Penny's ability to place the reader within the story is second to none. The theme of abandonment, which appears in various ways through Penny’s books, is heartfelt and recognizable to so many. Even the use of an unseen, yet critical, character is wonderfully done.
Each has skills that contribute, and each is humanly imperfect with weaknesses and foibles. However, in this case, no one is superfluous neither are any of their roles forced or out of character. Involving family members as part of an investigation can be risky. Yet, more than a mystery, this is a story of relationships, and with that comes wisdom. The mystery is well-plotted as it grows upon itself and is delightfully complex taking one down unexpected roads. The connections made back to Three Pines and the Sûreté du Québec are nicely done.
It illustrates the duplicity of people and is effective in heightening the suspense and tension. This was an effective decision as it is echoed by Gamache having the same sense of not knowing who to believe, who to trust. Opening with lines from Shakespeare's "Tempest" is the perfect balance to the City of Light with a history of darkness.Īlthough not an issue for new readers, series readers may have a sense of being a stranger in a strange land having the story set outside the usual environs of Canada and Three Pines. Even the hardcover book’s glorious end sheets, designed by MaryAnna Coleman, draw one into the beauty of Paris. Penny has captured perfectly that sense of having found the city of one's soul and portrays it perfectly. It is a city that enthralls from the moment one arrives and, even if one never has the chance to return, it lives within one forever. Paris is not a city about which one can be objective. A grim discovery at his apartment prompts an investigation and the uncovering of family secrets leaving Armand to determine just who can be trusted. After a celebratory dinner with their two children, spouses, and Armand’s billionaire godfather, Stephen Horowitz, Stephen is deliberately struck by a vehicle and now lies in a coma. First Sentence: “Hell is empty, Armand,” said Stephen Horowitz.Ĭhief Inspector Armand Gamache and his wife Raine-Marie have come from Canada to Paris for the birth of a new grandchild.
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