What happened to Peter Morrow?

By Ande Jacobson

After How the Light Gets In, the tenth mystery novel in Louise Penny’s Chief Inspector Armand Gamache (of the Sûreté du Québec) series, The Long Way Home, is truly a palate cleanser as a literary friend recently noted. First released in 2014, this book picks up where the previous book left off and resolves the remaining story arc surrounding Clara and Peter Morrow’s marriage that had been in limbo. Clara had sent Peter away with the understanding that he would return in a year for them to reevaluate whether they could save their marriage or go their separate ways. Clara remained in Three Pines, and Peter went to parts unknown. A bit over a year later, he still hasn’t returned, and Clara is concerned. Now that Armand Gamache is happily retired and starting to delve into the ghosts of his own past while living peacefully in Three Pines, Clara approaches him with her concerns, and the new mystery begins to unfold.

Initially he’s hesitant to jump into yet another case. Given that Armand is no longer with the Sûreté, he brings his former second in command and now son-in-law, Jean-Guy Beauvoir, into the case. From Three Pines, while all of the regulars in the village are concerned, Ruth Zardo, Myrna Landers, and Armand’s wife Reine-Marie are also more directly involved in the case. They pick up a few new faces from the art world during their search. They join forces with a famous gallery owner and cross paths with one of Clara and Peter’s beloved professors from art school. All isn’t quite as it seems though, and as their search takes them from Three Pines into an even more remote and desolate portion of Québec, they come to terms with just how far someone might go to find what they are looking for.

Along the way, Armand does some personal soul searching. After the chaos and trauma of enduring and finally dealing with the corrupt head of the Sûreté in the previous book, Armand has found a rhythm in his retirement in the peaceful little village he and Reine-Marie now call home. While he hasn’t quite been able to quell all of his past demons, he’s working through them, slowly, privately. In the quiet moments of the search for Peter Morrow, Armand continues his healing. Though initially a reluctant member of the team, this is Clara’s mission, and he’s there to support her, something that he continues to remind Jean-Guy of every time a decision doesn’t go the way it might were Armand in charge.

The little band of misfits eventually finds Peter, and he’s changed. He too has done some healing and growing along the way, but he’s in a crisis not entirely of his own making when they find him. The resolution of the mystery has some serious consequences. Everyone shows some interesting personal growth, surprisingly, even Ruth back in Three Pines.

It is always an adventure beyond the primary mission in this series. Penny guides readers and shows them the surroundings, the sometimes slightly implausible circumstances the characters delve into, and lets readers discover hidden gems of both history and character depth. While a little quieter than the previous cavalcade of adventures in recent books, this one moves a bit slower, focusing on the incredible land and seascape along the way. Penny makes it easy for readers to visualize the scenes, feel the sway of the boat, and the spray of the storm. She also mixes in some interesting science to entice the curious reader.

Eventually, after a lengthy search, Clara and Peter have the conversation they have needed. Though the ending is bittersweet, readers more fully understand their bond, and what drove them to where they end up. This is a transitional book, resolving the remaining story arc of Clara and Peter’s journey together.

Back in Three Pines, some new hints are dropped, particularly where Ruth is concerned. She’s on the road to some serious growth in her dotage, and readers are teased with what may come in the future for her. Armand too takes a huge leap in dealing with a long held secret, thanks to Clara pushing him. He’s not yet ready to rejoin the wider world, but both Jean-Guy and the new Chief Inspector, Isabelle Lacoste, are hoping that he’ll return to them in a professional capacity one day, when he’s ready. If he’s ever ready. His wounds run deep, but if Jean-Guy can recover from his damage, Armand surely can recover as well, some day.