Book Review: Glass Houses by Louise Penny

Glass Houses: Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #13
by Louise Penny
Publication: August 29, 2017, book courtesy of Minotaur
Genre: mystery, crime novel

Objective rating: 5/5
This is the 13th in the series but it doesn't let you down. It's so good that the book is hard to stop reading, and it gets better toward the end. The people of Three Pines pull you into their little world, as usual, but when criminal events begin to encroach into the lives of the secluded village where Chief Superintendent Gamache of Quebec and his wife Reine-Marie live, the sparks really begin to fly. 

There is an unknown person in a Death costume standing on the village green for three days or so, who doesn't speak or tell anyone in the village why he is there. He appears threatening, and the villagers become uncomfortable with his presence there. Later on there is a murder, and suspects begin to surface among the visitors and newcomers to the village. 

I won't give the plot away, but it's suspenseful and takes you where you least expect; the characters are as entertaining and as colorful as in the previous twelve books; the Chief Superintendent and his second in command, Beauvoir, hold your interest as they plan to take down dangerous criminals that threaten their province and personal lives.

I really enjoyed this and think its one of the best in the series. It can be read as a stand alone book, of course, for those who have not read others in the series. Highly recommended for mystery lovers. 

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Sunday Salon: Crime Novels, and Education; Short Reviews

Three lovely books this week:

Glass Houses: Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #13
by Louise Penny
Publication: August 29, 2017, courtesy of Minotaur
Genre: mystery, crime novel

The Child Finder by Rene Denfeld

Publication September 5, 2017, courtesy of Harper

Genre: suspense, investigation

Little Soldiers: An American Boy, a Chinese School, and the Global Race to Achieve by Lenora Chu

Publication September 19, 2017, courtesy of Harper

Genre: nonfiction, education

Mini reviews: I finished and enjoyed

The Little French Bistro by Nina George, June 13, 2017, Crown.
Contemporary novel, women's fiction.

This is the story of a woman escaping an abusive marriage and re-inventing herself in a small town in Brittany, France.  Her plans to commit suicide are waylaid by the kindness of the people in the town where she finds herself, by the ocean, and the bistro where she finds employment. 

I got involved with the various personalities in the novel, young and older, and with the descriptions of a seaside village on the Brittany coast, as well as with Breton customs, superstitions, and folklore. I gave this 5 stars for a pleasant read. 

Livia Lone #1 by Barry Eisler, October 25, 2016, Thomas and Mercer.
Thriller, crime novel.

I have enjoyed the John Rain thrillers by Eisler and was interested to see he has started a new series, featuring a judo expert and Seattle cop, Livia Lone. Livia was kidnapped as a child from a hilltribe village in Thailand, brought to the U.S., and adopted by a senator. This is her story of escape from horrific abuse, becoming a judo expert, and later joining law enforcement in order to stop human trafficking.

A revealing and intriguing story, but be prepared for some graphic violence.

I rated this 4.5 stars.

Whispers of Warning: A Change of Fortune Mystery #2 by Jessica Estevao
Publication September 19, 2017, courtesy of Berkley
I will be doing a book tour for the publisher mid September. Watch for a review then.

Our weather has changed a bit and the temps are down. I am missing the warmer sunny days already, but I feel so sorry for those living on the Texas coast.

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