“He was drawn to the edge of things. To the places old mariners knew, and warned, “Beyond here be monsters.”… He stepped into the beyond, and found the monsters hidden deep inside all the reasonable, gentle, laughing people. He went where even they were afraid to go.”
Book four of the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series, and you would think by now I would run out of things to say about this series! Not yet! Check in again after book 13! In A Rule Against Murder, Chief Inspector Gamache is on a beautiful mountain get away with his wife for their anniversary. While enjoying an evening with his wife, a body of one of the guests is discovered on the grounds of the resort. Of course Gamache heads up the investigation even though he is on vacation. Gamache's wife Rene Marie is the real hero of this story for graciously sacrificing part of their anniversary get away so that her husband can solve another mystery!
Reading about Gamache on vacation conjured up images of Santa Clause in beach garb reading a book on the shoreline. Gamache wasn't on a beachy vacation nor was he wearing hibiscus patterned swimming trunks but he shares traits of authentic kindness to all humankind in the same way Santa Clause does, so I often envision him as Santa clause in Sherlock Holmes regalia even though I know damn well Gamache is way more stylish than Santa Clause.
I love reading mystery novels where the murder suspects are rich pretentious humans with privileged perspectives on the world and the middle class population. I guess you could say I just really like to watch rich people that think they can get away with murder being treated like they might have committed a murder. It's little things like this that are really getting me through right now.
Of the last four Inspector Gamache books, this one had the most satisfying outcome for me. Penny always brings her casual and cuttingly-accurate observations of mankind to the table. I come to these books for the "people watching" and usually the mystery solve is like a light desert after a rich gourmet meal but this time, I felt the characterization and the mystery both held equal weight and fascination. This added an extra layer of fun for me as a reader!
I say it every time I review one of Louise Penny's books and I'll say it again! If you have not given this series a try I highly recommend it. These books both nourish and entertain me and it is a winning distraction for me when I need to retreat from the burden of my own complicated emotions during a difficult year.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars
Reviewer's note: This was the first book in the series I listened to on audiobook and I really enjoyed the narrator so if audioboook's are your favorite, come for the nourishing read and stay for the lovely audiobook narration!
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