trainees for years. In order to complete the cleanup of the Sureté, Gamache would return to the Academy and clean out the graft, allowing cadets to graduate with a mind free of corruption, beginning their careers with a more Nobel opinion of what it means to be a police officer. In order for this plan to work, Gamache would first have to purge the Academy of Leduc’s men and remove him from his pedestal. Allowing the impressionable cadets to see that Leduc was not a leader but a weak tyrant would be more difficult, but it is a job that Gamache had to do in order to restore the Sureté to its reputation as the best police force in Canada.
While mired in this muck at work, Three Pines has a mystery of its own. For years guests would arrive in the village only to find that there is no internet or phone connection. Even the sharpest minds would scratch their heads because Three Pines is not found on any map or GPS. Villagers have began to undertake renovating the bistro and have unearthed a myriad of papers once insulating its walls. One of these documents is a map of Three Pines from one hundred years earlier signed with the name Antony Turcotte. Who is this Turcotte, whose name is missing from the archives, and why create an early orienteering map of Three Pines, that was otherwise removed from all maps of Quebec. Gamache entrusts this task to four impressionable cadets who had been influenced by Leduc, two seniors and two freshmen. Besides being a team building exercise, Gamache believed that these four cadets could use a challenge that Leduc would deem unimportant because it does not involve the use of police brutality. The two freshmen rose to the challenge more so than the seniors who were Leduc’s people. All was going well until Leduc was found murdered, and all fingers pointed to the four cadets and Gamache himself. It was obvious to outsiders that he wanted to bring down Leduc but at what cost.
Many readers have stated that they haven’t enjoyed the overall story arc of the Gamache series because Penny has inserted her politics, and the books become darker over time. Rather than produce three books in a series a year, Penny has deeply thought about where the series will go next. How do the characters develop so they don’t become stale. How does the Sureté advance so it is not just Gamache and his cronies meeting for coffee and laughs. Life is not about meeting for coffee at the bistro and reconnecting with old friends. It is a facet of life and I do envy the community of Three Pines that friends can spontaneously arrange dinner parties at the drop of a hat. Beneath the surface there is conflict and the ability to overcome obstacles, whether at work, in one’s personal life, emotionally and physically. Isabel Lacoste asserts herself as the Chief Inspector, creating a layer of her personality and relationship with Gamache that was not there in previous books. Jean Guy, after all he had overcome in earlier books, is getting ready to become a father. The fact that he will be responsible for a child has changed his outlook toward the two cases in this book. In Three Pines, Clara is still attempting to create the perfect painting that has been missing from her life since Peter’s death. As she attempts to discover the identity of the mapmaker, this knowledge also reflects itself in her painting, creating yet another layer to the book’s depth.
Due to the depth and darkness of these books, Penny’s books are not for the faint at heart. Not to the level that Tara French’s novels are scary, but due to the emotional pull of the cases and characters. The four cadets, the prime suspects, are removed to Three Pines to work on solving the map mystery. The cadets come from diverse backgrounds and the two freshmen were only admitted after Gamache reversed Leduc’s decision. Amelia Choquet comes from the streets, months removed from doping and prostitution. Her body is covered in tattoos and piercings, and Leduc found her destestable. The same could be said for Nathaniel Smythe, an Anglo who happens to be gay and just wants to fit in at the academy. Leduc attempted to mold these two to a life of police brutality, but Amelia saw right through him and then Leduc is murdered before any further damage can be done. As Gamache tells Lacoste, Amelia is at the top of her class and will be running the Sureté one day. I would love to see where this story arc goes in future cases if this is how Penny chooses to insert her politics, by showing that women are clearly cut out for leadership positions, even in traditional male stomping grounds like the police force and mapmaking.
I give Louise Penny all the credit in the world for writing this book while her husband suffered from dementia. This is something near to me as well as it claimed multiple members of my father’s family, and seeing the disease’s progression is painful to say the least. Penny notes that her husband had been a model patient and greeted visitors with joy even if he had began to forget who they were. Penny found comfort in her friends, both her ones in real life and the characters she created for Three Pines. After twelve books, she could list the villagers as her friends, and she continued to develop new story lines for them. I am curious as to where Penny will take Gamache next now that the Academy has been purged of graft and the Sureté could use new leadership to weed out Leduc’s men. With multiple books left to read in this series, I will surely savor my next trip to Three Pines, regardless if it is a dark or cheery visit.
4+ stars
February 4, 2025
Nuestro inoxidable y generoso Gamache es ahora el nuevo director de la Academia de la Sûreté de Quebec. Su nombramiento asegura integridad y formación humanística para los cadetes. Una verdadera patada ahí abajo para algunos. Y una llamada para los problemas, comenzando por el asesinato de un colega y profesor de la Academia. Que el finadito haya sido cruel y vil no facilita la cuestión. Muchos, incluido el mismísimo Armand Gamache, podrían ser culpables ¡Imposible! ¿O no tanto?
A diferencia de lo que me ocurre habitualmente con esta saga, la historia no me atrapó de inmediato. Tal vez porque Gamache no estaba rodeado estrictamente de los personajes de siempre. Pero había que persistir...todos van apareciendo y las historias de Louise jamás dejan de a pie. Los hechos fluyen, los secretos celosamente guardados, salen a la luz y este libro se termina convirtiendo en uno de los capítulos más íntimos y confrontativos en la vida de nuestro buen ex Inspector. Una entrega cargada de emotividad, escrito en un momento difícil de la vida de la autora (así lo explica en los agradecimientos) quien, evidentemente, supo atravesar ese dolor dando las gracias por los que la tomaron de la mano en el camino y retribuyendo con belleza creativa.
"El perdón es un regalo que nos damos a nosotros mismos"
A diferencia de lo que me ocurre habitualmente con esta saga, la historia no me atrapó de inmediato. Tal vez porque Gamache no estaba rodeado estrictamente de los personajes de siempre. Pero había que persistir...todos van apareciendo y las historias de Louise jamás dejan de a pie. Los hechos fluyen, los secretos celosamente guardados, salen a la luz y este libro se termina convirtiendo en uno de los capítulos más íntimos y confrontativos en la vida de nuestro buen ex Inspector. Una entrega cargada de emotividad, escrito en un momento difícil de la vida de la autora (así lo explica en los agradecimientos) quien, evidentemente, supo atravesar ese dolor dando las gracias por los que la tomaron de la mano en el camino y retribuyendo con belleza creativa.
"El perdón es un regalo que nos damos a nosotros mismos"
Displaying 1 - 30 of 7,437 reviews