The new atmospheric and ingenious crime thriller novel, featuring Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, from number one New York Times bestselling author, Louise Penny
Hardly a day goes by when nine-year-old Laurent Lepage doesn't cry wolf. His boundless sense of adventure and vivid imagination mean he has a tendency to concoct stories so extraordinary and so far-fetched that no one can possibly believe him.
But when Laurent disappears, former Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is faced with the possibility that one of his tall tales might have been true.
So begins a frantic search for the boy and the truth. And what Gamache uncovers deep in the forest leads back to crimes of the past, betrayal and murder, with more sinister consequences than anyone could have possibly imagined . . .
From number one bestseller Louise Penny comes an ingenious, powerful and page-turning novel that will hold you in its grip until the final page.
Haunting, brilliant...Chief Inspector Gamache is one of my favourite characters in fiction - Linda Fairstein
Penny writes with grace and intelligence about complex people struggling with complex emotions. But her great gift is her uncanny ability to describe what might seem indescribable - the play of light, the sound of celestial music, a quiet sense of peace - New York Times
Rich in character, language, humour and emotional tension, this is one of those books you immerse yourself in and miss once you've emerged - Morning Star on The Beautiful Mystery
A pleasingly ambitious novel . . . this is a novel that places its faith in characterisation, atmosphere and the endlessly fascinating psychology of the human mind - Irish Times on the Beautiful Mystery
Clever, full of twists and turns, a wonderfully satisfying - and moving - addition to Penny's atmospheric, distinctive series - Kate Mosse on How the Light Gets In
Louise Penny twists and turns the plot expertly tripping the reader up just at the moment you think you might have solved the mystery - Daily Express
With skilful plotting and gift for creating atmosphere, Penny weaves a dark and suspenseful tale of deadly secrets, professional machinations and surprising twists - Good Book Guide
Louise Penny is the number one New York Times bestselling author of the Inspector Gamache series, including Still Life, which won the CWA John Creasey Dagger in 2006. Recipient of virtually every existing award for crime fiction, Louise was also granted the Order of Canada in 2014 and received an honorary doctorate of literature from Carleton University and the Ordre Nationale du QuA bec in 2017. She lives in a small village south of Montreal.