Why is the question

By Ande Jacobson

The Brutal Telling is book five of Louise Penny’s Chief Inspector Armand Gamache (of the Sûreté du Quebec) series, first released in 2010. Inspector Gamache and his team are back in Three Pines investigating a strange murder. This time, a body is found on the floor of the bistro owned by Olivier Brulé and Gabri Dubeau, and nobody appears to know who the victim was. Through the investigation, Gamache finds numerous inconsistencies, uncovers some deep seated animosities, and finds a cabin in the woods with treasures beyond comprehension. The murder victim apparently lived in the cabin, and as the investigation proceeds, it seems that despite his protestations to the contrary, Olivier knew him.

Three Pines has a murder rate that would rival that of the fictional hamlet of Cabot Cove, Maine, although unlike that show’s protagonist, Jessica Fletcher, Armand Gamache is an elite investigator with the premier police force in Quebec. His team is the best of the best, and this murder seems all wrong. There are secrets to uncover in the little village, and some new arrivals muddy the waters. Marc Gilbert and his wife Dominique recently bought the old Hadley house and are turning it into an inn and spa that Olivier and Gabri see as a threat to their B&B’s business, so there’s an instant distrust and dislike of the newcomers. Marc’s mother, Carole, also lives with them. Marc and Dominique had been high powered business folks looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of urban life in their move to Three Pines, but things suddenly get much noisier and intrusive when the latest murder occurs. And the Gilberts are involved in an odd way further convoluting the investigation. On top of their direct involvement, they have their own family drama that gets in the way.

Gamache is a student of history and of calm. He extolls the virtues of listening being the most important part of any investigation, something that his team is still learning from him.

Penny is artful in her character development. She draws her characters as complex individuals with strengths and flaws, and she focuses on their relationships. The side plots never overwhelm the main focus of the story but they add depth to the discoveries the investigation reveals. She also brings forward some of the sensitivities of Canadian society without being heavy-handed. Like the rest of the series, there are some deep dives into a few of the characters’ backgrounds more fully exploring how they came to be who they are. In this installment, readers learn some surprising things about Olivier and what exactly drives him. They also learn more about Three Pines that was previously hidden.

Canada has its own immigration issues, not on the scale of the U.S., but they are not insignificant. Penny touches on some of them along with a bit about one of the many indigenous tribes that is native to Canada. It comes up organically through the investigation. Three Pines is far more multicultural than we might have suspected before, and in this installment, readers are introduced to one of the prominent immigrant communities. Quebec has long had a somewhat testy division between the Anglos and the Francophones who live there. They coexist, but for some there’s unnecessary friction. That friction is amplified when people who are neither Anglo nor Francophone rise in prominence.

As for the victim, the treasure trove in his cabin includes artifacts reaching back into Europe’s history, a collector’s dream in a way. Questions arise surrounding how he got hold of them, but also his own creations are a focus of the investigation. Evidently the murder victim was a talented wood carver who created priceless pieces. The subject of those carvings spawns substantial debate amongst the investigative team, the village, and the art world.

We already know that Three Pines has some other resident artists such as Clara and Peter Morrow, and they too are featured in the story, but as more of a side plot this time. Other series regulars who make appearances include Ruth Zardo (the poet with a duck who rarely leaves her side), Myrna Landers (the retired psychologist who owns the bookstore next to the bistro), and Gamache’s team: Jean-Guy Beauvoir, Isabelle Lacoste, and newcomer Paul Morin, a young agent who is desperate to join this elite team.

The village regulars all have some involvement in the investigation. Myrna finds the body. Ruth torments Jean-Guy with snippets of verse that she sneaks into his purview. The Morrow’s have some art world drama and household competition that’s been brewing for a while. Gabri is Gabri, ever present. Olivier is more of a mystery that unravels his facade a bit.

There are numerous suspects at the outset, but there’s a big why that overshadows the entire investigation that confounds Gamache. In fact, one of the whys continues into the next book, but The Brutal Telling comes to its own resolution, albeit a more disconcerting one than is usual in a Gamache mystery.

References:
The Brutal Telling, by Louise Penny
https://www.gamacheseries.com/books/the-brutal-telling/
https://agoodreedreview.com/2023/03/27/book-still-life/
https://agoodreedreview.com/2023/05/19/a-most-ungraceful-exit/
https://agoodreedreview.com/2023/06/16/book-the-cruelest-month/
https://agoodreedreview.com/2023/07/14/book-a-rule-against-murder/