a rule against murder

a rule against murder
armand gamache #4
louise penny
mystery
minotaur
published 2009

It is the height of summer, and Armand and Reine-Marie Gamache are celebrating their wedding anniversary at Manoir Bellechasse, an isolated, luxurious inn not far from the village of Three Pines.  But they're not alone.  The Finney family - rich, cultured, and respectable - has also arrived for a celebration of their own.

The beautiful Manoir Bellechasse might be surrounded by nature, but there is something unnatural looming.  As the heat rises and the humidity closes in, some surprising guests turn up at the family reunion, and a terrible summer storm leaves behind a dead body.  It is up to Chief Inspector Gamache to unearth secrets long buried and hatreds hidden behind polite smiles.  The chase takes him to Three Pines, into the dark corners of his own life, and finally to a harrowing climax.

Note: I finished this book over a week ago and I've been so distracted with other things I haven't gotten around to reviewing, which bugs me because I like to review books when they're still fresh in my mind so please excuse the shortness of my review!

Here's the thing, Gamache is a good man.  He's too good.  I want to punch people in the face because of the way they treat him, but he just lets it roll off his back.  I think I'm like Jean Guy Beauvoir that way.  (I can't believe I spelled his name right on the first try!)  It was nice to get out of Three Pines to see how the team operates in a different setting and still go back to Three Pines to see familiar faces.

I'm still not a fan of Peter.  Like, I'm an anti-fan.  I just don't see what Clara sees in him.  I think he's a jerk.

But every time I finish one of these books I want to immediately go into another.  This time I'm actually doing that!