On This Page
Description
In this classic drawing room mystery, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is looking forward to celebrating his wedding anniversary at the remote, luxurious Manoir Bellechasse. As Gamache's holiday becomes a busman's anniversary, he learns that the seemingly peaceful lodge is a place where visitors come to escape their past, until that past catches up with them.Tags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
**I don't know how it happened, but I never posted this review. Careless of me.**
I'm mad at Louise Penny because of book #5 in the Three Pines/Chief Inspector Gamache mysteries, and I want to take it out on her now, but in fairness I just can't. I loved this book as much as I expected to. I thought that moving the action out of Three Pines would make me grumpy, but instead it made me feel, more than ever, that I want to live in Three Pines because Manoir Bellechasse is close for those times I need to get away from the hectic hustle and bustle of Three Pines (snort).
The Gamaches seem so at home in the splendid, isolated Manoir, with its beautiful robber-baron-era main building and its spectacular lake. The murder this time is one I was show more saddened by; the murderer was one I felt so strongly about that I hollered at the pages, "Don't do it!" in the vain hope I could alter the course of the action.
I couldn't.
Damn.
But the real surprise here is the Morrows...Peter and Clara Morrow show up at the Manoir to be at a special family reunion of Peter's horrid family. I know families like this exist. I belong to one. But it's really distasteful to watch the Morrow clan in action. I suppose if my family still had money, we'd behave pretty much exactly like the Morrows, and I mean exactly, down to every detail of the action. Recessions, divorces, and bad business decisions be praised!
I like Clara a little less now; I like Peter almost not at all; and the Gamaches are aces in my book, though I suspect that Armand would wear on me if he's really like he was at the very, very end of this book...a little too perfect. And I still could not WAIT to get to book five! I was panting for it!
Bah. Humbug. show less
I'm mad at Louise Penny because of book #5 in the Three Pines/Chief Inspector Gamache mysteries, and I want to take it out on her now, but in fairness I just can't. I loved this book as much as I expected to. I thought that moving the action out of Three Pines would make me grumpy, but instead it made me feel, more than ever, that I want to live in Three Pines because Manoir Bellechasse is close for those times I need to get away from the hectic hustle and bustle of Three Pines (snort).
The Gamaches seem so at home in the splendid, isolated Manoir, with its beautiful robber-baron-era main building and its spectacular lake. The murder this time is one I was show more saddened by; the murderer was one I felt so strongly about that I hollered at the pages, "Don't do it!" in the vain hope I could alter the course of the action.
I couldn't.
Damn.
But the real surprise here is the Morrows...Peter and Clara Morrow show up at the Manoir to be at a special family reunion of Peter's horrid family. I know families like this exist. I belong to one. But it's really distasteful to watch the Morrow clan in action. I suppose if my family still had money, we'd behave pretty much exactly like the Morrows, and I mean exactly, down to every detail of the action. Recessions, divorces, and bad business decisions be praised!
I like Clara a little less now; I like Peter almost not at all; and the Gamaches are aces in my book, though I suspect that Armand would wear on me if he's really like he was at the very, very end of this book...a little too perfect. And I still could not WAIT to get to book five! I was panting for it!
Bah. Humbug. show less
Imagine going on a much-anticipated vacation to a remote resort where you can forget all about work -- only you can't, because your work follows you there. That's exactly what happens to Chief Inspector Gamache as he and his wife celebrate their anniversary at the Manoir Bellechasse in rural Quebec. When the body of one of their fellow guests is discovered under circumstances that suggest murder, Gamache becomes both investigator and witness.
In a series of strong murder mysteries, this is the best developed to date. The crime is seemingly impossible, yet when the method is finally revealed, the alert reader will remember clues which were woven into the story so naturally that they didn't seem to be clues at all. A Rule Against Murder is show more equal to Agatha Christie at her best.
This book could be enjoyed as a stand-alone, although I would strongly encourage reading the books in this series in the order of their publication. show less
In a series of strong murder mysteries, this is the best developed to date. The crime is seemingly impossible, yet when the method is finally revealed, the alert reader will remember clues which were woven into the story so naturally that they didn't seem to be clues at all. A Rule Against Murder is show more equal to Agatha Christie at her best.
This book could be enjoyed as a stand-alone, although I would strongly encourage reading the books in this series in the order of their publication. show less
For the fourth in the Chief Inspector Gamache series, Louise Penny set most of the action away from Three Pines, and as much as I love that Eastern Townships village, I think this was a wise choice. It seems as if the success of the first in the series froze Penny in place for books two and three. The recentering here gives her a chance to refocus. There is a beautifully realized country lodge deep in the woods as a setting for an old-fashioned drawing room reveal, deeper exploration of two of the recurring characters (Beauvoir and Peter), and a bit more filling in of Gamache’s back story (but not as much as book three, which dragged that book down for me). What else? Oh, yes, an absolutely dreadful clan of modern-day robber barons. show more Penny manages to make us, as readers, loathe them, yet have Gamache have enough insight into them that he understands them and even has a little sympathy. Neat trick.
The plot moves along nicely — in fact, I raced through the second half, eager to find out who and how. The reveal, when it comes, resolves many stray elements planted earlier and whose significance I had overlooked. All in all, a very satisfying murder mystery. show less
The plot moves along nicely — in fact, I raced through the second half, eager to find out who and how. The reveal, when it comes, resolves many stray elements planted earlier and whose significance I had overlooked. All in all, a very satisfying murder mystery. show less
How can one not like crime fiction that incorporates poetry, humor and a good dose of whodunit investigative processes? Throw in what seems to be the most dysfunctional family whose members appear not only to detest each other but also make it a game of hurling cruel digs at each other.
Set in an idyllic vacation spot way out in the hinterlands of Montreal, our intrepid poetry-spouting Chief Inspector Armand Gamache thinks he's there to celebrate his anniversary but soon finds himself amongst a cast of oddball characters, one of whom appears to have been murdered by the newly erected marble statue of her father.
There is no shortage of murder suspects among the guests and staff at the hotel but it's the why that continues to escape our show more investigative team. And what's with the strange child, named Bean and all her clocks? Who really is the hulking chef? Even Chief Inspector Gamache is not without his skeletons.
Pure entertainment in every page show less
Set in an idyllic vacation spot way out in the hinterlands of Montreal, our intrepid poetry-spouting Chief Inspector Armand Gamache thinks he's there to celebrate his anniversary but soon finds himself amongst a cast of oddball characters, one of whom appears to have been murdered by the newly erected marble statue of her father.
There is no shortage of murder suspects among the guests and staff at the hotel but it's the why that continues to escape our show more investigative team. And what's with the strange child, named Bean and all her clocks? Who really is the hulking chef? Even Chief Inspector Gamache is not without his skeletons.
Pure entertainment in every page show less
My favorite in the series so far, and Three Pines was barely in it! Chief inspector Gamache and his wife are celebrating their anniversary at Manoir Bellechasse, just over the mountain range from Three Pines. Yearly visitors, this visit coincides with the Morrow family reunion, including the Gamache’s friends from Three Pines, Peter and Clara. The last book hinted at Peter’s dark side. When a Morrow is killed, is Peter to blame or another wretched Morrow? Or does the manoir’s staff have something to hide? An impossible crime to pull off; only the most observant and detail-oriented investigator can pull this one off. And Gamache does so again. The author does struggle in explaining the complexity of the murder but kudos to her for show more not taking the easy route and giving us an extraordinarily complex murder mystery. show less
This has been my favorite of the series so far (up to Book 4)-- it didn't have any of the pacing problems that have caused my interest to occasionally wander while reading the earlier novels in the series. I didn't think I'd like leaving Three Pines behind, but it was actually really interesting to read about mostly new characters and to see more of Penny's Quebec. I do wish Penny did a better job developing certain characters, though, since she's clearly capable of writing characters with complex motivations and personalities. Certain characters' two-dimensionality sometimes feels a little soap opera-y.
I am really careful when I find a series that I like. I am a person that can ruin my series experiences by reading the books too close together. If I am not reading them as they are published I try to space them out so I can really enjoy them - but also not so far spaced out that I forget all the characters etc.
Sometimes when I am about to circle back to a series that I really enjoy I get filled with trepidation - what if its not as good as the others? What if the charm has worn off?
So here I am on the other side of Book 4 to say Louise Penny is doing a great job of keeping these books charming, engaging and fresh. (And I am doing a good job spacing them out right for myself :).
I loved that this installment took place outside of 3 show more pines - but still had enough relationships to the preceding books that it was connected.
The mystery was good and complicated. Lots of new characters to think about - lots of motives in every direction and a few mini mysteries as well.
All was taken care of and resolved in a very satisfying way.
I am already planning how long to wait before the next one! show less
Sometimes when I am about to circle back to a series that I really enjoy I get filled with trepidation - what if its not as good as the others? What if the charm has worn off?
So here I am on the other side of Book 4 to say Louise Penny is doing a great job of keeping these books charming, engaging and fresh. (And I am doing a good job spacing them out right for myself :).
I loved that this installment took place outside of 3 show more pines - but still had enough relationships to the preceding books that it was connected.
The mystery was good and complicated. Lots of new characters to think about - lots of motives in every direction and a few mini mysteries as well.
All was taken care of and resolved in a very satisfying way.
I am already planning how long to wait before the next one! show less
Members
- Recently Added By
Published Reviews
ThingScore 100
Louise Penny applies her magic touch to A RULE AGAINST MURDER, giving the village mystery an elegance and depth not often seen in this traditional genre.
added by y2pk
Lists
Louise Penny
8 works; 5 members
Crime and Mysteries to Read
746 works; 31 members
Best 21st Century Books (So Far)
670 works; 86 members
Reunion Books
1 work; 1 member
Memorial Books
1 work; 1 member
Remote Books
2 works; 1 member
Books About Murder
313 works; 7 members
Summer Books
4 works; 1 member
Secrets Books
94 works; 3 members
Books Read in 2014
2,343 works; 87 members
Dysfunctional Families
133 works; 7 members
Books Bought & Received as Gifts in 2014
81 works; 1 member
Most Popular Books Tagged Canada
34 works; 1 member
Books Read in 2021
5,361 works; 113 members
Books Read 2024
23 works; 1 member
Top Five Books of 2024
795 works; 264 members
Books Read in 2024
4,623 works; 126 members
Author Information
40+ Works 63,502 Members
Louise Penny was born in Toronto, Canada in 1958. She earned a Bachelor of Applied Arts (Radio and Television) from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute (now Ryerson University) in 1979. Before she turned to writing mystery novels in 2004, she was a journalist and radio host for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in various cities across Canada for show more 25 years. She writes the Chief Inspector Gamache Novel series. She has won numerous awards including the New Blood Dagger, Arthur Ellis, Barry, Anthony, and Dilys awards for Still Life and the 2007 Agatha Award for Best Novel for A Fatal Grace. Louise's title, The Long Way Home, made the Hot Mystery Title's List for Summer 2014. Her titles The Nature of the Beast made The New York Times best seller list in 2015 and A Great Reckoning made The New York Times best seller list in 2016. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Some Editions
Awards and Honors
Series
Work Relationships
Is contained in
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- A Rule Against Murder
- Original title
- The Murder Stone
- Alternate titles
- A Rule Against Murder
- Original publication date
- 2008
- People/Characters
- Armand Gamache (Chief Inspector); Reine-Marie Gamache; Jean Guy Beauvoir; Isabelle Lacoste; Clementine Dubois - owner of Manoir Bellechasse; Pierre Patenaude - Maitre d' at Manoir Bellechasse (show all 18); Irene Morrow Finney - Widow of Charles Morrow, wife of Bert Finney; Bert Finney - second husband of Irene Morrow Finney; Peter Morrow; Clara Morrow (wife of Peter); Julia Martin (né | e Morrow); Mariana Morrow; Bean Morrow (10, child of Marianna, gender deliberately hidden); Thomas Morrow; Sandra Morrow (wife of Thomas); Olivier Brulé; Chef Véronique Langlois - at Manoir Bellechasse; Elliot - young employee at Manoir Bellechasse
- Important places
- Canada; Québec, Canada; Eastern Townships, Québec, Canada; Lake Massawippi, Québec, Canada; Three Pines, Québec, Canada (fictional); Cantons de l'Est, Québec, Canada (show all 7); Manoir Bellechasse - in on Lake Massawippi (fictional, based on Manoir Hovey)
- Dedication
- For my parents, in love and memory
- First words
- At the beginning of summer the guests descended on the isolated lodge by the lake, summoned to the Manoir Bellechasse by identical vellum invitations, addressed in the familiar spider scrawl as though written in cobwebs.
- Quotations
- Spreading it around won't lessen your pain, you know. Just the opposite.
It was a path worn through their marriage. - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)It took some time.
- Original language
- English
- Disambiguation notice
- 'The Murder Stone' is the title for the Canadian and British publications of the book which is published in the United States as 'A Rule Against Murder'.
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 3,677
- Popularity
- 4,387
- Reviews
- 178
- Rating
- (4.02)
- Languages
- 9 — Czech, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Swedish
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 61
- ASINs
- 35