Cruelest Month: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel

Good book

Every time I open a Louise Penny book I feel like I’ve come home. I know the characters as well as the neighbors in small community. I love their quirks and their loyalties.This book kept me guessing.

For me this is a brilliant book. And yes its a book about lives lived, loved and lost. It's very touching. Characters are being developed and fleshed out as this is only the 3rd book in the series. I read this book somewhere around 10 years ago and was in a different space and time in my life. Now I'm reading it as a widow. The nuances of grief and grieving that Louise Penny has woven in this book are spot on and at times painful to look at as I deal with some of the same issues. Then being able to see a tender side of the crotchety old poet added the perfect touch to the story. It does have all the old characters from the village of Seven Pines plus some new ones that add to the storyline. Its a complicated book with lots going on. It might warrant you to take notes unless you are one of those who can keep track of all that goes on in this book. I give no spoilers as I leave that up to the reader. I enjoyed this book & look forward to Book 4 in the series.

An excellent read! Wonderful characters and intense storyline. My third book by Louise Penny and looking to read a lot more of her stories.

Louise Penny is becoming one of my favorite authors. The Cruelest month is suspenseful and keeps you at attention weaving two mysteries throughout the novel. Gamache is intelligent and intuitive, managing and maneuvering between the surprise attack on his reputation and the murder investigation in front of him. The core characters in Three Pines are a significant part of the novel and the reader is made to feel a part of their group trying to discover who the killer is and help Gamache And his team. Louise Penny keeps you guessing til the very end going back and forth with who it could be. So much I could say more but just know it’s worth the read.