My thanks to the Author publishers and NetGalley for providing me with a Kindle version of this book to read and honestly review.
This is the fifteenth book in the Gamache of the Surete du Quebec series and after reading this superb book, I am ashamed to admit this is the first I have read but it will not be the last. Whilst there are numerous references to previous cases this in no way spoilt my enjoyment and the book works as a standalone novel. Well written cerebral descriptive with quality characters throughout, this is a modern day but somewhat old fashioned Police procedural. Old fashioned because it's not psychological terror, or a glut of bodies as a serial killer taunts the Police, no it's a battered Wife missing person presumed murdered, seemingly open and shut case. But it's so much more, clever twists dramatic tense and gripping from first to last page.
Completely and utterly recommended.

Louise Penny's Gamache novels are unusual in the world of crime fiction, offering a philosophical, humanist approach to the traditional murder mystery. But more than that, they have a level of characterisation and evocation of place that is incomparable: once you've visited the rural Quebecois village of Three Pines and met the inhabitants, you will - like me - want so badly to be able to visit Moira's bookstore, to stop for a glass of wine at the bistro, to eavesdrop on Ruth and Clara. My only complaint, in A Better Man as in all of the Gamache novels, is that our titular hero is just a tad too good to be true, and up against cartoonishly evil forces who plot against him in increasingly complex ways. But that is a minor complaint, and as ever it was wonderful to return to Three Pines.

Truly exceptional. I only joined this series recently but Louise Penny has shot straight to the top of my "must read" list. It's a multi layered, gripping fast paced tale with enough plot twists to keep you hooked right to the end.

It's always a treat to be back in Three Pines. At this point, the characters are like old friends. The facts of the murder are deceptively simple and yet the conclusion is satisfying. The threat of flooding is nicely menacing in the background and gives the whole novel a tension that works well.

The latest book by L Penny didn't disappoint. I love her writing, and I call her books 'quality, literary thrillers'. This one is no different. I don't want to spoil the book for people who didn't read this series before. The best is to read them in order, so you have full perspective of what happens and also the characters.
LOVED this instalment and can't wait for the next.

Thanks a lot to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

*Many thanks to Louise Penny, Sphere and NetGalley for ARC in exchange for my honest review.*
The latest offering by Ms Penny is another quality novel. Quality for the intrigue, and quality for writing. This series should be read in the order of publication as each Book refers to some events from the previous ones. Apart from the development of the characters we know, The Better Man offers a mystery around a disappearance of a young woman who is a friend of one of the new agents around Inspector Gamache. And the Bella Bella may burst its banks and flood the village ...
I enjoy spending time in Three Pines, listening to the conversations, and solving crimes in such an exquisite company. Dear Ms Penny, you have done it again, thank you!

A Better Man is the fifteenth book in the exquisite and highly underrated Inspector Armand Gamache series set in the village of Three Pines in Quebec, Canada. What is special about Penny's books is that she is never afraid to explore moral dilemmas, deeper topics and give social commentary, and this instalment is no exception. It's character-driven rather than plot-driven and the cast are varied with three-dimensionality and superbly developed personalities with no one person being all good or all bad.

Office politics play a substantial role in this story as Gamache and others manoeuvre around trying to keep out of the eye of the storm. However, Gamache seems to attract the attention of colleagues who continue to make his life a misery. This is a compulsively readable police procedural with a great plot, stellar cast and enough twists and turns to keep readers satisfied. It's also well written but it does start slowly to ease you into the tale and that will be greatly appreciated by those who wish to jump into the series at this point. Many thanks to Sphere for an ARC.

Book fifteen in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series and what a treat this is. Ever suspenseful, clever sharp dialogue, a snappy and unpredictable plot, twists and turns aplenty and the ever empathetic, upstanding and knowing Inspector is the ideal protagonist. A very worthy addition to this long running series - if you have read this series then you may have your favourites but each mystery is always hugely satisfying, stylishly written and never, ever disappoints. Consistently superb.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for an advance copy of A Better Man, the fifteenth novel to feature Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté de Québec.

Gamache has returned to Homicide after a demotion working for his son-in-law and former deputy, Jean Guy Beauvoir, whom he will replace in a fortnight. He accepts the case of looking for missing woman, Vivienne Godin, as a favour to another teammate. Meanwhile social media is not reacting positively to his return with disinformation playing a large part.

I thoroughly enjoyed A Better Man which is a character driven police procedural with a twisted case and social commentary at its heart. I found myself gripped, unable to put it down and constantly looking forward to the next development, although probably not for the reasons you would assume. There is a long and complicated back story to this series which I don’t fully know as it’s one I have dipped in and out of over the years, although Ms Penny always supplies enough for any part time reader to get enough gist to enjoy each novel as a stand alone, but essentially there is a large amount of politics at Sûreté headquarters most of which is bad feeling from the top towards Gamache and he escapes that pressure at his home in the village of Three Pines where he has the love and support of a cast of eccentric neighbours. In this novel Ms Penny uses social media hashtags at the start of each chapter to show the animus towards Gamache and, in a subplot, the animus towards his neighbour Clara Morrow, an artist whose latest work is being trashed. It is this latter plot that held me spellbound, fascinated and desperate to know more. It is so modern and so true, how trends can ruin a life in an instant. Nastiness, or malice as Ms Penny describes it, is becoming a way of life. Her simple recounting of Clara’s tale is devastatingly accurate. In sharp contrast Gamache’s battle is equally acutely portrayed but has a different outcome because he ignores it.

The Vivienne Godin case, meanwhile, pits the top brains of the Homicide Squad against a lack of proof. There are plenty of twists and turns but, as usual in this series, it comes down to human nature. Who did what, who is lying, how and motive. At the same time the team has to work through their own personal relationships and that’s both nuanced and slightly oblique although always warm and well intentioned. Despite the subject matter this is a novel full of warmth and support which gives the reader a good feeling.

I don’t feel that I can do the novel’s acuity, brought out in small details, full justice so all I can say is that it’s a great read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

After a slightly disappointing previous entry in Penny's series, this is much better but still perhaps not up to her best - it's hard to keep characters in play and developing over so many books and here the Three Pines stalwarts provide some quirk but are effectively side-lined much of the time which is a shame.

At the centre of the book is case of a missing adult daughter which brings together Gamache, Jean-Guy and Isabelle with a previous police character and a potentially interesting new one - but I'd spotted the denouement about a quarter of the way in and it's a long haul waiting for our heroes to catch up. There are places where this tips too much into repetitive sentimentality, though generally Penny steers on the right side of that line.

Long-time fans, of which I am one, will want to read this but I fear the best of this series is in the past: it's still a delight to revisit Three Pines and there's an interesting development at the end which might shake up the dynamics of the books. Despite some qualms, Penny is still a force to be reckoned with in the area of police procedurals with high emotional intelligence.

The latest instalment of Armand Gamache and his friends and colleagues from Three Pines and the Canadian Surete. Louise Penny did not disappoint. What I loved about this instalment was how the storyline was laid out early on, and the moral dilemmas and convictions formed the majority of the storyline. I did guess who did it, but it was with sadness rather than relief. Loved this book. Will highly recommend, thank you for the advanced copy, I devoured it.

This is another in the Armand Gamache series set in Canada. If you have read Penny’s previous books you will expect officers from Surete de Quebec, based in Montreal, but covering a rural hinterland that now includes the village Three Pines. The majority of the characters are from French background, but have to police over the two main language and the first people communities. The background to policing is highly politicised and complex, not least because deeper embedded corruption in the police force had developed, been largely defeated, leaving bitterness and a number of enemies for Gamache. He is still supported by his family, village and a close police team. But all are vulnerable to attack.
This episode opens with online attacks on both artist Clara Morrow and Gamache. Raising the question is a reputation true or false and can a person stand up to constant attacks from others without damage? If others intervene to stop abuse does this feed the fire, solve the problem, or make it worse? Ultimately people have to live with themselves and their own decisions and standards. Yes, a typical Penny realisation and discussion of behaviour and standards, one that permeates all her novels, all set in a world where nothing is perfect. Clara’s painful problems will quietly underlie the “police” issues in this novel.
Gamache has refused to retire and has been demoted to Chief Inspector of Homicide – a role already held by John-Guy Beauvoir, a “junior” he has mentored, but now a friend and his son-in-law. He will quietly accept the second-in-command role. This will lead him to act as advisor to the emergency planning team - dealing with early thaw and imminent “100 year flooding”. The true nature of toxic politics and the risks inherent to the wider communities is made clear as the “team” has to balance risk and action in a scenario where everything has a cost. This is a large mirror of the decisions that Gamache had previously been making as a senior police office on a smaller but regular basis.
With his advice not wanted or taken he will be involved in investigating the disappearance of a young pregnant woman. There is a strong suspicion that she is dead Allegations of spousal abuse left unresolved by the police causes complications and pressures. A trial of a suspect will be halted on “legal” grounds – a decision that pushes at the bounds of jurisprudence on issues of legal searches both physical and of computer data sets. Police actions will have potentially disastrous long term implications. Death was not pleasant for those who lost her, but there will be a “resolution” of sorts.
So once more Penny offers a multi layered crime procedural – strong on place, people and the unravelling of deeper underlying issues and emotions of a seemingly simple crime. The strength her novels - on top of all the above extremely well execute and melded - is the deep understanding of and compassion for people. Over the Gamache series her people gain experiences and grow, but behind that is the balancing of the good and bad things in their lives – and the ability of Gamache and his close team to cope with walking in truly dreadful and potentially sole destroying places, to survive through the strong support of families, friends and community.
Some might say that the depiction of this positive is the weakness of her novels; others will find precisely this affirmative and encouraging. This one while covering so much seems to be a “holding” novel as key characters begin to move onto other things. Perhaps reflecting times in a life where people are inundated with challenges seemingly both large and small at the same time. But Penny’s novels are never “light” crime, neither are they gory. But they ask serious questions of the reader that have wider than “crime” application.

Louise Penny is a treasure when it comes to the world of crime fiction, this is a stunning addition to this stellar series set in the village of Three Pines in Quebec, Canada, featuring the incomparable and wise Chief Inspector Gamache, having now been demoted by those more spineless, self serving and ambitious, wanting to besmirch the reputation of a man they perceive as having too much power and a threat. They never expected Gamache to accept the demotion to Head of Homicide from being Chief but they fail to comprehend the kind of man he is, why he inspires such loyalty and respect in others, he has no ego and wishes merely to be the best police officer he can be. It's a joy to see the return of beloved characters, even the rude, indomitable, cantankerous elderly poet, Ruth Zardo, and her familiar, the duck, Myrna, Reine-Marie, and all the others. The artist, Clara, is having a particularly tumultuous time, with her latest works, the miniatures, not being well received, in fact her reputation is being trashed on social media, with many questioning if she ever had any artistic abilities at all.

Gamache's return to the Surete du Quebec goes down even less well on social media with a tirade of vile postings, not to mention fake videos. Those who know Gamache are outraged at the lies and vitriol being expressed but Gamache has an inner strength that can weather almost anything. Work colleagues and friends observe closely at how well he will take to being under the command of Jean-Guy Beauvoir, his protege and son-in-law, around for 2 weeks before quitting the police to move to Paris to embark on a new life. Agent Lysette Cloutier and Gamache inquire into a missing pregnant woman, Vivienne Godin, who failed to turn up at her father, Homer's home. Homer is frantic, and with good reason, Vivienne is married to an abusive husband, the ceramic artist, the deplorable and nasty piece of work that is Carl Tracey. In the meantime, the weather is atrocious for April with no sign of spring, and even worse the worst flooding, threatening death and destruction is being forecast for Quebec. Herculean efforts are required from the Three Pines residents as they build sandbag defences on the banks of the Bella Bella river to try and save the village.

Two phrases ring true throughout in this novel, all truth in malice, and what might appear to be more contradictory, things are strongest when they are broken. Penny writes with humanity and compassion, with insight and wisdom on the contradictions and complexities of individuals, no-one is purely good, not even Gamache, or just evil. The strengths of this series are the rich complicated, often quirky, characters, from Ruth to Jean-Guy, and their development. Three Pines is a village of people who love and support one another, a force to be reckoned with as they come together to fight the threat of catastrophic dangerous flooding, illustrating their strength as a community, no-one is alone. This was a fantastic, moving and profound crime read, one which I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending highly. Many thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.