GLASS HOUSES (2017) by Louise Penny

Glass Houses by Louise Penny
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sometimes when one reads books in a series, quality varies. In the case of Louise Penny's Gamache series each title improves, gains depth. Taking the books in order prepares the reader to feel part of the community.Glass Houses is #13.


FIRST SENTENCE: "State your name, please."

THE STORY: Chief Superintendent of the Sûreté du Québec, Armand Gamache and the people of Three Pines are puzzled by a mysterious figure standing immobile on the green. When the figure disappears, a murder takes place. Did someone pay a debt? The story begins in the courtroom some months later, when the suspect goes on trial. Gamache set the actions in motion. Was what he did right?

WHAT I THOUGHT: Sometimes I get annoyed when a story moves back and forth from the present to the past. But after the first jump in GLASS HOUSES, I had no trouble following the way the trial and the events leading up to it worked together.

Every one of Louise Penny's books has introduced the reader to something new. In this case it is the cobrador del frac. She explains that she created some of the legend to suit the story but the concept does exist.

Recently I've been disturbed by the amount of ugly violence in some of the thrillers I've read. I realized I prefer stories that demand a little more from the reader intellectually. Escape the real world and move to Three Pines.

BOTTOM LINE: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. If you are a mystery reader, you HAVE to read this series.

Disclaimer: An electronic copy of this book was provided to me by NetGalley/Minotaur for a fair review.

LOUISE PENNY is the author of the #1 New York Times and Globe and Mail bestselling series of Chief Inspector Armand Gamache novels (Still Life, A Fatal Grace, and The Cruelest Month). She has won numerous awards, including a CWA Dagger and the Agatha Award (six times), and was a finalist for the Edgar Award for Best Novel. In 2017, she received the Order of Canada for her contributions to Canadian culture. Louise lives in a small village south of Montréal.