"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-scene and inhabit it with complex characters."
--Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review
"Reminiscent of classic Christie... This latest treat in the series will keep fans salivating in anticipation, savoring each delectable morsel and yearning for more."
--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"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."
--Booklist (starred review)
"Penny has garnered numerous awards for her elegant literary mysteries... 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."
--Library Journal (starred review)
"Seamless, often lyrical prose artfully reveals the characters' flaws,
dreams and blessings."
--Publishers Weekly
"MURDER is a fine read, as Penny illuminates her characters in subtle strokes."
--Cleveland Plain Dealer
"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."
--Richmond Times-Dispatch
"An ingenious, impossible crime puzzle for the reader..."
--Denver Post
"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..."
--Charlotte Observer (4 out of 4 stars)
"Gamache is an undemonstrative poetry-loving detective in the tradition of Agatha Christie's Poirot and Ruth Rendell's Wexford. Because of a dark spot in his own family's history, Gamache understands that 'spreading pain around doesn't lessen your own.' Surprisingly, no murder occurs until 90 pages into this mystery, but in Penny's skilled literary hands, it doesn't matter."
--Minneapolis Star Tribune
"What a delight to have Inspector Gamache back on the scene. Penny does a superb job of gradually leading readers into the story... If you haven't read the preceding books,
terrific stories await!"
--RT Book Magazine (4 1/2 stars)
"If anyone can make even the most detailed investigation exciting and compelling, it's this talented author. And so for those who love that kind of thing, this is one of the best."
--New Mystery Reader
"I can't recommend this series highly enough."
--Kingston Observer
