A Rule Against Murder

Chief Inspector Gamache, Book 4

By: Louise Penny

Narrated by: Adam Sims

Length: 12 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

It's the height of summer, and the wealthy Finney family have gathered at the Manoir Bellechasse to pay tribute to their late father. But as the temperature rises, old secrets and bitter rivalries begin to surface. When the heat wave boils over into a mighty storm, a dead body is left in its wake. Chief Inspector Gamache, a guest at the Bellechasse, finds himself with a building full of suspects. With the hotel locked down, the murderer is trapped. But a cornered predator is always the most dangerous of all....

Coming soon: Book 5 in the Chief Inspector Gamache series, The Brutal Telling. When Chief Inspector Gamache arrives in picturesque Three Pines, he steps into a village in chaos. A man has been found bludgeoned to death, and there is no sign of a weapon, a motive, or even the dead man's name. As Gamache and his colleagues start to dig under the skin of this peaceful haven for clues, they uncover a trail of stolen treasure, mysterious codes, and a shameful history that begins to shed light on the victim's identity - and points to a terrifying killer....

©2008 Louise Penny (P)2009 Hachette Audio

The Wrong Voice

Any additional comments?

I found the first 3 books in this series quite charming.This 4th book was only available with Adam Sims as narrator and, although I knew the switch wouldn't be seamless, I was surprised at how much less I enjoyed the story with him narrating. Listening to Ralph Cosham, each character had a distinct 'voice', but I was still able to get lost in the story and sort of forget Cosham was there. However, Sims' conspicuous acting of every character made it hard for me to hear the story. I really had to force myself to focus in order to take in what was happening. I don't want to miss events in Gamache's life or in Three Pines, but I'll be skipping books 5 & 6 since only Sims' versions are available.

Good book

My only criticism was that the narrator no longer has a British accent which I prefer
I also know that a new narrator with a Brit accent appears later in the series

Weakest of all Inspector Gamache books so far

I found this a hard book to get into, which is unusual for Louise Penny's books. I have loved all the other Inspector Gamache books and will continue on, listening to the others, looking forward to The Long Way Home.

Good story, but...

Where does The Murder Stone rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

In the top 25%.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Good ending. Nice denouement.

What does Adam Sims bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

This is where the "but" comes in. His portrayal of all the new characters was great, as was his portrayal of Gamache and his wife and Gamache's subordinates. But, I did not like his characterization of Clara. I thought it was too harsh. I listened to this book after I'd listened to all the others in this series so I know where Clara and Peter's relationship is going. Clara is softer than Adam Sims portrayed her. I like Clara and I didn't like her much in this book and I think it is because of Mr. Sims' interpretation of her.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Both.

Any additional comments?

There was a lot about Clara and Peter in the first half of the book and then it was as if Ms. Penny forgot Clara was in the book. Clara's reactions to events in the first part of the book were so strong that I wanted some resolution for them. I didn't get that. In many other ways the book was very satisfying. The other scene I wish I had been in on was Gamache's last talk with his son. The author just told us it had taken place, instead of showing it to us so that we could experience the scene. A missed opportunity, I think.

I love Louise Penny

I thoroughly enjoy Louise penny‘s work. I’m not 100% thrilled with this narrator, but I am very grateful that her audiobooks exist.

Same book: A Rule Against Murder

If you could sum up The Murder Stone in three words, what would they be?

The same book (as A Rule Against Murder)
or
A good read

Any additional comments?

Be aware that this is the same book as the book with the title "A Rule against Murder: A Three Pines Mystery". I made the mistake of buying "A Rule against Murder" and returned it because I already have this one and it is the same story.

Le livre est l'opium de l'Occident...

Any additional comments?

...and currently Louise Penny is my dealer.
What can you find to criticize about Chief Inspector Gamache? He's no Morse - brooding, rude, bibulous. He's no Poirot - rather vain, occasionally even ridiculous, given to reflecting the prejudices of his creator. He isn't even the irritating Sherlock Holmes, whose genius mitigates the many cruelties visited upon Watson as a result of his cocaine-fueled self-centredness and bizarre belief that the violin is a musical instrument. What faults does Gamache have (apart from the moustache, obviously)? After hearing at length and repeatedly of his gentleness, his unshakeable good manners, his concern for those about him, his tolerance of dissenting views, his generosity, you really long for someone to catch him alone in a wardrobe, gorging on the chocolates he doesn't want to share with anyone else, or breaking into the neighbours' house to steal their children's Christmas presents. Such a paragon should be a dull study, but Gamache for some reason is not. Apart from anything else, he's the perfect foil for the very imperfect characters surrounding him, and for his wife's knowing but gentle teasing. (If anyone deserves a chapter in "The Canterbury Tales", it's this wise and witty femme.) Perhaps he is one of those rare characters who brings out the most interesting aspects of the personality of others.
In this novel, his famed patience is tested to virtual destruction by the shenanigans of the Finney family, whose rudeness and arrogance border on sociopathic. When a murder is committed in the grounds of the beautiful country hotel where both they and the Gamaches are staying, the family engage in the kind of vicious bickering and backbiting which must have characterized the home life of Caligula. Will Gamache be thrown off the killer's scent by their distracting and hostile behaviour? Will he be overwhelmed and silenced as the skeleton is dragged from his own closet and made to dance for the entertainment of the Finneys? WIll the Canadian taxpayer be able to afford to feed and accommodate Gamache and his team, as they stuff themselves with one mouthwatering dish after another in between jumping at clues?
Normally I get irritated by conversations in books about nothing in particular -especially where they take place at a dinner table and food is being described. In this book, however, the conversations (whether on or off the subject of foul deeds) were funny and interesting. There were quite a few laugh out loud moments, when Penny's earthy sense of humour turns a simple exchange ("I've got something to show you...") into a polite version of a Benny Hill sketch.
As to the plot itself - as always, it twists and turns like Mick Jagger putting on his tights in the morning. It's a terrific read.

Loving this

What made the experience of listening to The Murder Stone the most enjoyable?

I have read the previous books in the series and am enjoying hearing the Canadian characters brought to life.

Any additional comments?

Ideal for those who like a more old fashioned style of detective story rather than the taut, violent psychological thrillers so common today.

Still enjoying

It’s difficult to find things to say when listening to one after the other, but maybe that speaks for itself?!

Another fantastic tale!

Ms Penny kept me guessing right to the very end of the book..... Again.
I want to move to Three Pines!

Cozy murder mystery

Cozy murder mystery with a very wholesome look on people, fathers and forgiveness and moving on. It gets dark but not without softness and manages to be interesting without being cruel. Worth a read!

Enjoyed but, a bit convoluted

It took a while to get this finished, as there were a few more tangents than usual and the ending was not given as much attention as the side plots. Overall enjoy these characters and enjoying the series.