I have read all the Gamache books, I feel I know the characters, that they are friends!
They are so real and so vividly written and the stories always full of new things to learn and love! Perfect!

I have read a few books from this series and found this to be the most graphic and suspenseful so far. It took me a while to get into the book, particularly as it moved between past and present day. However, once I was into it I really enjoyed it, Gamache is a complex and thoughtful police officer, and his relationships are realistically drawn. The setting in a small rural village, complete with its inhabitants, is a major asset of the series. I highly recommend this book and am looking forward to the next volume.

A Superlative Series..
The eighteenth instalment in the superlative Chief Inspector Gamache series of mysteries. It’s Spring in Three Pines but not everything is well. The past is about to come back to haunt residents as well as Gamache and his team. Beautifully done with the usual well crafted cast of characters, the enigmatic Gamache on full form and an atmospheric setting. A tremendous narrative and a plot of many twisted threads make this another wholly immersive, compelling and stunning addition to this series.

Outstanding. Unquestionably, Louise is my favourite author, and Gamache my favourite ever literary character. So while I looked forward to a new book, there was a vague “Will it live up to?” at the back of my mind. Louise, I’m sorry there was even the hint of a whisper of doubt - you’ve delivered again, possibly your best ever book. I don’t know how they continue to get better; perhaps you have a literary grimoire if your own… but what an intricate book, so many threads and details. And no, it’s not the new person to the village who is the victim or killer, but this book nicely takes us back in Gamache and Beauvoir’s history.

Honestly, I loved this.

I received ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review, and thank you so much for that.

Another wonderfully addictive chapter in the lives of the residents of Three Pines and Armand Gamache. Right from the outset there is a sense of underlying tension that is continually heightened by the realisation that past events in the lives of the characters are coming back to haunt them with frightening consequences. I really enjoyed the flashback to the circumstances of Gamache and Beauvoir’s first meeting and the insights to Armand’s past and early experiences of his career. The residents of Three Pines, by now well rounded in their own right form a familiar background that is once again reassuring and familiar but not overly intrusive. I loved the mystery of the painting, The Paston Treasure, the process of trying to solve a puzzle that evolved into a complicated web of intrigue, deceit and murder. There are many thought provoking and disturbing issues entwined within the story that only serve to accentuate the evil that results in an exciting and gripping climax. This is a page turner that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout and I am sure will be enjoyed by fans of the series and new readers alike.