This is my first taste of Armand Gamache and I savoured it. It is character-led crime with a dense plot that is not all about acts of violence or deception. I think I would have benefitted from reading earlier books in the series but it was not essential as enough relevant background information is given to understand the story. I enjoyed the mystery of the map and the mysterious village most but the murder in the college and the solving of it was also interesting. Perhaps it is a tad too long, could have benefitted from being a bit tighter, but all in all this is intelligent crime and I will read more by the author.

This book was more about office politics than a mystery to me and ai lost intetest in the book sadly as found it bery hard going

I picked up A Great Reckoning because I wanted a quick, suspenseful, nail-biting read after all of the non-fiction of November, but honestly, all that I got was a slog. There was no tension or intrigue, just a hell of a lot of office politics and not really much else - no moments of “oo the killer is still lurking in the shadows, what nefarious thing are they planning next?”; no sense of danger. After 400 pages, all I could draw from it was that it was more about the politics of the homicide department than a true crime/murder-mystery novel, I mean, sure, someone gets killed, but who gives a damn? Certainly not me.
Don’t get me wrong, at first I viewed the mysterious events of the previous novels as intriguing, as seeing as this is my first that I have read of the Inspector Gamache books, I wasn’t completely aware of the intricacies of the relationships of the characters and the references that the book made to past events, but the shine soon wore off.
I just couldn’t conjure up a single ounce of empathy or interest in any of the characters, but in regards to the cadets in particular. The four of them just came off as stereotypes or plot devices pulled from other, better written, works. Of course, when I say that, I am mostly talking about the poor man’s copy of Lisbeth Salander and how every single character felt the need to be repulsed or comment on her piercings… I mean??? It is 2017, people, it is actually more rare to come across a person who doesn’t have some form of body modification.
The “gaydar” that all of the characters seemed to have when it came to Nathaniel also threw up a few issues which, alongside the casual use of slurs, led to this book really rubbing me up the wrong way. I seem to be having to repeat this over and over again, but it is not okay for you to refer to your LGBT+ friends by offensive and homophobic nicknames (no, not even if you mean them in an affectionate way) and, earth to idiots - it is impossible to be able to know someone’s sexuality just from looking at them. And, I don't care if it’s just a plot point to show how good these characters are at detective work, it is offensive.
All of the way through this book I had to keep telling myself that if I forced myself through it as quickly as possible, that would mean a shorter time until I could start something decent. Which is a sentiment which goes a long way in explaining how much I cared about A Great Reckoning.

Thanks Netgalley and the Author and Publisher. Another brilliantly written book by the author. This is a mystery crime novel that has everything a reader will love

This story takes Inspector Gamache into the Academy for police cadets. He is there to sort out the bullying and corrupt culture of the institution when ‘The Duke’ (the worst of the professors) is found dead. Alongside this, there is a focus on one of the young cadets called Amelia, who turns out to have a significance to the Inspector, and the mystery of a map of Three Pines found inside a wall.

At times, I wasn’t sure how the map fitted into the rest of the story but the resolution to this is very moving. The murder investigation was handled very well with a range of suspects that kept you guessing. I stayed up far too late finishing the book because it had gripped me so much. I also really enjoyed the character development and redemption of another one of the cadets. My only criticism would be that Inspector Gamache is a little too saintly to be true. Otherwise, I loved this.

There are lots of different strands to this book which twist and turn throughout keeping me guessing until the end.

It was my first Louise penny book but it won't be my last. I really enjoyed the setting and thought the characters were interesting and believable. There's a murder, corruption and fraud with no end of suspects. Also the ww1 subplot was poignant at this time of year.

This latest entry in Penny's series continues to offer us a powerful story of crime and resolution set against the quirky eclecticism of Three Pines, a village in Quebec that, at times, seems almost surreal. If you're new to the series then this isn't a great place to start as histories matter as do personalities and the secrets and links previously uncovered. That said, Penny has a distinctive vision and writing style that gives this series real personality which shines out against the crowded crime marketplace. Read this if you want intelligence, emotional breadth, quirky humour and an appreciation for the overlooked human quality of kindness.

This is a character driven mystery crime novel which engages the reader effortlessly. Louise Penny returns to Three Pines, and the eccentric, wonderful and comical characters that reside there. Armand Gamache, after almost dying in his efforts to cleanse the dirty cops in the Quebec Surete, has a new challenge in his life. He is the Commander of the Surete Training School for which his wife Reine-Marie is grateful as she imagines he will be safe. However, Armand's unenviable task is to root out the corruption and ugly practices that have in turn produced numerous brutal and cruel officers in the Surete.

Armand plays a dangerous game in dismissing and appointing staff in the expectation that there will be a conflagration. This would allow him to gather evidence for arrests to take place and to identify the powerful figure outside who has instigated the corruption. This backfires as he misjudges the depths of cruelty and brutality of the corrupt and arrogant Serge Leduc. Leduc is discovered dead in a carefully stage managed manner with the murder weapon, a revolver. Perceiving those cadets closest to Leduc to be in danger, Armand locates them to Three Pines with the task of investigating a mysterious map found in the walls of the Bistro. Overlooking Lacoste's investigation into the murder is Assistant Commissioner Gelinas of the RMCP who takes an inordinate interest in Armand. Questions are asked about the nature of the relationship Armand has with the unconventional but bright cadet, Amelia.

What really drives this novel are the characters in all their flawed depths and humanity. Armand is a towering figure who understands the strengths to be found in kindness and humanity. The complexities in relationships are what make this riveting reading. The village characters add charm and comic touches to the story. There is the bickering relationship of Olivier and Gabri, the cantankerous and querulous poet, Ruth, not to mention Clara, the artist and Myrna. The tale is peppered with wisdom coming from a number of quarters. The tragedies associated with the First World War at Three Pines add multiple layers to the book. It is beautifully plotted and an absorbing read. I would urge others to read this. Highly recommended and a superb read. Thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.