A Rule Against Murder

A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny, 336 pgs.

It's a beautiful summer at the Manoir Bellechasse, and Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is taking a much needed vacation. Murder, however, knows no time off (*dun dun dunnnn*)! In this fifth book of the Three Pines series, familiar characters are plucked out of their typical setting and sent deep into the Montreal woods, where a family reunion turns into a murder investigation. The Manoir attracts all kinds of eccentric characters, and each one brings their own baggage. The question is, then--whose baggage is heavy enough to kill?

I expected not to enjoy this one as much as I had previous books in the series, simply because it is the first to switch the setting away from cozy, dreamy Three Pines. Despite that change, I ended up loving it. Although I did miss a few key characters from the other stories, the distance from the town in this book allowed for a much deeper analysis of the people of the Manoir, especially the family at the center of this mystery. I was particularly struck by Penny's examination of the concept of self. This book is actually not about murder at all; it is about misunderstanding and being misunderstood. Penny guides the reader to consider questions like Are you the person that you think you are, or are you the person who others perceive? and readers must confront the truth: you are both.