A Better Man

4.5 stars. I need another new Gamache book now.

This has been my least favorite Gamache book yet.

The mystery is straightforward, unusual for a Louise Penny book. A pregnant lady was found dead under...not really mysterious conditions. This is unusual for a Louise Penny book, because most of the time, someone is found dead under strange circumstances, or involving something unique or peculiar. We go through the motions of an investigation, but rather than methodical, calculated, and logical, both Gamache and Beauvoir feel like they're being ruled more by emotion and empathy than anything else – again, unusual for a Louise Penny book. The ending – usually involving a big reveal, or a big twist, or something unexpected – was actually a bit bland and predictable. You guessed it – unusual for a Louise Penny book. Oh, and there's this big flooding event hyped up from the beginning, but actually it turned into a nonevent that was basically not talked about once the investigation got underway.

Also all the sentences. Were short and choppy. For emphasis? Maybe. Was it annoying? Irritating, even? Yes. Incredibly. Annoying. And anytime someone was tasked with guarding someone or making sure someone stayed put, they basically never did for the sake of plot convenience. Lots of thinking people were safely in rooms, only to find out they weren't there after all and were overhearing conversation elsewhere.

Finally, there was this forced social media contrivance throughout the book. It definitely had the feeling of someone unfamiliar with social media shoehorning social media into a book that didn't need social media. #GamacheSux #ClaraMorrowSucks @dumbass, etc.

I hope this series isn't starting to take a nosedive in quality. I've really enjoyed what I've read up until now. I hope the next book redeems this experience.

I always enjoy her books. This was not my favorite, as I felt that the twists and turns were too forced, but always a good escape. One thing that bothered me was the way she kept having the male characters imagine bad things happening to their daughters or wives. The female characters did not do that, so it felt a bit dated; when men are supposed to care about women's issues only when, or especially when, it affects their daughters or wives.