A Better Man: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel (Chief Inspector Gamache Novel, 15) Paperback – June 30, 2020

I have read Louise Penny’s books from first to the 17th. Reading #18 now & will be ordering 19 next. All her books are terrific! With humor, history, mystery. Love all the different characters!!

"What would you do if your child's killer walked free?”Armand Gamache, former Chief Superintendent of the Surete du Quebec, was put on involuntary leave following a difficult yet, many would say, successful dismantling of the area's drug cartels. Since then, attacks from politicians and social medial trolls, as well as a doctored video portraying Gamache as a child abuser have been ongoing. As his leave ends, Gamache is offered to return, not to his old job but with a demotion - a humiliation that no one expects him to accept - dropping from Superintendent of the Surete to the head of the Homicide department. Those in power may have been surprised when he accepts, but no one close to him was.A severe winter and a late spring have led to catastrophic flooding across the province. When a father seeks the assistance of the Surete in locating his missing daughter, staffing is tight but Gamache can't say no. He asks himself, what if it were his daughter, Annie? Waters rise, flooding threatens the province, the attacks on him through social media get nastier and mistakes are made.An exciting, moving novel with so many twists and turns that it had me on pins and needles. So moving that I even teared up - a first for me with this series. I know I say this after each book, but this is one of the best in the series. It was touching and emotional, with a difficult goodbye and a new chapter beginning. Issues of domestic violence, child abuse, the dark side of social media and global warming are addressed.For maximum enjoyment I recommend reading the books in order. Trigger: although there is no actual abuse taking place in the story, spousal and child abuse and the long-term damages of each are referred to. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It was good, but didn’t quite live up to my expectations. I mean I enjoy a few plot twists, but in terms of last quarter of the book, it seemed like there were 20. I’m still a Penny fan, but perhaps I need a break from this binge.

Greast plots. Great writing. Great characters. You have to read the books in order

Louise Penny is a fine, accomplished writer. I have read all but two of the Inspector Gamache series for which she has received so many accolades. She has written several books that I consider outstanding, including this one, A Better Man. She has also written some awful ones, for example, The Long Way Home. So, how can an award-winning professional author write outstanding books as well as awful books? Two weaknesses: story line and central characters. The story line of A Better Man, however, is terrific -- an obvious murderer identified early on and then pursued with vigor; the police stripped of important evidence by a nutty court ruling and then going over and over the evidence until they finally face the small mismatches of their assumptions with the evidence. Great story line. As to central characters, regrettably the most problematic is the feature character of the series, Armand Gamache. He is a towering figure but a strangely non-masculine or even feminine man. I'm sure he never farts or spits. He doesn't hunt or fish, even though he lives in a small Quebec village surrounded by woods and rivers. He dislikes guns and we never hear of him re-qualifying on the shooting range. What kind of policeman is this? In A Better Man, he is satisfyingly curious and persevering in the face of a demotion and the doubts of some members of his team. He spots the character flaws of others, but not his own -- a very realistic feature of the man. The only weakness of this wonderful story of a woman murdered at midnight on a rainy spring night is the obvious evidence that gets overlooked. The villain of the story is a ceramics artist who appears to have murdered his wife. Ms. Penny sells us on this suspect's wickedness immediately, and we can hardly wait for him to be brought to justice. It takes several hundred pages, but justice wins out and we are left content. A great read.

A few new twists but always a sensitive, delicious, read. And never obsequious. It’s good to read these in order but isn’t necessary for them to be really enjoyable

When you add a new delight to your life you immediately become more wealthy. My " politics" differ from the author but my regard for certain values are the same. Excellent read. On to her next one...

Number 15 in the gamache 3 Pines series. Great reads once you have read a few just have to keep going.

Toujours un plaisir de retrouver le monde de Louise Penny , fantaisie et réalisme, noirceur et lumière, toujours sur le fil…

it was a good book. I read the first 15 books, one after another. Now I need a break and will read something else

This is another brilliant Louise Penny book. Unfortunately the copy I was sent had a curled cover, some pages had the corners turned over and at various points in the book there were crumbs between the pages. Clearly the book had been read and returned. Six stars for Louise Penny, two stars for the quality of the product.

*4.5* stars. It is always a joy to read a new book by Louise Penny, and to be transported to her stellar creation, the fictional village of Three Pines, Quebec and its residents. I not only appreciate the atmospheric storytelling where I can visualize the place and people, but I want to live there. I feel that I already know the villagers. This is the 15th book set in Three Pines, and the author has maintained her usual high quality. These books are police procedural/mysteries. With each new one, we get further insights into the well-developed characters, with all their strengths and human weaknesses. Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, a kind and wise man, had been head of the Surete du Quebec. After a high risk and mostly successful police raid, some officers were killed or injured. Gamache was demoted by individuals who resented his power and risk-taking. His loss was to be their political and professional gain. He is offered the position as head of the Homicide Department, never thinking that Gamache would not to prefer to remain retired in disgrace. He would now be working alongside, but under the command of his son-in-law, Jean-Guy, whom he once mentored and who he chose as his second-Jan-command. Gamache accepts, only wanting to solve crimes in any capacity. Most who knew Gamache still have great loyalty and respect for him. Powerful forces still resent his return to the Surete du Quebec. Vile postings and a fake video are circulating on the internet deploring his new posting. At the same time, Clara’s recent paintings of scenic miniatures are being reviled on social media, with postings indicating the belief that she never had any artistic talent. Clara is distraught, and her friend, Myrna tries to comfort her. They frequently meet at the inn, and the elderly and foul-mouthed Ruth, a prize-winning poet, is often in the background with her pet duck. She manages to keep things stirred up with her nasty comments. I regret we didn’t see more this time of Gabi and Oliver, owners of the inn. A catastrophic flood is threatening Montreal and also Three Pines. Most of the police force have been deployed to handle a possible natural disaster. Sandbags are being piled up along the river at Three Pines. A father, Homer Godin is frantic about his missing daughter, Vivienne, who he thinks was on her way to see him. She was married to a domineering and abusive husband, Carl, who did a bit of farming and dabbled in creating pottery. She was the victim of his beatings and was kept isolated from her father and potential friends.When her body is found it is believed she was escaping the abusive husband and was murdered. She was pregnant at the time of her death, and Carl is the prime suspect. Jean-Guy heads up the murder investigation. This is to be his final case as a police officer as he is soon moving to Paris to work in the private sector. Carl goes on trial charged with the killing of his wife but is freed due to technicalities. Homer, her father, is enraged, as Gamache assured him that Carl would be convicted and punished. Homer vows to kill Carl. He is moved into Gamache’s home, with the aim of protecting him from murdering the most likely suspect in his daughter’s death.The pace slows down as Jean-Guy, Gamache and team sit around discussing clues and evidence to order a new trial for Carl. They also ponder other possible suspects, their relationships with Vivienne, possible motives and methods.The murder investigation speeds up with a dangerous, pulse-pounding climax. There are some twists and help from unexpected sources during which a very complex plot is revealed. Recommended.