The Murder Stone

The Manor Bellechasse. An exclusive hotel burrowed deep in the Canadian wilderness. A place where you can escape the past. Until it comes looking for you...

It's the height of summer, and the wealthy Finney family have gathered together 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 of the Surete du Quebec, a guest at the Bellechasse, finds himself with a building full of suspects. It seems everyone has something t hide. With the hotel locked down, Gamache knows the murderer is trapped. But a cornered predator is always the most dangerous of all...

Imagine you and a loved one are spending time in one of the most beautiful places, deep in the Quebec wilderness. Full of wild beauty, and breathtaking views....And then imagine being there with the most dysfunctional family you can ever meet. Oh yes, they have a perfect exterior but once you start peeling the layers they are pitifully broken.

And that's how I truly saw them. Each one of the (adult) children believed that they were unloved as children and they took out their hurt on each other. I initially found that sibling relationship so hard to believe, but the author makes it so real that I couldn't help but to believe it. And don't get me started on the mother, if there's a definition of a true unfeeling viper, she would be it. I truly could not muster the energy to feel compassion for her.

In this book Inspector Gamache has to figure out three mysteries: why, who and how. And along the way you find some answers, but in my case I had more questions. But I am glad that the ending tied up everything nicely - although the murderer was completely a surprise to me, I was truly fooled by this character. It was wonderful to be surprised and the explanation was a true eye opener and I could understand anger and resentment behind the character's actions.

I cannot wait to get my hands on the next Chief Inspector Gamache book, The Brutal Telling.

The Murder Stone by Louise Penny (4.5/5) Contemporary Mystery; Published: Headline (2008); Series: # 4, Inspector Gamache Crime Novel; Canadian Book Challenge 3 (8); Books 2010 (33);