A World of Curiosities

I enjoyed this novel, although I do wish there had been a trigger warning due to some of the content. The character of Chief Inspector Gamache was interesting and I felt like you really got to know him and his heart through the story. Some of the other characters weren't fleshed out as much as I would like, however, it is the 18th book so that could be why.

The story involves a case that had happened years before and now the two children from that case are all grown up and return to Three Pines. Things begin to happen that seem connected to that time and Gamache begins to suspect that one or both of the children are involved.

Summary: Gamache and Beauvoir's first case together is introduced in flashback as a mystery in Three Pines slowly unfolds.

This fall, I have reread the entire Inspector Gamache series because I was asked to contribute an essay to an online collection of essays inspired by the Gamache series. Yesterday my essay was posted. And next week, there will be a discussion of A World of Curiosities.

I cannot think of another series that has kept my interest after 18 books. Inevitably with a series so long, there has to be an exploration of the characters in ways that will not entirely make sense of the timeline until this point. We previously know that Gamache got Beauvoir from his exile as an officer in charge of evidence lockup because no one wanted to work with him. A World of Curiosities explores that first case together and fills in the back story. Of course, new characters are introduced in ways that do not entirely fit in, but new characters must keep being introduced to the series to keep it fresh.

One of my minor frustrations with the series is that the Three Pines and the surrounding community expand and contract to fit the storyline. Again the community expands, and the history of Three Pines is explored. I appreciate most of this because it brings depth to the series to thicken the characters and setting. I want to say having finished the book about a week ago, I did enjoy the book, and I might go ahead and reread it before the end of the year.

On the positive side, this book explores Gamache's weaknesses and resists making him too much of a perfect hero. I also appreciate how Penny uses real people and events to ground the series and provide ideas for the mysteries. In this case, the mass shooting at the start of Gamache's career was an actual event. Likewise, the Paston Treasure painting, which is a significant part of The World of Curiosities, is also real. There are other real people referenced that I won't detail for fear of giving away part of the story.

On the negative side, this book needs a content warning. Child sexual abuse and a ritualized serial killer are discussed in the book. I do not like reading about either of those two types of crime. It is one of the reasons I'm not too fond of the Robert Galbreath series, even if I like the main characters, because the crimes are stomach-churning.

Secondly and more problematic, I think, for this book and for maybe a sign of weakness in the series, this book, in particular, attempts to use the idea of being able to “see evil” in people as a theme.

Gamache looked deep into Claude Boisfranc's eyes and saw ... nothing. Well, he didn't see a monster, a lunatic. He did see anger, but that was not uncommon for a cop.

After a weak few books, I'm glad to see I'm enjoying this series again. We're back in the Three Pines, we're well-fed off Gabri's food, and the neighbors are (mostly) just as delightful as they used to be. Things do feel a tad...messy, however.

I don't want to get too far into the plot of this book since it is a mystery after all, but I do feel like it's noteworthy to mention that two real life events are referenced in this book, and play a role in the mystery: a graduation honoring the (real life) tragedy of the École Polytechnique massacre, and a giant reproduction of (the real life) The Paston Treasure being found in an walled off attic space in the Three Pines. The mystery revolves around how the painting got there, why this particular painting was given modern touches in its reproduction, and what role two siblings play in both the murder of their mother when they were children and the current events happening in Three Pines.

There's a lot going on in this one. I think that the author should have chosen to focus on either (major plot spoilers here) Fiona and Sam as the killer(s), or John Fleming as the mastermind, but not both. I feel like the siblings are just in the story to serve as misdirections to conceal the true plot, but they don't even really have much of an impact that way either. It just felt unnecessary to have both, and muddied the case even more than it already was. A lot relied on coincidence and timing too, which drove me up a wall. My brain kept feeding me reasons why this whole thing would have fallen apart if Gamache or anyone else at all had done even one thing differently, which took me out of the story a bit.

Still, this kept me reading to the end, as a good story will. I just feel like these books are getting messier and messier.

I read this slowly, because I know it will be a long time before another of her books comes out, but I had to read quickly through the last third, as the momentum and suspense picked up. It's classic Louise penny, and I love it. I do think that may be there was a little bit less of the cozy village feels, and more of the twisty mind games.