Frank H. (perryfran) reviewed on 1/17/2020 + 1182 more book reviews

I have been slowly reading the Inspector Gamache/Three Pines series by Louise Penny since I became aware of them because of a TV piece I saw on the CBS Sunday Morning Show about Louise Penny. Since reading the first book in the series, I have enjoyed revisiting the quaint village located in Quebec Province and its memorable cast of characters. Brutal Telling is the fifth book in the series and to me, one of the best. In this one, Gamache is called to investigate when a strange man is found murdered and left in Olivier's Bistro. It turns out that the man was a hermit who lives in a cabin in the woods and who Olivier has been visiting for years mainly because the cabin is filled with antique treasure including glassware, rare first editions, and even a very valuable violin. So why is Olivier denying that he knew the hermit and was he involved in the hermit's murder? The crime turns out to be more complicated than it first appears with the body being moved more than once and other town residents possibly having motives for the crime. There are also side notes to the story including one about Clara who may finally get her show of her artwork until she finds out that the gallery owner is homophobic and makes a snide remark to her about Gabri, Olivier's gay partner. So what should she do about the remark? Of course she takes her husband Peter's advice who has his own selfish motives in mind and is still jealous of Clara's art.

This was a very interesting addition to the series. The solution to the mystery is somewhat shocking but is it the right solution? The next book in the series is a continuation of some of the events in The Brutal Telling and I am anxious to read it.

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