a A RULE AGAINST MURDER / the murder stone
Please note: A Rule Against Murder has also been published under the title The Murder Stone in some countries. The novel is exactly the same; only the title differs depending on the publisher and market where the book was released.
synopsis
Wealthy, cultured and respectable, the Finney family is the epitome of gentility. When Irene Finney and her four grown-up children arrive at the Manoir Bellechasse in the heat of summer, the hotel’s staff spring into action. For the children have come to this idyllic lakeside retreat for a special occasion – a memorial has been organised to pay tribute to their late father. But as the heat wave gathers strength, it is not just the statue of an old man that is unveiled. Old secrets and bitter rivalries begin to surface, and the morning after the ceremony, a body is found. The family has another member to mourn.
A guest at the hotel, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache suddenly finds himself in the middle of a murder enquiry. The hotel is full of possible suspects – even the Manoir’s staff have something to hide, and it’s clear that the victim had many enemies. With its remote location, the lodge is a place where visitors come to escape their pasts. Until the past catches up with them…
Buy A Rule Against Murder / The Murder Stone
New York Times Bestseller
The Globe and Mail's 2008 Mystery of the Year
Booklist - Top Ten Mystery of the Year
Finalist Arthur Ellis Award (Canada)
A Rule Against Murder Louise Penny, read by Ralph Cosham. Blackstone, unabridged. "Celebrated British narrator and actor Ralph Cosham brings this wonderful murder mystery to life and draws in listeners with his charisma. Penny's taut, darkly comedic tale features the Finney family, which has gathered for the installation of a statue of their long-dead patriarch. When the statue falls and kills one of his daughters, Insp. Armand Gamache (Cosham at his very best) must unravel the plot before it's too late. Cosham's characters are refreshingly original and never overplayed, and the Old World quality of his voice invokes radio murder mysteries from decades past, creating an endlessly entertaining listening experience."
Louise Penny applies her magic touch to A RULE AGAINST MURDER, giving the village mystery an elegance and depth not often seen in this traditional genre. Although Penny is no slouch at constructing a whodunit puzzle, her great skill is her ability to create a charming mise-en-scène and inhabit it with complex characters. There’s something otherworldly and altogether enchanting about the Manoir Bellechasse, the magnificent lodge in the Canadian wilderness where Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, the head of homicide for the Sûreté du Québec, has taken his wife for their 35th wedding anniversary. Not only does the auberge offer grand views and the order and calm of old-world service, but it also observes a no-kill policy, with the proprietors feeding wild animals in winter and forbidding guests to hunt or fish. Someone obviously failed to explain that rule to the cultured but quarrelsome family holding a reunion to unveil a statue of their late patriarch, who makes his feelings felt by toppling down on one of his own. As Gamache observes, things were not as they seemed, not even in a paradise like Bellechasse. And never in a Louise Penny mystery.
"Beautiful imagery, deft characterisation and deliciously dense plots"
"Louise Penny's village whodunits make perfect beach reading for this summer"
"To say this book has an old-fashioned feel is not to denigrate it.There is nothing hard-boiled about Armand: he's a man who loves his family, is loyal and decent... once the narrative is underway, its smooth patient flow carries the reader with it to the last
"This latest treat in the series (The Cruelest Month, 2008, etc.) will keep fans salivating in anticipation, savoring each delectable morsel and yearning for more."
"Canadian author Penny has garnered numerous awards for her elegant literary mysteries featuring the urbane Armand Gamache, chief police inspector from Quebec. Gamache is intelligent, observant, and implacable, indispensible attributes for the sophisticated detection that characterizes this series....Penny’s engaging, well-crafted mystery probes the dynamics of a severely dysfunctional family and the festering wounds that lead to its ultimate destruction. Her psychological acumen, excellent prose, and ingenious plotting make this essential reading for mystery lovers and admirers of superb literary fiction. Fans of Dorothy L. Sayers, P.D. James, and Elizabeth George will also be delighted."
"Readers who haven’t discovered Louise Penny and her Armand Gamache series yet are in for a treat….Not only are we treated to Penny’s usual rich characterizations, but the atmospheric and beautiful language will make you want to take your next vacation at the manoir….One of the best traditional mystery series currently being published."
"Murder interrupts Chief Insp. Armand Gamache and his wife’s annual summer holiday at Quebec’s isolated, lake-front Manoir Bellechasse in Agatha-winner Penny’s intriguing, well-crafted fourth mystery....Seamless, often lyrical prose artfully reveals the characters’ flaws, dreams and blessings."
"Once again, Penny concocts an intricate and intriguing plot and peoples it with credible characters and the continually fascinating Gamache... and her writing is lovely, powerful and uniquely imaginative, prose that approaches the poetic... No murder would be complete, of course, without death. But in Penny's caring hands, the focus in A RULE AGAINST MURDER - as it is in all of this profoundly humane series - is on life, and on life made richer by the author's deep sense of decency."
"Louise Penny has created in her Inspector Gamache series a clever combination of a police procedural and cozy mystery novel…. The setting itself is reminiscent of the golden age of mysteries….Indeed this novel is a classic locked room mystery….Ms. Penny has a superb command of the English language….As a mystery author, Ms. Penny plays fair with her readers….A Rule Against Murder should go on everyone’s reading list."
"At least two people are waiting very impatiently for this review to be done so I can pass the new Louise Penny along to them. With just her fourth book, she already has that kind of (well-deserved) following..."
MURDER is a fine read, as Penny illuminates her characters in subtle strokes.
An ingenious, impossible crime puzzle for the reader .
An IndieNext pick (formerly BookSense) for February 09
". . . it's not all shudders and suspense: a terrific scene of a child teaching an adult to throw sticky biscuits at the manoir's ceiling offers giggle-inducing comic relief"
"The Murder Stone is one of the best works of fiction I've read this year. It's a serious novel that bridges the gap between the mystery genre and mainstream fiction....Louise Penny's fourth novel is an enduring mystery that begins and ends with the qualities that make great fiction writing -- compelling storytelling, evocative descriptions that are the heart of the story -- and characters (the novel's soul) who are rich in qualities and foibles that make them unforgettable -- and capable of murder."
"Four stories and four seasons on, Louise Penny's Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series gets better with each book. Penny has found her perfect formula with the carefully constructed puzzle plot in the perfect village with the classic cast of characters. The fact that it's modern Quebec is the icing on the petit four....Once the puzzle is set up, it's impossible to put this book down until it's solved. Devotees of Christie will be delighted by Penny's clever plots and deft characters."
"The plotting is flawless and when the murderer is finally revealed in a thrilling climactic scene...we realize that there were plenty of clever clues along the way."
"THE MURDER STONE...is excellent. You have to read it....Just how she manages to make every word of every book so perfect, I just don't know"
"....In a traditional who-dunnit crime thriller that rivals Agatha Christie's Poirot, Gamache is a refreshing alternative to the hard-nosed stereotypical detective. Penny builds the lives and imperfections of the characters effectively, exposing the complexity of human nature, challenging the reader's opinion and creating a constant sense of suspicion. This is a classic tale that proves that revenge is a dish best served ice cold." Rating 8/10
"When the privileged offspring of the Finney family get together at the luxurious Manoir Bellechasse to commemorate their dead father, family tensions are let loose. When one of their number is killed in unusual circumstances, it’s up to the charming Inspector Armand Gamache to delve beneath the sibling rivalries, bitter jealousies and outsider envy to solve the devious crime in this super-smart, hauntingly subtle murder mystery." Rating **** (out of 4)
"Decades from now, I suspect we'll look upon the works of Louise Penny and find all sorts of marvels that show how well and why the books hold up....The temptation is to scarf Penny's books like potato chips but it's ever wise to savor each bite and let the flavors fill your tongue."
"The red herrings are expertly deployed, and the solution is ingenious and unexpected"
