"The Cruelest Month"

"The Cruelest Month" - a Three Pines Mystery by Louise Penny - is one of her best mysteries yet which is saying something since I've found all of her Three Pines Mysteries hard to put down.

Why this title? The author explains in a passage on page 247 of the hardback copy I read how the title about the month of April was inspired by T. S. Eliot: "All those spring flowers slaughtered. Happens almost every year. They're tricked into blooming, into coming out. Opening up. And not just the spring bulbs, but the buds on the trees. The rose bushes, everything. All out and happy. And then boom, a freak snowstorm kills them all."


Penny is an incredible author and has woven a complex, believable tale of friendships, hatred, compassion, kindness, and loyalty. She exhibits an understanding of human psychology that adds to the authenticity of her story lines.


Early books in this series have hinted at Chief Inspector Armand Gamache's previous difficulties because he was instrumental in bringing down Arnot, a high ranking Surete officer but we've never had the full story until now.  We've known that his uncovering Arnot's division's crimes made him unpopular with many of his fellow officers because he's seen as being disloyal and he's been shunned by some.  However, are there officers that hate him so much and admire Arnot enough that they'd really actively work to bring Gamache down?    Things come to a head in this book when he's sent to Three Pines to investigate yet another murder but finds himself dealing with betrayals by those close to him, spies on his investigative team, and false newspaper articles planted to wound not only him but family members.  Gamache has had enough so everything comes to a head about the time he solves the murder.  Will he resign from the Surete to protect his family or will he continue to solve crimes while dealing with the negativity of superior and fellow officers?

Will there be another book in this series?  I sure hope so and I'm off to find out!  pazt