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Book Summary and Reviews of A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny

A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny

A Rule Against Murder

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #4

by Louise Penny

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  • Published:
  • Sep 2009, 384 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

It is the height of summer, and Armand Gamache and his wife are celebrating their wedding anniversary at an isolated, luxurious inn not far from the village of Three Pines. But they’re not alone. The Finney family - rich, cultured, and respectable - has also arrived for a celebration of their own.

As the heat rises and the humidity closes in, some surprising guests turn up at the Finney reunion - and a terrible summer storm leaves behind a dead body. Now it's up to Chief Inspector Gamache to unearth long-buried secrets and hatreds hidden behind polite smiles. The chase takes him to Three Pines - into the dark corners of his own life, and finally to a harrowing climax.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Seamless, often lyrical prose artfully reveals the characters' flaws, dreams and blessings." - Publishers Weekly

"Starred Review. One of the best traditional mystery series currently being published." - Booklist

"This latest treat will keep fans salivating in anticipation, savoring each delectable morsel and yearning for more." - Kirkus

"Starred Review. [Penny's] psychological acumen, excellent prose, and ingenious plotting make this essential reading for mystery lovers and admirers of superb literary fiction. Fans of Dorothy L. Sayers, P.D. James, and Elizabeth George will also be delighted." - Library Journal

"Powerful and uniquely imaginative, with prose that approaches the poetic…Penny concocts an intricate and intriguing plot and peoples it with credible characters and the continually fascinating Gamache." - Richmond Times-Dispatch

This information about A Rule Against Murder was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

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Author Information

Louise Penny Author Biography

Photo: Jean-Francois Bérubé

Louise Penny's first novel, Still Life, won the New Blood Dagger, Arthur Ellis, Barry, Anthony, and Dilys awards. Her second book, A Fatal Grace, won the 2007 Agatha Award for Best Novel, as did her third, The Cruelest Month. Her next, A Rule Against Murder, was a New York Times bestseller, followed by The Brutal Telling, which was a New York Times, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, and National Indie bestseller. Louise lives in a small village south of Montreal.

Pronunciation Guide: Louise Penny's website provides a wealth of interesting information about her and her books including a pronunciation guide to the characters and places referenced in her books.

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache Series (to 2020)

  1. Still Life (2005)
  2. Dead Cold (2006) aka A Fatal Grace
  3. The Cruellest ...

... Full Biography
Link to Louise Penny's Website

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