Another enjoyable instalment in the Inspector Gamache series, primarily because the primary characters are so gentle and likeable. This reminded me of an Agatha Christie mystery as it's all set in one location and the characters convene in one room for the action.

I love how Penny chooses certain books to help you get to know one or two particular series characters. This is one of those. It really gave a lot of insight into a particular character.

Loved the glimpse into Franco/Anglo Canadian history.

This installment finds everyone's favorite resident of Montreal solving a murder at a remote hotel in Quebec. Gamache and his wife, Reine-Marie, are on vacation to celebrate thier honeymoon when one of the guests at the hotel is murdered.

The vic is also related to Peter Morrow, the artist who is a bit jealous of his wife's success, and whom I think is a douche.

I missed the duck.

But I found the mystery really engrossing. The characters were drawn well, and I loved the fact that Bean was still Bean by the end of the novel.

I fell in love with the show Three Pines and knew I had to read the books that inspired it, so here I am just finishing book four. I love the books even more than the show. Louise Penny is a master at misdirection, which will keep you guessing until the end.
It's wonderful to read books set in or around locations you are familiar with. In this one I was pleasantly surprised when they enjoy some Coaticook ice cream during the Three Pines Canada Day celebrations. It's a favourite in our house as they still use their original recipe for homemade ice cream.
Can't wait to get started on book five!

I really enjoyed this one, which had another unique setting. Also, I enjoyed learning more detail about the backgrounds of some of the recurring characters.

These books are a palate cleanser. They make me feel refreshed and rested. I know they are about murder, but justice is served, wrongs are righted and all is well again in Three Pines.

They are well written, with interesting characters that I want to revisit.

4.5 because I liked it more than the first two to which I’d given 4 stars so. Probably my favourite to date—I think partly because it didn’t contain any drama about Gamache’s career or the politics around his work. And, perhaps a little unfortunately, also a little because it DIDN’T take place at Three Pines. I like the village, but can’t quite fall in love with the whole cast so it was good to have a respite from them. Plus, I always love a bit of a huis clos (somewhat) mystery. This made me think of those old mysteries taking place in old manors or country houses, à la Christie.

The mystery was great—the first in this series where I absolutely didn’t see who the murderer was coming. It was much more focused and interesting than the other books, I think. Perhaps Penny is just getting better at her craft. I still struggle with some aspect of her writing including, it feels to me, some subtle fatphobia which kinda ruins things for me every time it shows up. And while I definitely enjoy that these books take place in Quebec and mostly in the region I’m from—which is such a delight as it doesn’t happen often—there’s always the danger of getting caught on details that ring false to you, or not quite right. Nitpicky, but a little annoying.