Sunday, October 03, 2021

The Madness of Crowds


The Madness of Crowds (17th in the series) by Louise Penny. New York; Minotaur Books, 2021. 439 pages. *****

"Q & A With Louise Penny on The Madness of Crowds." "A Word About The Cover For The Madness of Crowds."


All will be well. Ca va bien alter.

Chief Inspector Gamache and his family are enjoying the holidays and are looking forward to the New Year. The Pandemic has been officially declared over and the residents of Three Pines are celebrating with friends and family in a way that would have been impossible a year ago. 

The fact that Gamache receives a new assignment to provide security for a professor of statistics who will be giving a lecture at a nearby university is puzzling on many levels. Complicating his assignment is the appearance of Haniya Dad, the Hero of the Sudan, who claims to have come to the village to meet someone, however, she won't divulge the person's name.  Is it Ruth or the Asshole Saint and why won't she tell them? New Year's Eve ends in murder, which only raises more questions - has the wrong person been killed, mistaken for someone else or is this a carefully crafted murder? 

Louise Penny's latest book packs a punch! I have read all of her books in this series and this one could have easily been divided into two novels. Inevitably, books published now will include Pandemic/Covid situations and themes. That's what I thought when I started The Madness of Crowds, however, it veers in a different direction. There are many sub themes and yet, are they? Who gets to decide who lives or dies, is it a matter of economy, convenience, or viability? I highly recommend this series and suggest starting at Still Life (book 1) even though her books can be read individually. 

Previous Book:

All the Devils Are Here


From Louise Penny

"I live outside a small village south of Montreal, quite close to the American border. My husband Michael and I have long had dogs, all golden retrievers. Bonnie, Maggie, Seamus, Trudy and now Bishop. Some came as puppies, some were adopted as adults. All beloved.

Michael and I were together for 22 years and married for 20. He was the inspiration for Armand Gamache. Kindly, thoughtful, generous, a man of courage and integrity, who both loved and accepted love. 

He developed dementia, and died peacefully at home in September 2016, surrounded by the love he'd put into the world for his 83 years. 

So now it's Bishop and me. But we're far from alone. We have the village, and all our friends including My Assistant Lise, and the indomitable, happy spirit of Michael. And, of course, the company of Armand, Clara, Ruth, Gabri and Olivier et al."

For more information on Louise Penny - https://www.louisepenny.com/louise.htm

Follow me on IG @flamazing_books.

#gratitude #themadnessofcrowds 


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