Having not read any of the other Gamache books, some might say jumping in at this point was a silly idea. However, I found all the characters well developed, clearly described and I felt like I knew them from early on. Enough backstory was given to fill any gaps.

I enjoyed this a lot; some parts felt formulaic but overall there was enough to keep me hooked - and I suppose more importantly, I will be seeking out other titles in this series off the back of reading this one.

I would definitely recommend checking content warnings if you feel you may be affected by this story-there are some very serious themes discussed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Louise Penny for the ARC!

I usually always enjoy Louise Penny's books, but this particular book just went on and on. it could’ve been shortened by at least three chapters. I’m not sure why she felt the need to go over the same details again and again. The Storyline was very interesting, But unfortunately, because she dragged it out so long, I found myself loosing interest.

Louise penny is an author who has been on my radar for a little while. This was the 1st novel by her that I read and I enjoyed it immensely. I look forward to reading more by her

I enjoyed this book. It’s part of a series of which I had read the other books so found it easy to fall back into the story line. I enjoyed the way the plot unfolded. I loved the descriptions of the surroundings. I await the next book.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Louise Penny for the advanced copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

I am grateful for the free ARC from Netgally, unfortunately there were issues with the ebook formatting which disrupted the reading experience.
I have read several of the Inspector Gamache series (though not in order), and I tend to enjoy Louise Penny's writing, but I was disappointed in this book.
There was a lot of repetition, sitting around discussing the same theories without progress... and private conversations held in very public places.
There were also a lot of very short sentences. For no. Apparent. Reason.... Why?
I found the murderer and motive very predictable, and thought the moral story was completely overdone and heavy handed.

A generous 3 stars

This was very good and I’m sorry it took me so long to post this review. I enjoyed the description of the small town in Quebec and the interplay between the characters. The story itself started off at a cracking pace and I enjoyed it a lot,

I love Louise Penny’s writing and her characters who are so very real. I want to live in 3 pines and visit the bistro! Beautifully written , exciting and unputdownable.

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is asked to provide protection for a statistics lecture at a university in Quebec. It seems an innocuous enough event; however, the speaker is Professor Abigail Robinson, whose disquieting ideas on the weaker in society are gaining traction.

Gamache wants the event cancelled but in the end it goes ahead and there is an attempt on Robinson's life. Days later, Robinson's assistant Debbie Schneider is found murdered at a New Year's Eve party and the investigation into the professor's dangerous views turns into a manhunt.

Assisted by his fellow officers, Jean-Guy Beauvoir (also Gamache's son-in-law) and Isabelle Lacoste, Gamache investigates the narrative behind the dangerous views expounded by Robinson and why someone was prepared to kill in order to keep that narrative alive.

It proves a difficult case to crack and is also complicated by the narrative hitting a little closer to home than Gamache would like.

In a story that blends the investigation with moral questions regarding how we treat the weaker in society and the nature of cowardice - Gamache is accused of being a coward at an early point in proceedings - Louise Penny builds a complex storyline that eventually leads to a tense stand-off where the killer is finally unmasked.

I found this book slow going to begin with, but the layers of the story gradually peel back, like an onion skin, as the detective pursues the thread that eventually leads him to the killer. One of the related narratives, concerning Gamache's wife going through boxes of possessions from a recently deceased local woman, proves crucial to the final outcome. The tension is palpable as events reach their climax.

Not all of the story is around the investigation. There are moments of humour and pathos as well as several engaging characters. I liked particularly Haniya Daoud, a Sudanese human rights campaigner who comes to visit the area, with her mental and physical scars and intellectual insight that proves at least a match for Gamache.

The ending is beautifully done too, showing the quiet dignity and humanity of a woman who will continue her work to liberate those unable to speak for themselves.

The book can be read on its own, but I would suggest reading some of the previous investigations to get more of the back story on Gamache; however, there was enough in the book to keep my interest engaged. I will definitely be reading more of this series.

I received an ARC of this book from Hodder & Stoughton, in return for an honest appraisal.

The story was interesting and addictive from start to finish. Quite a few intriguing characters and some unpredictable twists that I haven’t seen coming my way at all.
Not sure if I got to like any of the characters to be honest but that’s totally ok as many times they aren’t made likeable at all.
Looking forward to read more by this author in the future
Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy

This is the first book I have read in the Gamache series - perhaps not the best one to start with - but I gradually eased into the story with its unexplained references to past cases and disasters. It took a while to get aquainted with the usual characters and their back-stories but once I had, I found them likeable on the whole and complex. The subject matter, set in post Covid Canada, was unusual but formed the basis of a multi-layered and nuanced plot about disability, age and euthanasia, leading to a gripping conclusion of all the different strands. An enjoyable and absorbing read.

The Madness of the Crowds was an enjoyable introduction to Three Pines and Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. I adored the setting and the characters and yet something about it just left me cold and unattached. I think the author tried to include a lot of issues that for me made it a difficult one for me to keep going with. I understand her fans adore such complexity and how she tackle issues in her writing. When at times I found it hard going. I'm not sure this author is for me -sorry.

See ya husband 👋🏻 I’m moving to Three Pines and marrying Chief Inspector Gamache 🤣

I am just totally falling for Louise Penny’s books, and thought this was the best one yet 🙌🏻 In this instalment, obviously … a murder takes place 👀 a town full of suspects, Gamache needs to uncover the killer 😬

It’s just another perfect …. Cozy, murder mystery with fantastic characters (and some of Gamache’s family secrets revealed 🤫), you just won’t want the story to end!

This was my first read of a Louise Penny book and somehow missed that it’s a series! It can be read as a stand alone although there are some mentions to the past that I think having read the earlier books would help get to know the main characters and their relationships but it’s not necessary.

The story is set post global pandemic and at the start when I read that my heart sank thinking that it was going to be all about covid. In real life, at the moment, it feels as though we are on the verge of another lockdown so really don’t want to be reading about covid in my ‘me time’. I was relieved that that’s not what the story is about.

I did feel that the story went on a bit longer than it should have and got a bit frustrated at the to and fro on who they were suspecting especially toward the end.

I did enjoy it though and will look out for the earlier books in the series.

Thank you to #NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review #TheMadness OfCrowds

A complicated but brilliant murder.

It’s the week between Christmas and New Year Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his team, Isabelle Lacoste and Jean-Guy Beauvoir are furious that the time they were hoping to have a break from duty and spend some time with their families, in Three Pines, they are ordered to ensure that Professor Abigail Robinson, a friend of Chancellor Colette Roberge of the Universitė de l’Estrie is given extra protection while delivering a lecture on her studies and statistics. These statistics of hers favour that the Government terminate all pregnancies where a deformed or disabled baby may be born and euthanise all elderly people with dementia or other terminal diseases.

The idea that they must protect her appals both Gamache and Beauvoir (Gamache’s son-in-law) as Gamache daughter had recently given birth to a Down Syndrome Child. However, it’s an order Gamache and his team cannot ignore. Nor can he persuade the President nor the Chancellor to ban the meeting. The meeting has no sooner started than firecrackers are released in the packed crowd, followed by a man trying to shoot the professor. She is only saved thanks to Gamache’s quick thinking.

There is an extensive list of suspects, to this disturbance at the lecture, but that list grows when Professor Robinson’s assistant is murdered.

It’s a lengthy book, but Louise Penny’s subject is fascinating, and I found it easy to understand the hostilities that could arise because of the subject. The characters are all truly outstanding. There’s something about this series of novels that always brings a bit of magic either in scenery or the odd people who live in the village of Three Pines – and what I love the most is the poetry that seems to crop up within conversations.

Rony

Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of the book to review.

Took a few chapters to get into this book but once I did I enjoyed it.
An edge of your seat thriller that keeps you guessing until the end with a few interesting twists on the way.
Gamache is perfect as the thorough and serious detective whilst some of the quirkier characters add a bit of lightness to the heavy subject.
This novel is a slow burn, dealing with real issues.

Douglas Murray takes us through the rise of the new metaphysics which have replaced the outdated belief in facts, science, logic and truth.
A brilliant guide to understanding the post-truth world of intersectionality and legal fiat. He gives us some hope that we can overcome the madness that is destroying our post-everything society.

I love Inspector Gamache books by Louise Penny but really did struggle with this one. The setting of the story seemed to take forever with a debate before the main event. I know it is giving background but it really did go on too long. There are many issues here including that of free speech, genetic engineering and ethics. I have a disabled sister so did find some aspects of this book had me feeling quite angry at times. I don't think it was an easy read and sadly, I didn't really enjoy this book. However, we all have varied tastes so I do thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

As Quebec and the world return to normal following the pandemic, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is tasked with supervising the visit of university lecturer Professor Abigail Robinson. Her controversial subject - controlling population numbers to ensure the future - pits Gamache and his son-in-law Inspector Beauvoir against many of their friends and when murder strikes, their job becomes almost impossible. Can they solve the case without tearing their small community apart?

The Madness of Crowds is an engrossing story, with a scarily real dilemma at its heart. With an ever increasing population and with finite resources, would we contemplate enforced euthanasia for vulnerable people? Louise Penny has created a thought provoking idea within a very entertaining book. Gamache is a well created character and his thought and actions are believable and real.

A great story and I can’t wait to read more of Louise Penny’s books.

This is an atmospheric crime story set against the backdrop of a snowy winter in Quebec. The description of the landscape, mystery and the icy depths are evocative. The plot twists and turns around the potential suspects and those searching for the truth, both in their personal lives and the wider political context. A good read.

After the previous book took the Gamache family (and, therefore, the reader) to Paris, The Madness Of Crowds finds us back in Three Pines. Gamache, asked to police a public speaking event, finds himself morally repulsed by the scientist his team are tasked to protect. This is a truly post-pandemic novel, centred on a very relevant question: whose lives are worth saving? The struggle of various characters to come to terms both with the pandemic generally, and with the work of Professor Robinson specifically, will resonate with readers who by this point in the series are well used to the philosophising of the Gamache novels. Alongside the ethical questions raised there is also, of course, a very readable murder mystery (albeit one that wasn’t too tricky to crack), and I enjoyed very much being back with some of my favourite characters in the Bistro.