In Penny’s 16th “Gamache” novel (after
A Better Man), Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Quebec and wife Reine-Marie are in Paris visiting their children. They meet Gamache’s godfather, billionaire Stephen Horowitz, for lunch; Horowitz looked after the forlorn lad after Gamache’s parents died in a car accident when he was nine. As they’re leaving the restaurant, a van speeds up, hits Horowitz, and races off. Gamache convinces the police that the hit-and-run was intentional; someone tried to kill his godfather, who is now in a coma. Yet nothing is simple in this case, and soon a dead man is found in Horowitz’s ransacked apartment, someone is spying on the Gamaches, and something is off at the multinational engineering firm that Gamache’s son-in-law has just joined. The chief inspector trusts no one, not even an old friend who is now prefect of police in Paris. Ably assisted by his family, Gamache confronts powerful and hidden enemies.
VERDICT The strengths of this latest procedural from the inimitable Penny will attract her longtime fans and also draw in new admirers. A deft touch with plotting, sensitive characterization, and the author’s warmth and humanity make this a must-have mystery, especially for collections owning the rest of series. [See Prepub Alert, 2/24/20.]
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