Synopses & Reviews
The outskirts of Three Pines might be surrounded by nature, but there is something unnatural looming. ..
It is the height of summer, and Armand Gamache and his wife are celebrating their wedding anniversary at an isolated, luxurious inn not far from the village of Three Pines. But theyre not alone. The Finney family—rich, cultured, and respectable—has also arrived for a celebration of their own…
A RULE AGAINST MURDER
As the heat rises and the humidity closes in, some surprising guests turn up at the Finney reunion…and a terrible summer storm leaves behind a dead body. Now its up to Chief Inspector Gamache to unearth long-buried secrets and hatreds hidden behind polite smiles. The chase takes him to Three Pines—into the dark corners of his own life, and finally to a harrowing climax.
“If you dont give your heart to Gamache, you may have no heart to give.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“A fine read…in true Christie-like fashion.”—Cleveland Plain Dealer
“Penny tweaks the rules of Golden Age Detective Fiction in a way that is thoroughly modern.”—Los Angeles Times
Review
Acclaim for the Award-Winning Chief Inspector Gamache Mysteries
“If you dont give your heart to Gamache, you may have no heart to give.” --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“With its small-town hominess, the Canadian village of Three Pines draws the reader into its quaint traditions.Who wouldnt be charmed by the dramas of a community where Easter egg hunts and socials at the bed and breakfast are the most exciting events? Yet it is Pennys fastidious, cultured, and smart Inspector Gamache who makes [The Cruelest Month] impossible to put down.” --People
“The cozy mystery has a graceful practitioner in Louise Penny.” --The New York Times Book Review
“Expertly plotted… Arthur Ellis Award--winner Penny paints a vivid picture of the French-Canadian village, its inhabitants, and a determined detective who will strike many Agatha Christie fans as a twenty-first-century version of Hercule Poirot.” --Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Mystery readers who want more than puzzles and thrills look for serious purpose and literary value, and Canadian writer Louise Penny provides both in spades--and hearts.” --Richmond Times-Dispatch
“Pennys plotting has been compared to Agatha Christies...in these wonderful books full of poetry and weather and a brooding manor house, and people who read and think and laugh and eat a lot of really excellent food. Move over, Mitford.” --The Charlotte Observer
Review
“Penny applies her magic touch…giving the village mystery an elegance and depth not often seen in this traditional genre.”—Marilyn Stasio,
The New York Times Book Review“Decades from now, I suspect well look upon the works of Louise Penny and find all sorts of marvels....Its the way she tweaks the rules of Golden Age Detective Fiction but doesnt shy away from attitudes, mores, and slang that is thoroughly modern....The temptation is to scarf Pennys books like potato chips but its ever wise to savor each bite and let the flavors fill your tongue.”—Sarah Weinman, Los Angeles Times
“This latest treat will keep fans salivating in anticipation, savoring each delectable morsel and yearning for more.”—Kirkus Review (starred review)
“A fine read…in true Christie-like fashion.”—Cleveland Plain Dealer
“Readers who havent discovered Louise Penny and her Armand Gamache series yet are in for a treat.”—Booklist (starred review)
“Seamless, often lyrical prose artfully reveals the characters flaws, dreams, and blessings.”—Publishers Weekly
“At least two people are waiting very impatiently for this review to be done so I can pass the new Louise Penny along to them. With just her fourth book, she already has that kind of (well-deserved) following….After a fabulous summer storm, a body is found and Gamaches homicide team moves into the luxury hotel to sift clues and dine on grand hotel food. (Even the snacks in these books are mouthwatering.)” —Charlotte Observer
“[Pennys] psychological acumen, excellent prose, and ingenious plotting make this essential reading for mystery lovers and admirers of superb literary fiction. Fans of Dorothy L. Sayers, P.D. James, and Elizabeth George will also be delighted.” —Library Journal (starred review)
“Powerful and uniquely imaginative, with prose that approaches the poetic…Penny concocts an intricate and intriguing plot and peoples it with credible characters and the continually fascinating Gamache.”—Richmond Times-Dispatch
“Penny sets up an ingenious, impossible crime puzzle for the reader.” —The Denver Post
“What a delight to have Inspector Gamache back on the scene. Penny does a superb job.” —Romantic Times
Synopsis
Agatha and Anthony Award-winning author Penny breathes brilliant new life into the classic drawing-room mystery.
Synopsis
“What happened here last night isnt allowed,” said Madame Dubois.
It was such an extraordinary thing to say it stopped the ravenous Inspector Beauvoir from taking another bite of his roast beef on baguette.
“You have a rule against murder?” he asked.
“I do. When my husband and I bought the Bellechasse we made a pact....Everything that stepped foot on this land would be safe.”
It is the height of summer, and Armand and Reine-Marie Gamache are celebrating their wedding anniversary at Manoir Bellechasse, an isolated, luxurious inn not far from the village of Three Pines. But theyre not alone. The Finney family—rich, cultured, and respectable—has also arrived for a celebration of their own.
The beautiful Manoir Bellechasse might be surrounded by nature, but there is something unnatural looming. As the heat rises and the humidity closes in, some surprising guests turn up at the family reunion, and a terrible summer storm leaves behind a dead body. It is up to Chief Inspector Gamache to unearth secrets long buried and hatreds hidden behind polite smiles. The chase takes him to Three Pines, into the dark corners of his own life, and finally to a harrowing climax.
Synopsis
As Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his wife celebrate their wedding anniversary at a luxurious lodge, he is surprised to find a family reunion has also gathered there. But Gamache is shocked by old secrets and family rivalries that are a prelude to murder.
Synopsis
It is the height of summer, and Armand Gamache and his wife are celebrating their wedding anniversary at an isolated, luxurious inn not far from the village of Three Pines. But theyre not alone. The Finney family—rich, cultured, and respectable—has also arrived for a celebration of their own…
As the heat rises and the humidity closes in, some surprising guests turn up at the Finney reunion…and a terrible summer storm leaves behind a dead body. Now its up to Chief Inspector Gamache to unearth long-buried secrets and hatreds hidden behind polite smiles. The chase takes him to Three Pines—into the dark corners of his own life, and finally to a harrowing climax.
About the Author
Louise Penny, author of the New York Times bestselling Chief Inspector Gamache novels, worked as an award-winning journalist for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation before leaving to write crime fiction. Her first mystery, Still Life, was the winner of the New Blood Dagger and the Arthur Ellis, Barry, Anthony, and Dilys Awards; and was also named one of the five Mystery/Crime Novels of the Decade by Deadly Pleasures magazine. Louise went on to become the first writer ever to win the Agatha Award for Best Novel four times, as well as an Anthony Award for The Brutal Telling and the Dilys, Arthur Ellis, Macavity, and Anthony Awards for Bury Your Dead. Her novels are bestsellers in the United States and Great Britain and have been translated into twenty languages. She lives with her husband, Michael, in a small village south of Montréal.
Reading Group Guide
Reading Group Questions1.) Louise Penny has said that she initially set out to write A RULE AGAINST MURDER as a classic mystery, a tribute to Golden Age writers such as Christie and Tey and Sayers, masters of the hermetic environment. She wanted to take that form and bring it into the 21st century. As the story unfolds, in what ways does it follow—or diverge from—the conventions of traditional crime fiction?
2.) In the course of the Finney reunion, numerous parent-child relationships are explored: between Charles Morrow and his children when they were young; between Irene Finney and those now adult children; between Pierre Patenaude and his father and the staff he regards as surrogate sons and daughters; even between Gamache and his father and son. What sorts of things go wrong in those relationships, and what goes right?
3.)What about other family relationships? How do you view the interactions, past and present, among the Morrow siblings? Consider the various marriages in the book—for example, between Armand and Reine-Marie Gamache, Clara and Peter Morrow, and Bert and Irene Finney. What makes them happy or otherwise?
4.)What do you think about the character of Bean? How about the mother, Marianna?
5.)How does Louise Penny plant clues to the murder throughout the story? Which ones did you pick up, and what conclusions did you draw? Did you, like Gamache—who tells Bean he made a massive mistake—miss anything important?
6.) If you have read other novels in the series, how does it feel to step away from Three Pines? How does it change your view of Clara and Peter? What about Gamache, who functions much more as a private citizen here than in other books?
7.) The title of the book is taken from a conversation that occurs after the murder:
“What happened here last night isnt allowed,” said Madame Dubois.
It was such an extraordinary thing to say, it stopped the ravenous Inspector Beauvoir from taking another bite of his roast beef on baguette.
“You have a rule against murder?” he asked.
“I do. When my husband I bought the Bellechasse we made a pact…. Everything that stepped foot on this land would be safe.”
In what ways does the Manoir Bellechasse succeed at being a refuge from the harshness of the world? How and why does it fail?
8.) What roles do courage and cowardice play in the story?
9.) “Were all blessed and were all blighted,” Bert Finney tells Gamache. “Every day each of us does our sums. The question is, what do we count?” Do you agree with Bert? What sorts of things do you count?
10.) “Paradise lost,” says Gamache at the end; “to have it all and to lose it. Thats what this case was about.” What is paradise in this story, and how is it lost?