Chaos is coming, old son.
With those words the peace of Three Pines is shattered. As families prepare to head back to the city and children say goodbye to summer, a stranger is found murdered in the village bistro and antiques store. Once again, Chief Inspector Gamache and his team are called in to strip back layers of lies, exposing both treasures and rancid secrets buried in the wilderness.
No one admits to knowing the murdered man, but as secrets are revealed, chaos begins to close in on the beloved bistro owner, Olivier. How did he make such a spectacular success of his business? What past did he leave behind and why has he buried himself in this tiny village? And why does every lead in the investigation find its way back to him?
As Olivier grows more frantic, a trail of clues and treasuresโ from first editions of Charlotteโs Web and Jane Eyre to a spider web with the word โWOEโ woven in itโlead the Chief Inspector deep into the woods and across the continent in search of the truth, and finally back to Three Pines as the little village braces for the truth and the final, brutal telling.
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. When the body of an unknown old man turns up in a bistro in Agatha-winner Penny's excellent fifth mystery set in the Quebec village of Three Pines (after Jan. 2009's A Rule Against Murder), Chief Insp. Armand Gamache investigates. At a cabin in the woods apparently belonging to the dead man, Gamache and his team are shocked to discover the remote building is full of priceless antiquities, from first edition books to European treasures thought to have disappeared during WWII. When suspicion falls on one of Three Pines' most prominent citizens, it's up to Gamache to sift through the lies and uncover the truth. Though Gamache is undeniably the focus, Penny continues to develop her growing cast of supporting characters, including newcomers Marc and Dominique Gilbert, who are converting an old houseโthe site of two murdersโinto a spa. Readers keen for another glimpse into the life of Three Pines will be well rewarded. 100,000 first printing. (Oct.)
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Review
It is Penny s fastidious, cultured, and smart Inspector Gamache who makes The Cruelest Month impossible to put down. --PeopleOne of the best traditional mystery series currently being published. --Booklist (starred review)Penny produces what many have tried but few have mastered: a psychologically acute cozy. If you don t give your heart to Gamache, you may have no heart to give. --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Penny produces what many have tried but few have mastered: a psychologically acute cozy. If you don t give your heart to Gamache, you may have no heart to give. --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
It is Penny s fastidious, cultured, and smart Inspector Gamache who makes The Cruelest Month impossible to put down. --People