Seriously though, there are enough Cannonballers who are on the Inspector Gamache train, that this should just be required reading. Amirite?
[Review is semi-spoilery, depending on where you are in the series]
Due to his questionable (yet, effective) methods of cracking a drug ring in the last book, Inspector Gamache found himself stripped of his title as head of the Quebec police department.
This book sees him accepting a demotion and returning to his previous role as head of homicide. It’s a decision that is dividing the province, as some laud him as a hero, but an increasing number are calling him corrupt – and there’s a viral, growing social media campaign calling for his removal.
His new/old role is being shared temporarily with the outgoing head of homicide, his son-in-law, Jean-Guy, who is soon to be moving to Paris. [Aside: Jean-Guy is my favourite character, and if he doesn’t come back, I may never forgive Louise Penny. There. I said it.]
In the midst of this career turmoil, a case of a missing woman with ties to an officer comes across their desks…one last case for Gamache and Jean-Guy to work together. With the two officers both thinking about Annie, the case quickly becomes personal.
To complicate things further, Quebec experiences a sudden thaw, leading to catastrophic flooding. The state of emergency brings political ramifications, personal dangers, as well as pausing the search.
As always, the case in question is interesting, but pales in comparison to the characters themselves. As this is book 15, they are like old friends, and I cannot put these books down. I’m frantically scouring the internet for news of when we can see book 16… fingers crossed it’s soon.