Kingdom of the Blind

In the 14th book in Penny's popular series (after Glass Houses), Armand Gamache seems to have hardened in the aftermath of taking down the drug cartels and the disappearance of deadly opioids in the previous book. He abandons Amelia Choquet and seems indifferent to the outcome of an investigation of the drug raid. A strange letter results in a snowbound meeting at a broken-down farmhouse that leads to Gamache, bookstore owner Myrna, and an eccentric young builder being named executors of the will of a woman they barely knew. The two stories wind back and forth, touching on the growing opioid epidemic, treasures stolen by the Nazis, the nature of loyalty, and the communal strength of Three Pines. Penny is a master at blending the modern evils affecting the big city and the hidden secrets of the almost mythical village of Three Pines. Well-known characters return and new faces add richness to a narrative that will keep readers intrigued until the last page.