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A Rule Against Murder (Chief Inspector Gamache Mystery #4)
These mysteries are unlike anything I'd ever read: the whodunit plot lines are just an excuse to explore human nature, granting them a depth and psychological astuteness I never expected from this genre. Because a small village can realistically only absorb so much murder, Penny sends Gamache away from Three Pines for his murder investigations roughly every other book. In this installment, Gamache and his wife, Reine-Marie, retreat to the luxurious Manoir Bellechasse to celebrate their anniversary, only to find that the wealthy, cultured, and absolutely unbearable Finney clan has descended upon the place for an ill-tempered family reunion. When somebody turns up murdered, it’s obvious to all that the killer must still be at the manor. If you enjoy mysteries with a closed circle of suspects, you’re going to love this one. Louise Penny is a Summer Reading Guide pick and an author worth binge reading.
About the Book
Publisher’s description:
“What happened here last night isn’t allowed,” said Madame Dubois.
It was such an extraordinary thing to say it stopped the ravenous Inspector Beauvoir from taking another bite of his roast beef on baguette.
“You have a rule against murder?” he asked.
“I do. When my husband and I bought the Bellechasse we made a pact….Everything that stepped foot on this land would be safe.”
It is the height of summer, and Armand and Reine-Marie Gamache are celebrating their wedding anniversary at Manoir Bellechasse, an isolated, luxurious inn not far from the village of Three Pines. But they’re not alone. The Finney family—rich, cultured, and respectable—has also arrived for a celebration of their own.
The beautiful Manoir Bellechasse might be surrounded by nature, but there is something unnatural looming. As the heat rises and the humidity closes in, some surprising guests turn up at the family reunion, and a terrible summer storm leaves behind a dead body. It is up to Chief Inspector Gamache to unearth secrets long buried and hatreds hidden behind polite smiles. The chase takes him to Three Pines, into the dark corners of his own life, and finally to a harrowing climax.
Look Inside
