A mysterious hooded figure appears in the village green of Three Pines, and for several days, just stands there and stares. Then, one day, the hooded figure disappears, and a body wearing the hood is discovered. Gamache, now Chief Superintendent of the Sûreté du Quebec, investigates this crime, while at the same time, he tries to deal with the ever-growing threat of drug cartels. It’s a fun mix of detective work in a tiny town, as well as high-stakes police work across all of Canada, and one of the better books in the Gamache series.
Many of Louise Penny’s books introduce fun ideas from around the world and history. The explanation for the black-hooded character in this book was pretty fascinating (warning, minor spoilers):
(Spoiler Alert!)
The black-hooded figure was a reference to a Cobrador. In Spain, these were debt collectors who would use theatrical methods to publicly shame debtors into paying. They would wear a black hood and follow debtors all over the place, not saying or doing anything, but having this ominous presence there was enough, as it was a constant reminder your debt, and everyone around you would know what it meant.
The book also has all the lovely characters from the series, and the charming town of Three Pines. Of course, given that this is the 13th book in the series, and therefore, roughly the 13th murder committed in that town (of what, 15 people?), I’m not sure any sane person would still consider it charming… But, I suppose in the world of mystery novels, these are the kinds of things you learn to ignore.
Overall, it’s a highly entertaining read, and I’m looking forward to the next entry in the series.
