The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny (2024)
The 19th installment in the Armand Gamache series.
Laura’s Rating: 3/5 Stars
Plot: Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is the head of the homicide unit at the Sûreté. While enjoying a peaceful morning at home with his wife, a phone call shatters the calm and propels him into a desperate quest to stop a sinister and far-reaching plot.
Opinion: The Grey Wolf can definitely be read as a stand alone novel, but there is context and references from other books in the series that you’ll miss out on. The first chapter was a good set up but immediately in chapter 2, five new characters were introduced in a rather clunky manner. It’s my understanding that these characters (the residents of Three Pines) are a big draw of the series, but they weren’t featured in a major way here so their existence felt unnecessary. Plus, fans familiar with the series may be disappointed that this crew was so underutilized in this installment.
This book is very convoluted and there’s a ton of side characters and organizations. There were multiple mysteries and crimes going on, with way too many details. Each dilemma was repeated and rehashed over and over again. I think the book could have been edited down to be a decent amount shorter, which I would have appreciated. The action does eventually pick up and the ending does finally come together in a relatively satisfying way.
By the end, I did want to know what happened and was pleased to see the drama come to a head. The Grey Wolf isn’t terrible, but I wouldn’t really recommend it unless you’re already familiar with the series.
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