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The Cruelest Month
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A Rule Against Murder
- A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel
- By: Louise Penny
- Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
- Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,244
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2,038
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,026
It is the height of summer, and Armand and Reine-Marie Gamache are celebrating their wedding anniversary at Manoir Bellechasse, 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. The beautiful Manoir Bellechasse might be surrounded by nature, but there is something unnatural looming.
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5 out of 5 stars
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I enjoy Louise Penny's writing
- By D. Thomas on 03-07-17
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A Fatal Grace
- Chief Inspector Gamache, Book 2
- By: Louise Penny
- Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
- Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4,762
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4,372
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,359
Welcome to winter in Three Pines, a picturesque village in Quebec, where the villagers are preparing for a traditional country Christmas, and someone is preparing for murder. No one liked CC de Poitiers. Not her quiet husband, not her spineless lover, not her pathetic daughter - and certainly none of the residents of Three Pines. CC de Poitiers managed to alienate everyone, right up until the moment of her death. When Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, of the Sûreté du Quebec, is called to investigate, he quickly realizes he's dealing with someone quite extraordinary.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Time to get lost and find yourself in Three Pines.
- By Chip Atkinson on 12-09-14
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The Brutal Telling
- A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel
- By: Louise Penny
- Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
- Length: 13 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 895
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 831
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 830
Chaos is coming, old son. With those words the peace of Three Pines is shattered. Everybody goes to Olivier's Bistro - including a stranger whose murdered body is found on the floor. When Chief Inspector Gamache is called to investigate, he is dismayed to discover that Olivier's story is full of holes. Why are his fingerprints all over the cabin that's uncovered deep in the wilderness, with priceless antiques and the dead man's blood?
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5 out of 5 stars
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Compelling fifth trip with Inspector Gamache
- By Venetia on 08-07-18
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Bury Your Dead
- A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel
- By: Louise Penny
- Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
- Length: 12 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4,041
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 3,464
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,442
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache has come to Winter Carnival - not to join the revels but to recover from an investigation gone hauntingly wrong. But violent death is inescapable, even in the apparent sanctuary of the Literary and Historical Society - where an obsessive historian’s quest for the remains of the founder of Quebec, Samuel de Champlain, ends in murder. Could a secret buried with Champlain for nearly 400 years be so dreadful that someone would kill to protect it?
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5 out of 5 stars
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The Great Gamache in Old Quebec
- By Chip Atkinson on 12-21-14
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A Trick of the Light
- A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel
- By: Louise Penny
- Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
- Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4,155
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 3,747
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,719
“Hearts are broken,” Lillian Dyson carefully underlined in a book. “Sweet relationships are dead.” But now Lillian herself is dead. Found among the bleeding hearts and lilacs of Clara Morrow's garden in Three Pines, shattering the celebrations of Clara's solo show at the famed Musée in Montreal.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Amazing
- By barbara on 09-15-11
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Still Life
- Chief Inspector Gamache, Book 1
- By: Louise Penny
- Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
- Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 8,596
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 7,859
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 7,830
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Surêté du Québec and his team of investigators are called in to the scene of a suspicious death in a rural village south of Montreal. Jane Neal, a local fixture in the tiny hamlet of Three Pines, just north of the U.S. border, has been found dead in the woods. The locals are certain it’s a tragic hunting accident and nothing more, but Gamache smells something foul in these remote woods, and is soon certain that Jane Neal died at the hands of someone much more sinister than a careless bowhunter.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A rare find
- By Alex on 01-16-15
-
A Rule Against Murder
- A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel
- By: Louise Penny
- Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
- Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,244
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2,038
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,026
It is the height of summer, and Armand and Reine-Marie Gamache are celebrating their wedding anniversary at Manoir Bellechasse, 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. The beautiful Manoir Bellechasse might be surrounded by nature, but there is something unnatural looming.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I enjoy Louise Penny's writing
- By D. Thomas on 03-07-17
-
A Fatal Grace
- Chief Inspector Gamache, Book 2
- By: Louise Penny
- Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
- Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4,762
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4,372
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,359
Welcome to winter in Three Pines, a picturesque village in Quebec, where the villagers are preparing for a traditional country Christmas, and someone is preparing for murder. No one liked CC de Poitiers. Not her quiet husband, not her spineless lover, not her pathetic daughter - and certainly none of the residents of Three Pines. CC de Poitiers managed to alienate everyone, right up until the moment of her death. When Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, of the Sûreté du Quebec, is called to investigate, he quickly realizes he's dealing with someone quite extraordinary.
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4 out of 5 stars
-
Time to get lost and find yourself in Three Pines.
- By Chip Atkinson on 12-09-14
-
The Brutal Telling
- A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel
- By: Louise Penny
- Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
- Length: 13 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 895
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 831
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 830
Chaos is coming, old son. With those words the peace of Three Pines is shattered. Everybody goes to Olivier's Bistro - including a stranger whose murdered body is found on the floor. When Chief Inspector Gamache is called to investigate, he is dismayed to discover that Olivier's story is full of holes. Why are his fingerprints all over the cabin that's uncovered deep in the wilderness, with priceless antiques and the dead man's blood?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Compelling fifth trip with Inspector Gamache
- By Venetia on 08-07-18
-
Bury Your Dead
- A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel
- By: Louise Penny
- Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
- Length: 12 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4,041
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 3,464
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,442
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache has come to Winter Carnival - not to join the revels but to recover from an investigation gone hauntingly wrong. But violent death is inescapable, even in the apparent sanctuary of the Literary and Historical Society - where an obsessive historian’s quest for the remains of the founder of Quebec, Samuel de Champlain, ends in murder. Could a secret buried with Champlain for nearly 400 years be so dreadful that someone would kill to protect it?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The Great Gamache in Old Quebec
- By Chip Atkinson on 12-21-14
-
A Trick of the Light
- A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel
- By: Louise Penny
- Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
- Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4,155
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 3,747
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,719
“Hearts are broken,” Lillian Dyson carefully underlined in a book. “Sweet relationships are dead.” But now Lillian herself is dead. Found among the bleeding hearts and lilacs of Clara Morrow's garden in Three Pines, shattering the celebrations of Clara's solo show at the famed Musée in Montreal.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
Amazing
- By barbara on 09-15-11
-
Still Life
- Chief Inspector Gamache, Book 1
- By: Louise Penny
- Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
- Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 8,596
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 7,859
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 7,830
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Surêté du Québec and his team of investigators are called in to the scene of a suspicious death in a rural village south of Montreal. Jane Neal, a local fixture in the tiny hamlet of Three Pines, just north of the U.S. border, has been found dead in the woods. The locals are certain it’s a tragic hunting accident and nothing more, but Gamache smells something foul in these remote woods, and is soon certain that Jane Neal died at the hands of someone much more sinister than a careless bowhunter.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A rare find
- By Alex on 01-16-15
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The Beautiful Mystery
- A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel
- By: Louise Penny
- Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
- Length: 13 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4,341
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,923
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,900
No outsiders are ever admitted to the monastery of Saint-Gilbert-Entre-les-Loups, hidden deep in the wilderness of Quebec, where two dozen cloistered monks live in peace and prayer. They grow vegetables, they tend chickens, they make chocolate. And they sing. Ironically, for a community that has taken a vow of silence, the monks have become world-famous for their glorious voices, raised in ancient chants whose effect on both singer and listener is so profound it is known as “the beautiful mystery.”
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5 out of 5 stars
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Engaging, entertaining, and heartbreaking.
- By Sparkly on 09-04-12
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How the Light Gets In
- A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel, Book 9
- By: Louise Penny
- Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
- Length: 15 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4,107
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 3,765
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,761
Shadows are falling on the usually festive Christmas season for Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. When Gamache receives a message from Myrna Landers that a longtime friend has failed to arrive for Christmas in the village of Three Pines, he welcomes the chance to get away from the city. Gamache soon discovers the missing woman was once one of the most famous people not just in North America, but in the world, and now goes unrecognized by virtually everyone. As events come to a head, Gamache is drawn ever deeper into the world of Three Pines.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Welcome Home!
- By Nancy J on 09-06-13
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The Long Way Home
- Chief Inspector Gamache, Book 10
- By: Louise Penny
- Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
- Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,873
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 3,543
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,516
Happily retired in the village of Three Pines, Armand Gamache, former Chief Inspector of Homicide with the Sûreté du Québec, has found a peace he'd only imagined possible. On warm summer mornings he sits on a bench holding a small book, The Balm in Gilead, in his large hands. "There is a balm in Gilead," his neighbor Clara Morrow reads from the dust jacket, "to make the wounded whole." While Gamache doesn't talk about his wounds and his balm, Clara tells him about hers. Peter, her artist husband, has failed to come home. Failed to show up as promised on the first anniversary of their separation. She wants Gamache's help to find him. Having finally found sanctuary, Gamache feels a near revulsion at the thought of leaving Three Pines. "There’s power enough in Heaven," he finishes the quote as he contemplates the quiet village, "to cure a sin-sick soul." And then he gets up. And joins her.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Only kept listening because I love the characters.
- By Vida T. Yancy on 08-31-14
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The Nature of the Beast
- A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel
- By: Louise Penny
- Narrated by: Robert Bathurst
- Length: 12 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,915
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,626
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,603
Hardly a day goes by when nine-year-old Laurent Lepage doesn't cry wolf. From alien invasions to walking trees to winged beasts in the woods to dinosaurs spotted in the village of Three Pines, his tales are so extraordinary no one can possibly believe him. Including Armand and Reine-Marie Gamache, who now live in the little Quebec village.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Go with hard copy next time
- By Angela on 07-30-16
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A Great Reckoning
- A Novel
- By: Louise Penny
- Narrated by: Robert Bathurst
- Length: 13 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5,636
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 5,187
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 5,164
When an intricate old map is found stuffed into the walls of the bistro in Three Pines, it at first seems no more than a curiosity. But the closer the villagers look, the stranger it becomes. Given to Armand Gamache as a gift the first day of his new job, the map eventually leads him to shattering secrets. To an old friend and older adversary. It leads the former Chief of Homicide for the Sûreté du Québec to places even he is afraid to go. But must. And there he finds four young cadets in the Sûreté academy, and a dead professor. And, with the body, a copy of the old, odd map.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A Return to Three Pines
- By Lisa K. Dillon on 09-05-16
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Glass Houses
- A Novel
- By: Louise Penny
- Narrated by: Robert Bathurst
- Length: 13 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,360
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,079
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,066
When a mysterious figure appears in Three Pines one cold November day, Armand Gamache and the rest of the villagers are at first curious. Then wary. Through rain and sleet, the figure stands unmoving, staring ahead. From the moment its shadow falls over the village, Gamache, now Chief Superintendent of the Sûreté du Québec, suspects the creature has deep roots and a dark purpose. Yet he does nothing. What can he do? Only watch and wait. And hope his mounting fears are not realized.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Disappointed
- By Anna on 09-05-17
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Kingdom of the Blind
- A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel, Book 14
- By: Louise Penny
- Narrated by: Robert Bathurst
- Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4,032
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 3,697
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,677
When a peculiar letter arrives inviting Armand Gamache to an abandoned farmhouse, the former head of the Sûreté du Québec discovers that a complete stranger has named him one of the executors of her will. Still on suspension, and frankly curious, Gamache accepts and soon learns that the other two executors are Myrna Landers, the bookseller from Three Pines, and a young builder. None of them had ever met the elderly woman. The will is so odd and includes bequests that are so wildly unlikely that Gamache and the others suspect the woman must have been delusional. But what if, Gamache begins to ask himself, she was perfectly sane?
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5 out of 5 stars
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Louise Penny never disappoints
- By Blucola on 12-04-18
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A Better Man: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel
- Chief Inspector Gamache/Three Pines Series, Book 15
- By: Louise Penny
- Narrated by: Robert Bathurst
- Length: 13 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,140
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 2,906
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,879
It’s Gamache’s first day back as head of the homicide department, a job he temporarily shares with his previous second-in-command, Jean-Guy Beauvoir. Flood waters are rising across the province. In the middle of the turmoil a father approaches Gamache, pleading for help in finding his daughter. As crisis piles upon crisis, Gamache tries to hold off the encroaching chaos, and realizes the search for Vivienne Godin should be abandoned. But with a daughter of his own, he finds himself developing a profound, and perhaps unwise, empathy for her distraught father.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Gamache has become predictable
- By Angelyn S. Furst on 09-04-19
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The Dutch House
- A Novel
- By: Ann Patchett
- Narrated by: Tom Hanks
- Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 8,456
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 7,949
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 7,894
At the end of the Second World War, Cyril Conroy combines luck and a single canny investment to begin an enormous real estate empire, propelling his family from poverty to enormous wealth. His first order of business is to buy the Dutch House, a lavish estate in the suburbs outside of Philadelphia. Meant as a surprise for his wife, the house sets in motion the undoing of everyone he loves. The story is told by Cyril’s son Danny, as he and his older sister, the brilliantly acerbic and self-assured Maeve, are exiled from the house where they grew up by their stepmother.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Magnificent
- By Amazon Customer on 09-26-19
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The Hollow of Fear
- The Lady Sherlock Series, Book 3
- By: Sherry Thomas
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
- Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,756
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,625
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,620
Under the cover of "Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective", Charlotte Holmes puts her extraordinary powers of deduction to good use. Aided by the capable Mrs. Watson, Charlotte draws those in need to her and makes it her business to know what other people don't. When the estranged wife of her dear friend Lord Ingram is discovered dead on his estate, all signs point to him as the murderer. With Scotland Yard closing in, Charlotte goes under disguise to find out the truth.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Love this series
- By Jane on 10-02-18
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The Giver of Stars
- A Novel
- By: Jojo Moyes
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 13 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 6,182
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 5,795
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 5,765
Alice Wright marries handsome American Bennett Van Cleve hoping to escape her stifling life in England. But small-town Kentucky quickly proves equally claustrophobic, especially living alongside her overbearing father-in-law. So, when a call goes out for a team of women to deliver books as part of Eleanor Roosevelt’s new traveling library, Alice signs on enthusiastically. The leader, and soon Alice's greatest ally, is Margery, a smart-talking, self-sufficient woman who's never asked a man's permission for anything.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Beautiful book / excellent narrator
- By Barbara N. on 10-25-19
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Songbird
- Kings Lake Investigation Series, Book 1
- By: Peter Grainger
- Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
- Length: 15 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 441
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 422
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 415
Detective Sergeant Chris Waters got the call at 05.29 that July morning. This is it, said DCI Reeve, you'll be first there, it's all yours, you're the crime scene manager. Suddenly, after months of waiting and wondering, Waters finds himself in at the deep end, and alone at the scene of a puzzling murder. As the investigation proceeds, the detectives at Kings Lake Central find themselves visiting familiar places and talking to some familiar faces, while old enmities reappear in the incident room. Before this is over, Chris Waters will need to make a career-changing decision.
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5 out of 5 stars
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WHAT JUST HAPPENED!
- By Anonymous User on 09-22-19
Publisher's Summary
Welcome to Three Pines, where the cruelest month is about to deliver on its threat. It's spring in the tiny, forgotten village; buds are on the trees, and the first flowers are struggling through the newly thawed earth. But not everything is meant to return to life....
When some villagers decide to celebrate Easter with a séance at the Old Hadley House, they are hoping to rid the town of its evil - until one of their party dies of fright. Was this a natural death, or was the victim somehow helped along?
Brilliant, compassionate Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec is called to investigate in a case that will force him to face his own ghosts as well as those of a seemingly idyllic town where relationships are far more dangerous than they seem.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Brian
- 09-02-16
This one made be the best of the series so far !
I love the way the author fleshed out the characters in this third book. she also tied up some loose ends related to the notorious Arnot subplot. 3 Pines is a place that I would love to visit again!
12 of 13 people found this review helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Constance Jenkins
- 03-13-18
Not a popular opinion, I am sure
There is so much to love about this series and yet this book had me so aggravated I almost didn't finish it.
The actual murder mystery was as good as ever, with the wonderful quirky inhabitants of Three Pines and generally good plotting.
The subplot of the evil corrupt cops, however, annoyed me no end. Gamache, who is noted for his perception and intelligence was so damned clueless I wanted to slap some sense into him. The twist I saw coming a mile away. The reason for his arch-enemy's actions (and the actions themselves, frankly) was ridiculous. Honestly I can't say how much I hated it.
I am not sure I will continue with the series. It would be nice to think this nonsense was tied up in this one, but from what I have heard of the following books, there is more of it.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- C. T.
- 05-26-16
Very enjoyable!
Engaging story and excellent narration. This series is one of my favorites. The characters are like old friends!
8 of 9 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- maecoo
- 04-30-17
Reread this book!
There are few books worth rereading (the world has so many good books). But this novel has many levels. You might miss some in a rush to finish reading to understand the "story ". If you take the time to read again you will find delightful characters as well as an engrossing mystery. And ideas. And love that people have for one another. Take the time!
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Debbie
- 09-24-15
Gentle, Thoughtful, Thorough Inspector Gamache
The Cruelest Month, the third in the series, was just as satisfying as the first two . . . maybe more so . . . as Chief Inspector Armand Gamache faces down evil in the old Hadley House in Three Pines, Quebec . . . familiar friends and townsfolk from Three Pines return, artists Peter and Clara, poet Ruth, and former psychologist turned bookstore owner, Myrna . . . as Gamache and his team work to solve the murder, it becomes more and more evident that he has a Judas on his own team . . . waiting to betray him . . . as the case comes closer and closer to resolution, Gamache deals with ever increasing personal attacks, (which go back to a former case, where he exposed the corruption of a fellow department officer) . . . keeping a cool head and vigilant, determination to listen, and seek truth . . . he manages to maneuver his way through the quagmire . . .references to Matthew 10:36 and other subtle biblical quotes . . . meeting God at the door . . . are peppered through Louise Penny's Chief Inspector Gamache books . . . so are things like new age beliefs, seances, and other fleeting trends . . . you are left to suss out what is steadfast . . . what is true . . . what is good . . . I like that . . .
14 of 18 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sakjack
- 08-07-16
lyrical and sad
There are two stories within this novel. the murder is secondary to the continued unfolding of the back story of Armand being made to pay for turning in dirty fellow officers. Both show how love can become twisted into jealousy and acts of hatred but Armand's story so much the sadder. I was somber after listening. Yet this novel includes many moments of poetry and beautiful prose.
The narrator is excellent as Armand but sometimes not as strong in distinguishing other voices as I think he's been in prior novels in this series.
well worth the listen . But be prepared for deep melancholy.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- THellner
- 07-29-19
...Breeding lilacs out of the dead land….
This is a wonderful, entertaining book, subtle, yet not obscure in its underlying mystery, and engrossing in another which envelopes it. It is sensitive, literate, and wonderfully conceived, particularly in its revelation of the series setting, the village of Three Pines. To my surprise, I find it to be the finest of the first three novels. Until now, I have regarded Dorothy Sayers as the most-literary of mystery writers. No longer.
By the way, I, myself—having started with the sixth in the series—would advise reading the titles in order. When I come to the sixth book, once again,I plan to reread it. There is such continuity from book-to-book that I wish to reclaim what I may have missed upon the initial reading.
The Audible editions are beautifully narrated by Ralph Cosham. As I have discovered, the mixture of narration and text is extremely rich, and at times I much enjoyed reading the ebook while listening to the narration.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Denise R. Samuel
- 07-16-19
great story!
The plot has lots of twists and turns. interesting back story. would highly recommend to mystery lovers.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- shira5665
- 03-04-16
Best modern mystery series bar none!
A thoughtful, articulate, literate and engrossing series. Each book can stand alone but I love how the characters get fleshed out from book to book. Absolutely love the stories and the narration. 5 stars all around.
5 of 7 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Barbara D Payne
- 12-21-15
Another excellent mystery in the series
First of all, Ralph Cosham is superb. He has a pleasing voice and brings the characters to life. I want to move to Three Pines,just as soon as they get those nasty murders taken care of and I want to be a friend to all the people who live there. These stories are so well written that you can get involved in the story line as well as with the richly fleshed out characters. I'm so glad there are many more in this series.
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