Breakaway Books

Authored by Louise Penny; Published October 2024; Mystery

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 🏖️🏖️

I’ve been reading Louise Penny’s mysteries for years—they always give me a mixture of comfort and anxiety, and The Grey Wolf was no exception. While some of the classic elements of the Inspector Gamachr mysteries were missing, it was still a pulse-pounding read.

In The Grey Wolf, Gamache is confronted with a cryptic clue that leads him to uncover a deeply disturbing plot to poison Montreal’s supply of drinking water. He races to find who the conspirators are behind the attack—and to stop it. This novel had me constantly questioning: who could be trusted? Who was an enemy, hiding in plain sight? The fog of distrust continually ratcheted up the tension, to say nothing of the fact that an attack targeting the drinking water supply makes me intensely nervous. 

If you are a fan of all of the Gamache mysteries, you may find yourself missing some of the usual elements. There’s little time spent with the villagers of Three Pines or in its peaceful environment. I also found myself wishing I had read the preceding novels more recently, as I did not remember some key details of important characters that recur in this book. (Perhaps obviously: I do not recommend starting with this novel. Jump into the series from the start to enjoy fully.) But as in all of Penny’s novels, I enjoyed getting to bask in the comfort of Armand and Reine-Marie’s loving marriage.

As for the plot itself, there were a lot of different threads to follow, enough that I almost recommend reading the book in one sitting. I was continually trying to remember how all the little strands fit together (or didn’t) and wish I had been able to lock myself in a cabin for a weekend with the book. I did find myself a touch annoyed with Gamache as the book progressed, as he insisted on keeping his investigation cloistered in secrecy past the point of what (I thought) was rational.

And, I feel I must warn you, it ends on a cliffhanger. Sigh. I’m sure the next one will be coming soon? Regardless, you will not regret the time you spend with The Grey Wolf.