The Madness of Crowds by Louise Penny (Minotaur: St. Martin’s; LJ starred review) is the top holds title of the week (8/23/21). LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.  

Penny’s 17th entry in the “Chief Inspector Gamache” series (after All the Devils Are Here) finds the Gamache family in the Québec village of Three Pines during the Christmas holidays. The threat of COVID-19 has subsided, and the villagers may gather again. Many of the village windows still display children’s drawings with the words “Ça va bien aller” (“All will be well”). That phrase was used as comfort during the pandemic but now it has been co-opted by statistician Abigail Robinson, who uses data to prove that better times may come but that there will be a price. Inspector Gamache must protect Professor Robinson during her lecture, which is attended by an unstable crowd. An incident at the lecture pulls Gamache into the world of this controversial academic. As the conflict moves to Three Pines, the tension escalates, resulting in crimes that seem impossible to untangle. VERDICT This book has layers within layers: good versus evil; our duty to the weak; the nature of power; the fact that good people are not always likable, and likable people are not always good. Penny’s familiar characters are back, along with some intriguing visitors. The mystery will keep readers absorbed until the end and might make them realize how this unprecedented pandemic has changed the world. Highly recommended for public libraries.—Terry Lucas, Shelter Island P.L., NY

READ-ALIKES

Malice: A Mystery by Keigo Higashino, translated by Alexander O. Smith (Minotaur: St. Martin’s; LJ starred review)
Appeared on the October 2014 LibraryReads list

“Detective Kaga is investigating the murder of best-selling author Kunihiko Hidaka. Hidaka’s wife and best friend both have rock-solid alibis, but Kaga discovers that the friendship might not have been what it seemed. A classic cat-and-mouse game with twists that keep the pages turning.”—Vicki Nesting, St. Charles Parish Lib., Destrehan, LA

By Its Cover: A Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery by Donna Leon (Atlantic Monthly)
Appeared on the April 2014 LibraryReads list

“In the 23rd book in this delightful series, Commissario Guido Brunetti is brought in to investigate the theft of pages and maps from rare books. Brunetti is a great character with warmth, style, and elegance. Leon’s book enlightens us about Venetian customs and delivers a solid mystery.”—Joanne Genovese, Smithtown Special Lib. Dist., NY

A Banquet of Consequences: A Lynley Novel by Elizabeth George (Viking, LJ starred review)
Appeared on the October 2015 LibraryReads list

“Still reeling from a previous fall from grace, police detective Barbara Havers has a chance to redeem her standing—if she can unravel the very twisted threads that led to the murder of a prominent English feminist. Meanwhile, her superior officer Thomas Lynley pursues a love interest even as he keeps a sharp lookout for any slip-ups by Havers. This is the strongest addition to the series in years.”—Starr Smith, Fairfax Cty. P.L., Falls Church, VA