Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
Helpful Score: 1
It is Easter time in the small Quebec village of Three Pines, and the earth is beginning to come out of winter's long shadow. As a lark, several villagers enlist the aid of a visitor to hold a seance. The results are less than satisfactory, so they plan a second one-- to be held in the creepy old Hadley house. The second seance has deadly consequences. Madeleine Favreau is frightened to death, and many people feel that the Hadley house has claimed yet another victim. Forensics prove otherwise, and it's not long before Inspector Armand Gamache and his team are in Three Pines to solve the murder. Unfortunately Gamache has more on his plate than finding a killer. Five years before he put a bad cop behind bars, and there are members of the Surete du Quebec who want to make sure he pays for this.
It is always a pleasure to visit this small village in Quebec. It has some of the best characters in crime fiction living there. The old Hadley house ranks high on my list of creepy, spooky places that I wouldn't spend the night in-- a French Canadian version of Shirley Jackson's Hill House:
"As he approached he was surprised to see peeling paint and jagged, broken windows. The 'For Sale' sign had fallen over and tiles were missing from the roof and even some bricks from the chimney. It was almost as though the house was casting parts of itself away."
"Something in him felt the need to seal away whatever was in that room. He'd never admit it, of course, but Jean Guy Beauvoir had felt something growing. The longer he stayed the more it grew. Foreboding. No, not foreboding. Something else."
Even Gamache has a problem with the Hadley house:
"What does that house want? Gamache wondered. Anything that went in alive came out either dead or different."
Mix a creepy old house with a group of marvelous characters, and you have the ingredients for an excellent read. The only part of this book that palled a bit for me was the secondary story line about the police officers in the Surete who were out to get Gamache. I was hopeful that Gamache would just round them all up and brick them in the basement of the Hadley house, but he's just too nice to do something like that!
If you like reading about a wonderful cast of characters, life in a Shangri-La-like village, and mysteries where the killers always have interesting motivations, Louise Penny's series is the one for you. I would suggest, however, that you do read the series in order because of the characters and their inter-relatedness.
It is always a pleasure to visit this small village in Quebec. It has some of the best characters in crime fiction living there. The old Hadley house ranks high on my list of creepy, spooky places that I wouldn't spend the night in-- a French Canadian version of Shirley Jackson's Hill House:
"As he approached he was surprised to see peeling paint and jagged, broken windows. The 'For Sale' sign had fallen over and tiles were missing from the roof and even some bricks from the chimney. It was almost as though the house was casting parts of itself away."
"Something in him felt the need to seal away whatever was in that room. He'd never admit it, of course, but Jean Guy Beauvoir had felt something growing. The longer he stayed the more it grew. Foreboding. No, not foreboding. Something else."
Even Gamache has a problem with the Hadley house:
"What does that house want? Gamache wondered. Anything that went in alive came out either dead or different."
Mix a creepy old house with a group of marvelous characters, and you have the ingredients for an excellent read. The only part of this book that palled a bit for me was the secondary story line about the police officers in the Surete who were out to get Gamache. I was hopeful that Gamache would just round them all up and brick them in the basement of the Hadley house, but he's just too nice to do something like that!
If you like reading about a wonderful cast of characters, life in a Shangri-La-like village, and mysteries where the killers always have interesting motivations, Louise Penny's series is the one for you. I would suggest, however, that you do read the series in order because of the characters and their inter-relatedness.
I love this series. Fun, light and engaging.A good mystery without blood and gore!
I'm in the middle of the book now and am finding myself having some reluctance to picking it up. Not quite as engrossing as some of her other books. Still worthwhile reading, either the story is wandering or it is me.
Crystal J. (dorolerium) reviewed The Cruelest Month (Chief Inspector Gamache, Bk 3) on + 212 more book reviews
Any time I read one of Louise Pennys novels set in Three Pines, I fall in love with the village all over again. And then I feel terrible that all of these awful things keep happening there! Despite these murders, its the kind of village Id like to spend some time in, although Im not quite sure Id fit in.
This time around, a woman called Madeline, who is adored by pretty much everyone, dies of fright at a séance. Initially, everyone believes it was just a tragic accident, but the arrival of Chief Inspector Armand Gamache gets the villagers to realize that maybe her death was more of an intentional thing after all.
To read the rest of my review, please visit my blog.
This time around, a woman called Madeline, who is adored by pretty much everyone, dies of fright at a séance. Initially, everyone believes it was just a tragic accident, but the arrival of Chief Inspector Armand Gamache gets the villagers to realize that maybe her death was more of an intentional thing after all.
To read the rest of my review, please visit my blog.
This is a great series of books and this is a particularly good one. Is the Hadley house haunted, cursed or just unlucky. Gamache and his team need to find out who or what is responsible for one of the villager's death while trying to figure out who is trying to ruin his career. You don't have to have read the first two, but it helps. And if you haven't you'll want to.
Cheryl E. (Cheryl74) reviewed The Cruelest Month (Chief Inspector Gamache, Bk 3) on + 40 more book reviews
I am really liking this series. I love how it keeps you guessing right up to the end.
Frank H. (perryfran) reviewed The Cruelest Month (Chief Inspector Gamache, Bk 3) on + 1222 more book reviews
I read the first book in this series Still Life a few months ago and quite enjoyed it. This is the third in the series and it too was a satisfying mystery in the Agatha Christie vein. In this one, Inspector Gamache is called to Three Pines to investigate the death of a woman who may have been scared to death during a seance at the old Hadley house. This house also had a prominent role in Still Life and seems to be a specter on this Canadian community which is way off the beaten path. The woman who died turns out to be a murder victim. She had moved in with an old school friend after battling cancer and seemed to be loved by everyone in the village. So why would someone want to kill her and what could the motive be? There are a lot of red herrings that Gamache must wade through to get to the truth. Gamache is also at battle with enemies at the police force who feel that he overstepped his bounds in pursuing and getting rid of a corrupt policeman several years before. But is that the real reason someone at the force is trying to discredit him?
This novel included many of the characters from the first novel and we get to know them better as the story progresses. Many of them have their own secrets, insecurities, and jealousies and I'm sure future novels in the series will delve more into them and I'll be looking forward to reading them!
This novel included many of the characters from the first novel and we get to know them better as the story progresses. Many of them have their own secrets, insecurities, and jealousies and I'm sure future novels in the series will delve more into them and I'll be looking forward to reading them!
Kathy N. (addicated-to-reading) reviewed The Cruelest Month (Chief Inspector Gamache, Bk 3) on + 151 more book reviews
Have gotten hooked on this series and Chief Inspector Gamache. The characters are well developed with the foibles of real people. Really like that no one is a completely good person without a personality. Would love to see the village - that probably doesn't really exist - and it's inhabitants. Very well written - can hardly wait to read the next installment.
Gery B. (ChezGery) reviewed The Cruelest Month (Chief Inspector Gamache, Bk 3) on + 75 more book reviews
Louise Penny once again raises the bar in literary mystery with this baffling case for Insp.Gamache.Was the death at a seance in the old Hadley house in Three Pines caused from freight by those who haunt this house or was it murder? And if it was murder who did it and why? The results have many suspects if it was actually murder but why? A great read again !
I decided to read this series in order. I had given Book 1 just two stars--found it hard to keep track of all the characters; gave Book 2 three stars. Maybe it's just because I've now read three books (in the last 18 months) that I can keep better track of the characters. There was the ongoing suggestion starting in Book 1 and continuing to Book 3 that someone in the police department was out to get Gamache and had a spy or two on Gamache's team. References were made to Officer (I think he was the Chief) Arnot in the first two books and again in this one. If I recall correctly, there was never a clear explanation in Books 1 or 2 about the Arnot situation.
As I read Book 3 there were again references to Arnot and I wondered if the author was going to string readers along throughout the entire series (I believe there are about 14 books in this series). Consequently, I was surprised and pleased to see that the Arnot incident was explained and although some things were resolved, Gamache doesn't seem to be out of hot water at the end of the book.
The mystery itself was OK. I will be putting Book 4 on my paperbackswap.com wishlist.
As I read Book 3 there were again references to Arnot and I wondered if the author was going to string readers along throughout the entire series (I believe there are about 14 books in this series). Consequently, I was surprised and pleased to see that the Arnot incident was explained and although some things were resolved, Gamache doesn't seem to be out of hot water at the end of the book.
The mystery itself was OK. I will be putting Book 4 on my paperbackswap.com wishlist.
Karen S. (MKSbooklady) reviewed The Cruelest Month (Chief Inspector Gamache, Bk 3) on + 989 more book reviews
The village of Three Pines has more than it's fair share of death and murder, I'd say. Still, it sounds like an interesting and for the most part, quiet place to live. LIked the back story as much as the main plot.
R E K. (bigstone) - , reviewed The Cruelest Month (Chief Inspector Gamache, Bk 3) on + 1451 more book reviews
I really liked the first book and this one is quite good as well. In fact, it won an Agatha Award. However, as I've read these books (which I've read out of sequence) I have found that a series centered in a small Canadian town loses its hold on what might be as the stories continue to roll out. Normally, I really enjoy a good series but having grown up in a small town I understand what really happens in such places. Few people die and very few deaths were with murderous intent. (None during my life in small town America.) However, given that this is fiction I will focus on the fictional aspect.
This novel begins with how Two Pines residents celebrate Easter. The chocolate eggs hidden for the children have been consumed by bears so the populace decided to make wooden eggs which everyone decorates to hide. The children search for the new Easter eggs and turn them in for the chocolate ones they adore. Meanwhile some of the adults decide to hold a seance which leads the reader into a mystery surrounding a murder.
For me, Gamache is a charming and interesting character and Ruth Zardo is a hoot. Many small towns do have eccentric characters like her. And, who can't love the gay innkeepers? But few small towns have as many eccentrics as Three Pines seems to have. Of course, the seance is the beginning of murder once again in Three Pines. The author builds suspense by unveiling the emotions both of people involved in the seance and those who are not for various reasons. But when a murder occurs during the seance it seems a bit unrealistic. Frightened to death?
All in all, though, I did enjoy the novel. It is worth reading and for those of us who enjoy Gamache we want to see what he will do next so I am rating it four star. After all, it's fiction an who doesn't love a good fiction?
This novel begins with how Two Pines residents celebrate Easter. The chocolate eggs hidden for the children have been consumed by bears so the populace decided to make wooden eggs which everyone decorates to hide. The children search for the new Easter eggs and turn them in for the chocolate ones they adore. Meanwhile some of the adults decide to hold a seance which leads the reader into a mystery surrounding a murder.
For me, Gamache is a charming and interesting character and Ruth Zardo is a hoot. Many small towns do have eccentric characters like her. And, who can't love the gay innkeepers? But few small towns have as many eccentrics as Three Pines seems to have. Of course, the seance is the beginning of murder once again in Three Pines. The author builds suspense by unveiling the emotions both of people involved in the seance and those who are not for various reasons. But when a murder occurs during the seance it seems a bit unrealistic. Frightened to death?
All in all, though, I did enjoy the novel. It is worth reading and for those of us who enjoy Gamache we want to see what he will do next so I am rating it four star. After all, it's fiction an who doesn't love a good fiction?
Ruthann S. (ruthanns) reviewed The Cruelest Month (Chief Inspector Gamache, Bk 3) on + 10 more book reviews
Lovely brooding atmosphere
