by Louise Penny
Release Date: October 29, 2024
2024 Minotaur Books
Ebook ARC; 432 Pages
ISBN: 978-1250328137
ASIN: B0CQHLDW2T
Audiobook: B0CRHYCSQM
Genre: Fiction / Mystery
Source: Review copy from publsiher
3 / 5 Stars
Summary
Relentless phone calls interrupt the peace of a
warm August morning in Three Pines. Reine-Marie watches with increasing unease as her
husband refuses to pick up, though he clearly knows who is on the other
end.
Armand Gamache, Jean-Guy Beauvoir, his son-in-law
and second in command, and Inspector Isabelle Lacoste can only trust
each other, as old friends begin to act like enemies, and long-time
enemies appear to be friends. Determined to track down the threat before
it becomes a reality, their pursuit takes them across Québec and across
borders. Their hunt grows increasingly desperate, even frantic, as the
enormity of the creature they’re chasing becomes clear. If they fail the
devastating consequences would reach into the largest of cities and the
smallest of villages.
My Thoughts
The Grey Wolf is the next entry in the Armand Gamache mystery series, and I am still unsure exactly what I think about this book. In one sense, I may be an outlier, but I actually enjoyed the narrator to the audiobook. I’m not sure if being francophone myself made a difference, but I liked the sound of his voice as I found the accent familiar and soothing. However, I found the plot to be somewhat disjointed, something I have found to be the case in the past four novels I have read, but this one was for different reasons.
I struggled a bit with character development as I felt most of them were one-dimensional, including Gamache. I always appreciate a visit to Three Pines, but I don’t necessarily need the books to be constantly set in the village. Realistically, how many murders can happen in such a small community, especially ones involving the Chief Inspector? So, having a couple of them set outside the community, with far-reaching consequences makes me quite happy. The little snippets we got of Three Pines actually made me chuckle, and yes, Ruth was involved in most of them!!!!
The plot itself was a mishmash of things as if the author wasn’t sure in which direction to go. We got a jacket that was stolen from Gamache’s house (?), cryptic messages, monks in cloistered communities, travels to different countries, special alcohol, mysterious deaths, and the list goes on. All of this was jumbled making me feel like I was reading a different book series. With all of this, where are the police investigations? The meticulous research? I don’t necessarily want a book based on intuition, gut feelings, and instincts. I read enough thrillers to get my fill of those. Despite all of this, there was still a decent amount of intrigue and plot to enjoy and I found myself compelled to listen, wondering what was going to happen. In fact, I found the plot that was uncovered to be fairly uncomfortable as it is more realistic in nature. Getting to it was the challenge.
Verdict
The Grey Wolf was a decent read, and I did enjoy the new narrator quite a bit. Although I love the residents of Three Pines, I am quite happy for Gamache to have something bigger to focus on, and the idea behind this one actually scares me. Unfortunately, the getting there was a bit convoluted and I would have liked more investigation rather than suspension of belief in a police procedural. This one did end on a cliffhanger, but there was a kind of solution to it as well, something the author has done in the past so it didn’t really bother me.
I struggled a bit with character development as I felt most of them were one-dimensional, including Gamache. I always appreciate a visit to Three Pines, but I don’t necessarily need the books to be constantly set in the village. Realistically, how many murders can happen in such a small community, especially ones involving the Chief Inspector? So, having a couple of them set outside the community, with far-reaching consequences makes me quite happy. The little snippets we got of Three Pines actually made me chuckle, and yes, Ruth was involved in most of them!!!!
The plot itself was a mishmash of things as if the author wasn’t sure in which direction to go. We got a jacket that was stolen from Gamache’s house (?), cryptic messages, monks in cloistered communities, travels to different countries, special alcohol, mysterious deaths, and the list goes on. All of this was jumbled making me feel like I was reading a different book series. With all of this, where are the police investigations? The meticulous research? I don’t necessarily want a book based on intuition, gut feelings, and instincts. I read enough thrillers to get my fill of those. Despite all of this, there was still a decent amount of intrigue and plot to enjoy and I found myself compelled to listen, wondering what was going to happen. In fact, I found the plot that was uncovered to be fairly uncomfortable as it is more realistic in nature. Getting to it was the challenge.
Verdict
The Grey Wolf was a decent read, and I did enjoy the new narrator quite a bit. Although I love the residents of Three Pines, I am quite happy for Gamache to have something bigger to focus on, and the idea behind this one actually scares me. Unfortunately, the getting there was a bit convoluted and I would have liked more investigation rather than suspension of belief in a police procedural. This one did end on a cliffhanger, but there was a kind of solution to it as well, something the author has done in the past so it didn’t really bother me.
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