Series: Three Pines Book 3
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Length: 320 pages
Audiobook Length: 11 hours and 46 minutes
First Published: 2007
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Rachael’s Review
As Easter approaches in the tiny forgotten Quebec village of Three Pines, a group of villagers decide to hold a séance after a spiritualist comes to town. What starts as a lark quickly turns deadly serious when someone dies at a second séance at the Hadley House. Inspector Gamache and his trusty sidekick Jean-Guy Beauvoir must find the murderer while also finally dealing with the fallout of the Arnot case.
Three Pines must have the highest murder rate in the country the way this series is going. Sadly, the books are losing some of their charm for me. The novels are starting to feel a little predictable. Instead of building characters each novel. You keep the same core villagers and then add a new group, of which one is a victim and one is a murderer. I did like that The Cruelest Month heavily included the Arnot Case storyline that has building between books. I promised myself I would read at least the first five books, but I must say, I am quickly losing enthusiasm.
Publisher’s Description
Welcome to Three Pines, where the cruelest month is about to deliver on its threat.
It’s spring in the tiny, forgotten village; buds are on the trees and the first flowers are struggling through the newly thawed earth. But not everything is meant to return to life. . .
When some villagers decide to celebrate Easter with a séance at the Old Hadley House, they are hoping to rid the town of its evil—until one of their party dies of fright. Was this a natural death, or was the victim somehow helped along?
Brilliant, compassionate Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec is called to investigate, in a case that will force him to face his own ghosts as well as those of a seemingly idyllic town where relationships are far more dangerous than they seem.
Quotes from The Cruelest Month
Love wants the best for others. Attachment takes hostages.
All will be as it should, if we just do our best.
You didn’t just lose a loved one. You lost your heart, your memories, your laughter, your brain and it even took your bones. Eventually it all came back, but different. Rearranged.
About Louise Penny
Louise Penny is the author of the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache novels. Her husband Michael was the inspiration for Armand Gamache; he died in 2016. Penny currently lives in a small village south of Montréal. Visit the author’s website →
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