Kingdom of the Blind
Registered by 
GoryDetails
of Nashua, New Hampshire USA on 2/28/2019
This book is in a Controlled Release!
GoryDetails of Nashua, New Hampshire USA on 2/28/2019 This book is in a Controlled Release!
1 journaler for this copy...
I got this hardcover at Barnes and Noble during their "bookhaul" promotion; it's a special edition with some bonus material. I've enjoyed the series since I first stumbled across it, and look forward to another visit to Three Pines.
This book follows on the events of Glass Houses, with some changes of focus - and some potentially-life-changing decisions on the part of several main characters.
This one features an unusual twist: Gamache and two other people (including Myrna, owner of the Three Pines bookstore) meet at a long-derelict farmhouse in the middle of a snowstorm - because they've been invited there as executors of a will. The will of a woman whose name they don't recognize at all... The questions as to who she was, how she knew them, and why she chose them are only the beginning of the story. All too soon there's a tragedy, a death that might be accidental but (of course) is not, and the case takes on a new aspect. Lots of plot-threads here, though in its way it's more of a classic mystery than usual.
But that's not all that's going on. The fallout from Gamache's decision in the last book to allow a huge shipment of drugs to get into the hands of criminals may end his career - and possibly that of Jean-Guy, who's being pressured by a committee to sign some papers that we gather will separate him from Gamache. He sees it as a betrayal and is refusing to cooperate, but there are powerful influences at work. [By the end of the book I admit I was quite surprised to see what influences those were, as well as the reveal of the nature of the documents; I won't spoil it, but the suspense throughout the book added some spice to the story.]
There are lots of opportunities for the usual cast of Three Pines characters to hang out together, bicker and banter and reminisce - and inspire each other; those are my favorite parts of the series. I was also pleased to see that the seriously-injured Lacoste gets some opportunities to help out; she's still suffering debilitating effects, but is able to contribute, something that cheers her immensely.
The volatile Amelia Choquet has a key role here too, and I admit I guessed what was going on fairly early - though the way the story played out I wasn't sure. She is one tough young woman, with her own demons to fight as well as the prejudices of the establishment. She might, if successful, redeem more souls than her own...
While there were some tragic losses, the story's largely positive, with some entertaining twists in the inheritance plot as well as the overarching what-will-happen-in-the-Surete storyline.
This book has some bonus material: a map of Three Pines, and writeups of a couple of establishments that inspired some of the key spots in the town. An afterword by Penny is also worth reading; she describes how she thought she'd stop writing after her husband's death, but found Gamache and his story creeping back into her life, and once she began to write again it seemed to help in coping with her loss.
This book follows on the events of Glass Houses, with some changes of focus - and some potentially-life-changing decisions on the part of several main characters.
This one features an unusual twist: Gamache and two other people (including Myrna, owner of the Three Pines bookstore) meet at a long-derelict farmhouse in the middle of a snowstorm - because they've been invited there as executors of a will. The will of a woman whose name they don't recognize at all... The questions as to who she was, how she knew them, and why she chose them are only the beginning of the story. All too soon there's a tragedy, a death that might be accidental but (of course) is not, and the case takes on a new aspect. Lots of plot-threads here, though in its way it's more of a classic mystery than usual.
But that's not all that's going on. The fallout from Gamache's decision in the last book to allow a huge shipment of drugs to get into the hands of criminals may end his career - and possibly that of Jean-Guy, who's being pressured by a committee to sign some papers that we gather will separate him from Gamache. He sees it as a betrayal and is refusing to cooperate, but there are powerful influences at work. [By the end of the book I admit I was quite surprised to see what influences those were, as well as the reveal of the nature of the documents; I won't spoil it, but the suspense throughout the book added some spice to the story.]
There are lots of opportunities for the usual cast of Three Pines characters to hang out together, bicker and banter and reminisce - and inspire each other; those are my favorite parts of the series. I was also pleased to see that the seriously-injured Lacoste gets some opportunities to help out; she's still suffering debilitating effects, but is able to contribute, something that cheers her immensely.
The volatile Amelia Choquet has a key role here too, and I admit I guessed what was going on fairly early - though the way the story played out I wasn't sure. She is one tough young woman, with her own demons to fight as well as the prejudices of the establishment. She might, if successful, redeem more souls than her own...
While there were some tragic losses, the story's largely positive, with some entertaining twists in the inheritance plot as well as the overarching what-will-happen-in-the-Surete storyline.
This book has some bonus material: a map of Three Pines, and writeups of a couple of establishments that inspired some of the key spots in the town. An afterword by Penny is also worth reading; she describes how she thought she'd stop writing after her husband's death, but found Gamache and his story creeping back into her life, and once she began to write again it seemed to help in coping with her loss.
I'm taking this to today's BookCrossing Meetup in the Panera in Porter Square; hope someone enjoys it!
*** Released for the 2019 Royalty release challenge. ***
*** Released for the 2019 Royalty release challenge. ***
