Ruth Zardo has a heart?? Who knew!

The ninth book of the Inspector Gamache series has a dark tone, interspersed with moments of ridiculous humor, often from Ruth as always. But Ruth, who gave us just a tiny hint of her true self in previous books, reveals that underneath all the bluster there is a deeply sensitive soul and a kind heart. I was moved to tears by her actions near the end.

I am loving the evolution of this series from its lighthearted beginning to the deep character study that it is now.

Nine books down, four to go — and hoping Ms. Penny is hard at work on another! ( )

Not my favorite but glad I got through it for a few rather poignant character development pieces. ( )

The best. If I didn't know there were more books to come, I would have thought it was the culmination of the series. ( )

The grittiest Gamache yet. Heartbreaking, tender, funny...typical Louise Penny magic, which is anything but typical. If you're not yet reading this series and love mysteries, get on it already! ( )

5 stars for this one, by far my favorite of the series, and a favorite overall. As a standalone, I don't think I would like it as much, but for any fans that have read the earlier books, you have to read this. It ties up a bunch of loose ends from several earlier books, has more excitement and suspense than perhaps any of the earlier books, and starts a new direction for the series. I couldn't stop reading, except to finish my taxes and get them filed.

This tells all about the political problems between Gamache and his superiors from way back, brings back Agent Nichol who we all love to hate, and contains conspiracies from both sides all the way to the top. And there's plenty of that great Three Pines humour that's so good natured and well done. There are heroes galore, along with the evil bad guys, and even a dog and duck. I almost want to read it again right away. ( )