Frank H. (perryfran) reviewed A Great Reckoning (Chief Inspector Gamache, Bk 12) on + 1223 more book reviews
Another very good entry in Penny's Inspector Gamache series. This is the 12th book in the series which I have been reading slowly ever since seeing a TV piece on Penny on the CBS Sunday Morning Show. I have really enjoyed reading these and this one was no exception. In this one, Gamache has retired from being chief inspector of the Sûreté du Québec, the police force in Quebec, and is now living in the quaint village of Three Pines alongside all of the quirky residents who live there. But he is not done with the police force; he is now the commander of the police academy and he has his work cut out for him trying to put the house in order there. One of the chief instructors, named Leduc, has been embezzling funds from academy contracts and has also corrupted many of the cadets he teaches. Gamache is also involved in accepting recruits to the academy and one of them is an unlikely candidate named Amelia, a goth with multiple piercings and tattoos. So why did Gamache accept her? And then Leduc is murdered with his revolver that was unknown to Gamache. So who could have done it? One of the cadets or possibly another instructor?
Meanwhile, back in Three Pines, an old map of the village has been found in the walls of the Bistro. But what does the map mean with its whimsical drawings of a snowman, a cow, and a pyramid...all seemingly unrelated to Three Pines? Gamache had given some of the cadets copies of the map as a training exercise but one of the copies ends up on the crime scene in Luduc's bedroom nightstand. But how did it get there?
This novel was as usual very compelling. It included a lot of interplay with the residents of Three Pines which is always enjoyable. Along with the mystery of who killed Luduc, there is the mystery of who made the map and why it is important. And finally we find out why Three Pines is never included on any official maps of the area. Another high recommendation for this series. I have missed a few of the books and I definitely need to go back and read them which I will be looking forward to.
Meanwhile, back in Three Pines, an old map of the village has been found in the walls of the Bistro. But what does the map mean with its whimsical drawings of a snowman, a cow, and a pyramid...all seemingly unrelated to Three Pines? Gamache had given some of the cadets copies of the map as a training exercise but one of the copies ends up on the crime scene in Luduc's bedroom nightstand. But how did it get there?
This novel was as usual very compelling. It included a lot of interplay with the residents of Three Pines which is always enjoyable. Along with the mystery of who killed Luduc, there is the mystery of who made the map and why it is important. And finally we find out why Three Pines is never included on any official maps of the area. Another high recommendation for this series. I have missed a few of the books and I definitely need to go back and read them which I will be looking forward to.
Ron K. (WhidbeyIslander) -
Since this focuses on Three Pines and The Surete Academy, and bounces back and forth between the settings, it was a little frustrating to wait for the story to continue in one place or the other. But revisiting characters in Three Pines was rewarding, and hopefully some of the new characters will show up in future books. The mystery about the map was interesting, although not integral to the murder plot. There were a few too many outlandish coincidences that moved the action along in the right direction; but, as ever, the writing is good enough to overlook the faults. (Although thinking about one plot point -- spoiler would be here -- I think it was sort of preposterous.)
