The series gets a little darker in this book. There's still humor and compassion, but much more pain and upheaval than in the prior novels. Greed, homophobia, betrayal, cruelty. Penny isn't afraid to stir things up in the universe she's created and the result is a stunning entry in the Gamache series. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in the series! ( )

Another well-rounded story about the little town of Three Pines in Canada, which is a friendly town with an unusually high murder rate. As usual, it's the people that make this a great story, although the process of solving the crime makes it more compelling. How could anyone not love the famous poet, Ruth - an old woman who drinks too much, curses and insults people for no reason, and has a pet duck that she dresses in sweaters or even a raincoat? She's one of my favorites, by the way.

In this story, we and the town learn a lot about one of the two gay owners of the bistro, Olivier. He has been hiding a lot from a lot of people, and his secrets start coming out during the story. By the end, he's so deep in his hole he may never get out. I hope he will eventually, but it doesn't look good for him. ( )

This installment in the Three Pines series was a good read but also frustrating in that it's conclusions feels... incomplete. Gently poking of the internet suggests the next book may provide some more closure. I hope so, cause otherwise this one would feel like a strangely hollow entry in the series. ( )

What I like about Louise Penny’s Armand Gamache series is the way she blends a touch of darkness into what are at heart cozy mysteries. But this one was especially dark, in fact, it was downright brutal. I can’t say I was satisfied with how the case turned out and have a suspicion there’s more yet to come... ( )

E Book borrowed. Good Read. What I don't like about this author is that she rambles on and he chapters are too long with very few places to stop. ( )