The Grey Wolf Continues Tradition of Excellence
A Fiction Review by Lisa Timpf
There’s a reason Canadian mystery writer Louise Penny’s books consistently end up on best-seller and awards lists: Penny has a knack for penning compelling and suspenseful prose. With Penny’s previous novels, I often found myself drawn to keep reading “just one more chapter” until I suddenly realized it was way past my normal bedtime. The Grey Wolf, Penny’s 19th installment in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series, had the same effect.
“…a worthy addition to the Chief Inspector Gamache series. Recommended.”
The Grey Wolf begins in Three Pines, a fictional community that is “not on any map,” but is nonetheless dearly familiar to Penny fans. And this, to be clear, is Penny’s version of the small village, not the darker, less welcoming iteration portrayed on the television series Three Pines. At the outset of The Grey Wolf, Gamache is enjoying some quiet time at home when the peace of his morning is shattered by a call he doesn’t want to answer. Nonetheless, the novel’s early going provides levity as we renew acquaintances with Three Pines regulars like artist Clara Morrow, former psychologist Myrna Landers, eccentric poet Ruth Zardo, and others.
The humour, kidding, mutual support, and warmth of Three Pines serve as a counterpoint for what comes next. Someone breaks into the Gamaches’ pied-a-terre in Montréal to get the Chief Inspector’s attention. Gamache then has a meeting with an informant who hints at a coming danger but keeps things cryptic because he isn’t sure who he can trust. This meeting seeds a sense of unease as Gamache’s informant hints that there is a mole within the Sûreté du Québec, where Gamache serves as head of homicide.
As events unfold, Gamache starts to fear a sinister plot afoot, one with terrible consequences, supported by people in high places. Given the insinuation that certain unknown members of the Sûreté may be in on it, Gamache must be careful who he confides in. Fortunately, there are people he can lean on: his son-in-law Jean-Guy Beauvoir, and longtime work comrade Isabelle Lacoste, who shares second-in-command duties with Beauvoir, play important roles in solving the case.
As the mystery deepens, we are treated to the best things about Penny’s novels: the chain of questions that must be answered in order to solve the crime, the intellectual challenge of figuring out what’s going on, and the misdirection and twists. The investigation proceeds on a number of fronts, with members of Gamache’s trusted team going to different venues to ferret out information. Tension ratchets up, building to a climactic conclusion. Though it contains Penny’s trademark humour, I found The Grey Wolf a little more sombre, though no less gripping, than some of her other books.
Gamache is not perfect—he’s believably human. He questions himself, experiences doubts, and shoulders criticism. And yet he is unswervingly a person of integrity, which makes him a likeable protagonist. In Penny’s own words, as stated in the book’s Acknowledgements:
“The Gamache books are proudly crime novels . . . but at their core they are about community. Acceptance. Belonging. Courage. The books are about the triumph of love and the power of friendship. About trying to do better.”
Penny fans should find The Grey Wolf a worthy addition to the Chief Inspector Gamache series, and mystery lovers who have not yet picked up one of Penny’s books are provided with sufficient back story to easily follow the events. Recommended.
About the Author
Louise Penny is the #1 New York Times and Globe and Mail bestselling author of the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache novels. She has won numerous awards, including a CWA Dagger and the Agatha Award (five times) and was a finalist for the Edgar Award for Best Novel. She lives in a small village south of Montréal.
About the Reviewer
Lisa Timpf is a retired HR and communications professional who lives in Simcoe, Ontario. Her poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and book reviews have appeared in New Myths, Star*Line, The Future Fire, and other venues. Lisa’s speculative haibun collection, In Days to Come, is available from Hiraeth Publishing. You can find out more about Lisa’s writing and artwork at http://lisatimpf.blogspot.com/
Book Details
Publisher : Minotaur Books (Oct. 29 2024)
Language : English
Hardcover : 432 pages
ISBN-10 : 1250328136
ISBN-13 : 978-1250328137