Publishers Weekly
★ 06/10/2019
Bestseller Penny’s wrenching 15th novel featuring Chief Insp. Armand Gamache (after 2018’s Kingdom of the Blind) finds Gamache, former chief superintendent of the Sûreté du Québec, returning to work after a nine-month suspension and demotion, and reporting to his own his son-in-law and one-time protégé, Jean-Guy Beauvoir. When the body of Vivienne Godin, 25 and pregnant, is found in a river near Three Pines, trapped in the debris of a violent spring flood, Gamache and Beauvoir are sure that she was killed by her drunken, abusive, supremely unlikable husband, Carl Tracey. But knowing who did it and proving it are two different things. After an exhaustive investigation, the detectives build a convincing circumstantial case against Tracey. But a shocking twist forces Gamache to look at the evidence anew. With an uncompromising eye, Penny explores the depths of human emotion, both horrifying and sublime. Her love for her characters and for the mystical village of Three Pines is apparent on every page. Agent: Teresa Chris, Teresa Chris Literary. (Aug.)
From the Publisher
Advance Praise for A Better Man
"Enchanting... one of his most ennobling missions." —Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review
"With an uncompromising eye, Penny explores the depths of human emotion, both horrifying and sublime. Her love for her characters and for the mystical village of Three Pines is apparent on every page." —Publishers Weekly, starred review
"The appeal of this series and especially of Gamache himself has always been Penny's ability to show her hero moving from the tangible, brutal facts of murder to the emotions within, the stories in the blood. There are multiple stories, often contradictory, to be found in the many-tentacled web of human tragedy and suffering that Gamache teases to the surface in this moving exploration of ties that both bind and destroy." —Booklist, starred review
“This title brings several character arcs to a close while resetting others to make this psychological mystery serve both as a beginning for new readers and a satisfying continuation for series fans. Gamache is an explorer of the human psyche, and the care he takes with the victims, their friends and family, as well as his own allows this series and his character continually to surprise, delight, and enthrall.” —Library Journal(starred review)
“Louise Penny’s latest offers suspense galore, well-drawn characters… and some of the finest prose to grace the suspense genre.” —BookPage
“[An] impeccably plotted character-driven mystery.” —Lit Hub
Praise for Kingdom of the Blind
INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A December 2018 Indie Next Pick
One of Kirkus Reviews' Best of 2018 Picks
BookPage Best of the Year 2018
A LibraryReads Pick for November 2018
A LibraryReads Hall of Fame Winner
Washington Post's 10 Books to Read This November
One of PopSugar’s Best Fall Books to Curl Up With
One of Publishers Weekly Booksellers' Favorite 25 Titles of the Year in 2018
“A captivating, wintry whodunit.” —PEOPLE
"A constantly surprising series that deepens and darkens as it evolves." —Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review
“A spellbinder . . . another outstanding Gamache adventure… ingenious . . . what more could a mystery reader – or any reader for that matter – want?”—Maureen Corrigan, Washington Post
“Penny pulls together an insightful plot that weaves in family feuds, clandestine investigations, undercover cops and a loving look at Three Pines.” —Oline Cogdill, South Florida Sun Sentinel
“Louise Penny’s novels are unique for how seamlessly they straddle the line between charmingly small-town mysteries and big-city police procedurals . . . It’s not to be missed!” —BookPage (Top Pick)
“Brain-teasing puzzles, life-and-death stakes and lots of Three Pines, a magical place where the warmth in the villagers’ hearts thaws the ice on their eyelashes.”—St. Louis Post Dispatch
“Complex ongoing saga… Wait anxiously for the next installment.”—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“Penny does a splendid job of interweaving those three main plot lines, studding them with several life-threatening scenes that had me holding my breath, and building to a wild finale.”—Tampa Bay Tribune
“Nimble sleight-of-hand plotting, strong characters, profound compassion and luminous prose are hallmarks of Penny’s novels. Although darker than previous books, this new entry is no exception.”—Seattle Times
“Another intricately plotted escapist mystery from Louise Penny.”—PopSugar
“Few mystery writers intertwine the personal lives of their characters with the crimes being investigated more skillfully than Penny does, and she is at her best here, as several key players face turning points in their lives, suggesting that if the past can strangle the present, it can also help clear the way for the future.”—Booklist(Starred Review)
“Penny is a master at blending the modern evils affecting the big city and hidden secrets of the almost mythical village of Three Pines. Well-known characters return and new faces add richness to a narrative that will keep readers intrigued until the last page.” —Library Journal (Starred Review)
“Penny reveals a deeper vulnerability in the introspective Gamache… The ending is adrenaline-filled....This starts as a small-town mystery and becomes something grander.” —Kirkus Reviews
"I thoroughly enjoyed Kingdom of the Blind. It’s always a treat to spend a few days with Armand Gamache and his latest investigation is one of my favorites." —James Patterson
Library Journal
★ 08/01/2019
After Kingdom of the Blind), CI Armand Gamache returns to the position where he first began and to the place he has come to call home in order to solve a missing persons-turned-murder case, avert the rising floodwaters of Canada's St. Lawrence River, and say goodbye to his son-in-law, who is both a dear friend and longtime second-in-command. In their final case together, Gamache and Jean-Guy Beauvoir search for the hidden truths behind what seems to be a cut-and-dried case and screwed-up investigation while battling the demons rising in both the upper echelons of the Sûreté du Québec and in hearts too wrapped up in the how of this murder to figure out the why—until it's nearly too late. VERDICT This title brings several character arcs to a close while resetting others to make this psychological mystery serve both as a beginning for new readers and a satisfying continuation for series fans. Gamache is an explorer of the human psyche, and the care he takes with the victims, their friends and family, as well as his own allows this series and his character continually to surprise, delight, and enthrall. Highly recommended for lovers of psychological, character-driven mysteries. [See Prepub Alert, 2/25/19.]—Marlene Harris, Reading Reality, LLC, Duluth, GA
AUGUST 2019 - AudioFile
Robert Bathurst’s intelligent narration captures every nuance, every emotion, and each of Louise Penny’s subtle revelations about the unique, completely engaging residents of Three Pines. A woman is missing, her father is frantic, and her abusive husband is the prime suspect. Raging spring flooding threatens the village, and, on his first day back to work after his suspension from the Sûreté du Québec, Armand Gamache is being assaulted by a barrage of poisonous attacks on social media. Bathurst disappears into Penny’s complications and plot twists, delivering impeccable character portraits, terrifying situations, and a heart-stopping climax. A BETTER MAN can be read as a stand-alone, but if listeners start at the beginning of the series, this engrossing fifteenth Gamache novel will be even more enjoyable. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
