By Paul Carrier
Since Canadian author Louise Penny launched her mystery series back in 2006, protagonist Armand Gamache has survived a roller coaster of career changes within the Sûreté du Québec, the provincial police force in that predominantly French-speaking province.
Gamache, a thoughtful and morally upright figure, has weathered many political storms while bouncing around within the Sûreté: chief inspector in the homicide division, head of the training academy, even chief superintendent for a time. That last job placed him in command of the entire force.
In A Better Man, the newly published 15th entry in the series, Gamache is coming off a suspension and is about to be demoted to his old job as chief inspector of homicide, thanks to the controversial techniques he used to dismantle a drug ring. The powers that be in Québec politics had hoped the downgrade would be so humiliating that Gamache would resign, but he’s too self-assured, and too devoted to the Sûreté, to ride off into the sunset.
While he waits to reclaim his old job — Gamache's son-in-law will soon step down as the chief of homicide and move to France with his pregnant wife and their son — catastrophic spring flooding drenches the province, which is placed under a state of emergency. Temporarily at loose ends in his career, Gamache finds himself investigating the disappearance of a pregnant woman, Vivienne Godin.
Godin’s husband, Carl Tracey, a mean-spirited and abusive potter, insists Godin is a lush and an unfaithful wife who wandered off to points unknown, probably to hook up with a lover. But Godin’s father, a widower devoted to his only child, tells the police she was bound for his house when she vanished. Homer Godin says he is convinced that his daughter has been murdered . . . by Tracey.
Soon enough, Vivienne Godin’s bruised body turns up in a flood-swollen river. She, and her unborn child, died after Godin fell or was pushed into the frigid, raging waters. As Gamache and his agents gather evidence against the likely killer, a harrowing fear consumes them: what if they cannot prepare a case strong enough to win a conviction in court? What if the murderer goes free?
All of the elements that have made Penny a bestselling author are on display in A Better Man, a page turner that is well-plotted and graced with Penny’s signature blend of psychological insight and endearing characters. Godin’s body is found near the isolated village of Three Pines in Québec's Eastern Townships, where the bilingual Gamache lives with his wife, Reine Marie, and their two dogs. The colorful and quirky locals familiar to readers of the earlier novels in the series, including acerbic poet Ruth Zardo and her ever-present pet duck Rosa, are on hand once again.
Initially, A Better Man appears to be less of a whodunit than a police procedural, because once the presumed killer is identified early on, the focus shifts as investigators build their case.
But readers expect more from the likes of Penny, and she delivers with masterful plot twists. One alternative suspect emerges as the investigation continues. Then still more possible killers materialize, before the truth is revealed in the final pages.
Penny’s novels are mysteries, of course, but they focus on far more than the crimes that propel the plots. At heart, Gamache and almost all of the other recurring characters from Three Pines embody the belief that goodness, decency and integrity are core human values which triumph over time, despite sometimes daunting odds.
Each of the Gamache novels can be read independently because Penny always weaves in just enough history to bring readers up to speed about the backstory. But because so much has happened to the characters over the course of the previous 14 novels, it’s probably best for newcomers to start with Still Life, Penny’s debut.
Gamache, a thoughtful and morally upright figure, has weathered many political storms while bouncing around within the Sûreté: chief inspector in the homicide division, head of the training academy, even chief superintendent for a time. That last job placed him in command of the entire force.
In A Better Man, the newly published 15th entry in the series, Gamache is coming off a suspension and is about to be demoted to his old job as chief inspector of homicide, thanks to the controversial techniques he used to dismantle a drug ring. The powers that be in Québec politics had hoped the downgrade would be so humiliating that Gamache would resign, but he’s too self-assured, and too devoted to the Sûreté, to ride off into the sunset.
While he waits to reclaim his old job — Gamache's son-in-law will soon step down as the chief of homicide and move to France with his pregnant wife and their son — catastrophic spring flooding drenches the province, which is placed under a state of emergency. Temporarily at loose ends in his career, Gamache finds himself investigating the disappearance of a pregnant woman, Vivienne Godin.
Godin’s husband, Carl Tracey, a mean-spirited and abusive potter, insists Godin is a lush and an unfaithful wife who wandered off to points unknown, probably to hook up with a lover. But Godin’s father, a widower devoted to his only child, tells the police she was bound for his house when she vanished. Homer Godin says he is convinced that his daughter has been murdered . . . by Tracey.
Soon enough, Vivienne Godin’s bruised body turns up in a flood-swollen river. She, and her unborn child, died after Godin fell or was pushed into the frigid, raging waters. As Gamache and his agents gather evidence against the likely killer, a harrowing fear consumes them: what if they cannot prepare a case strong enough to win a conviction in court? What if the murderer goes free?
All of the elements that have made Penny a bestselling author are on display in A Better Man, a page turner that is well-plotted and graced with Penny’s signature blend of psychological insight and endearing characters. Godin’s body is found near the isolated village of Three Pines in Québec's Eastern Townships, where the bilingual Gamache lives with his wife, Reine Marie, and their two dogs. The colorful and quirky locals familiar to readers of the earlier novels in the series, including acerbic poet Ruth Zardo and her ever-present pet duck Rosa, are on hand once again.
Initially, A Better Man appears to be less of a whodunit than a police procedural, because once the presumed killer is identified early on, the focus shifts as investigators build their case.
But readers expect more from the likes of Penny, and she delivers with masterful plot twists. One alternative suspect emerges as the investigation continues. Then still more possible killers materialize, before the truth is revealed in the final pages.
Penny’s novels are mysteries, of course, but they focus on far more than the crimes that propel the plots. At heart, Gamache and almost all of the other recurring characters from Three Pines embody the belief that goodness, decency and integrity are core human values which triumph over time, despite sometimes daunting odds.
Each of the Gamache novels can be read independently because Penny always weaves in just enough history to bring readers up to speed about the backstory. But because so much has happened to the characters over the course of the previous 14 novels, it’s probably best for newcomers to start with Still Life, Penny’s debut.
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