October Book of the Month

The Murder Stone by Louise Penny

Clementine Dubois, ageless proprietor of the Manoir Bellechasse, welcomes Reine-Marie and Armand Gamache to her inn in rural Quebec. Chief of Homicide for the Sûreté du Québec and his wife have been looking forward to their annual getaway with great anticipation. The promise of lazy days filled with resting, reading and reconnecting is almost tangible. Sharing the inn with the couple are the Finney clan. They are a very strange family who made the effort to attend this reunion and yet do not seem to like one another. In fact, they seem to put extra energy into mocking, criticizing and tearing each other down with well-placed barbs and ripping the scabs off unhealed hurts from the past. The family has united to pay homage to the late family patriarch, a man whose lack of presence in the lives of his grown children has left them all incomplete in one way or another. Gamache keeps his identity hidden until an accident claims the life of one of the guests. Is it an accident or murder? Has someone gone too far? Secrets, insecurities and old hurts begin to emerge under the expert prodding of Gamache and his trusted team, Inspector Jean-Guy Beauvoir and Agent Isabelle Lacoste.

With the fourth novel in this first-class mystery series, Louise Penny has comfortably joined the ranks of Ian Rankin, Peter Robinson and Minette Walters. Intelligent, humane and wise. Highly recommended. Librarian Reviewer: Joanne

Discussion Questions:

1) Why do you think Louise included a history of Quebec? Did it help create the mood of the story?

2) Armand Gamache is a character with many intertwined facets of his personality. What was your first reaction to his character?

3) Did you find it realistic that the chief inspector just happened to be at the same Inn where the murder takes place?

4) Which Finney family member was most significant in this story?

5) Have you visited any Inns this summer that you would like to share with us?