When an intricate old map is found stuffed into the walls of the bistro in Three Pines, it at first seems no more than a curiosity. But the closer the villagers look, the stranger it becomes.
Given to Armand Gamache as a gift the first day of his new job, the map eventually leads him to shattering secrets. To an old friend and older adversary. It leads the former Chief of Homicide for the Sûreté du Québec to places even he is afraid to go. But must.
And there he finds four young cadets in the Sûreté academy, and a dead professor. And, with the body, a copy of the old, odd map.
Everywhere Gamache turns, he sees Amelia Choquet, one of the cadets. Tattooed and pierced. Guarded and angry. Amelia is more likely to be found on the other side of a police line-up. And yet she is in the academy. A protégée of the murdered professor.
The focus of the investigation soon turns to Gamache himself and his mysterious relationship with Amelia, and his possible involvement in the crime. The frantic search for answers takes the investigators back to Three Pines and a stained glass window with its own horrific secrets.
For both Amelia Choquet and Armand Gamache, the time has come for a great reckoning.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Louise Penny pulls back the layers to reveal a brilliant and emotionally powerful truth in her latest spellbinding audiobook.
"Robert Bathurst puts his own indelible stamp on Chief Inspector Armand Gamache in Louise Penny's twelfth Three Pines puzzle. ...If you haven't listened to this series, start at once. You'll love your stay in Three Pines." - AudioFile Magazine
1 of 1 copy available
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Creators
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Series
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Publisher
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Awards
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Release date
August 30, 2016 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781427274380
- File size: 390042 KB
- Duration: 13:32:35
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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Starred review from May 23, 2016
The lyrical 12th entry (after 2015’s The Nature of the Beast) in bestseller Penny’s remarkable series, which has won multiple Agatha awards, finds former Chief Insp. Armand Gamache coming out of retirement to clean up the corrupt Süreté Academy du Québec. When an old map is found hidden in the wall of a bistro in Three Pines, the remote village in which Gamache and his wife live, the locals treat it as only an interesting artifact. But Gamache uses the mystery of the map’s origin to engage the interest of four cadets at the academy who are in particular danger of going astray. When someone fatally shoots Serge Leduc, a sadistic, manipulative professor, a copy of the map is found in Leduc’s bedside table, and suspicion falls on the four cadets and Gamache himself. As the story unfolds, a web of connections, past and present, comes to light. This complex novel deals with universal themes of compassion, weakness in the face of temptation, forgiveness, and the danger of falling into despair and cynicism over apparently insurmountable evils. Author tour. Agent: Teresa Chris, Teresa Chris Literary Agency. -
Robert Bathurst puts his own indelible stamp on Chief Inspector Armand Gamache in Louise Penny's twelfth Three Pines puzzle. His Gamache is a bit brusque, but Bathurst also allows his softer, gentler side to show. Gamache comes out of retirement to become Commander of the Séreté Academy du Québec. The future of the Séreté depends on Gamache's ability to clean out the corruption. Bathurst engages us completely when a mysterious map is found, a diabolical professor is murdered, and long-term abuses are revealed. He makes us feel Gamache's genuine concern for four cadets who may be in danger. His delivery of Ruth, the resident poet-curmudgeon, is priceless. If you haven't listened to this series, start at once. You'll love your stay in Three Pines. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine -
Starred review from November 1, 2016
Armand Gamache chooses to come out of retirement to take over as commander of the Surete academy, the corrupt institution training officers to protect Quebec. In this entry (after The Nature of the Beast), Penny combines a map connected to a mystery in Three Pines with murder at the academy to pen a complex psychological mystery, making for a riveting listen. The entire Three Pines cast of characters are once again present as social, historical, and philosophical issues are examined and resolved. Series devotees will be delighted to visit with Ruth, Clara, Myrna, and the rest of the gang, and those new to the series will find them fresh and fascinating. New characters are introduced, and one character in particular is highlighted; Amelia Choquet, a tattooed and studded enigma, is particularly well-drawn. This volume is the second splendidly interpreted by Robert Bathurst after the death of longtime series narrator Ralph Cosham. Bathurst beautifully expresses the mood and tenor of Penny's characters, themes, and plots. VERDICT A marvelous entry in an amazing series. ["This riveting read, with characters of incredible depth who only add to the strength of the plot, will keep readers guessing until the last page": LJ 7/16 starred review of the Minotaur: St. Martin's hc.]--Sandra C. Clariday, Cleveland, TN
Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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