I do like a Gamache story (I think there is 20 of them!).
Here’s the blurb for this one…
When a mysterious figure appears in Three Pines one cold November day, Armand Gamache and the rest of the villagers are at first curious. Then wary. Through rain and sleet, the figure stands unmoving, staring ahead.
From the moment the creature’s shadow falls over the village, Gamache, now Chief Superintendent of the Sûreté du Quebec, suspects it has deep roots and a dark purpose. Yet he does nothing. What can he do? Only watch and wait. And hope his mounting fears are not realized.
But when the figure vanishes overnight and a body is discovered, it falls to Gamache to discover if a debt has been paid or levied.
Months later, on a steamy July day, as the trial for the accused begins in Montréal, Chief Superintendent Gamache continues to struggle with actions he set in motion that bitter November from which there is no going back. More than the accused is on trial. Gamache’s own conscience is standing in judgment.
In her latest utterly gripping book, number-one New York Times bestselling author Louise Penny shatters the conventions of the crime novel to explore what Gandhi called the court of conscience. A court that supersedes all others.
This story is told over two time-frames. When the murder occurred (around Halloween) and when the murderer went on trial (July the following year). There are sneaky things afoot – a hidden door, perjury, feigned incompetence and a few red herrings as well.
Like all of the Gamache novels, it is beautifully written and we learn a bit about Cobradors (here is an article about them), although our Cobrador is more of a conscience than a debt collector.
A review
