A Better Man: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel (Chief Inspector Gamache Novel, 15)

I know you are getting tired of Inspector Gamache book reviews but this series has me constantly seeking the next book, so take heart –only three more have been published after this one which was as exciting and illuminating as the previous fourteen! While floods are occurring in Quebec and creating stress and controversy around Gamache, still he responds to one of his subordinates and looks into the disappearance of a woman whose husband has a history of abuse and whose father is out for revenge. 4 Stars

“The Perfumist of Paris” by Alka Joshi

This final book in the trilogy of “The Henna Artist” and “The Secret Keeper of Jaipur”, was interesting but definitely not as good as the first two, although it did fill in the blanks about Lakshmi’s sister, Radha, now in Paris with her husband, and trying to succeed in her first project as a master perfumist.  There are intriguing parts in this story but while I enjoyed it, there wasn’t enough substance in the plot, so the story constantly circled back to the same issues, and the fascinating descriptions of all the scents and fragrances simply weren’t strong enough to successfully carry the story.  3 Stars (Good read.)

“Carrie Soto Is Back” by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Whether you know nothing about tennis (like me), or whether you are a tennis aficionado, you will nonetheless enjoy this riveting story about Carrie Soto, a 37-year-old who holds all kinds of records and Slams in womens’ professional tennis, but decides to make a comeback after five years of retirement.  It is a fascinating look at what it takes to be an athlete at that level both physically, mentally, and emotionally, and the tennis story is balanced with the crushing demands of the media, Carries’ difficulties letting her guard down in her personal life, and her loving, yet sometimes stormy relationship with her father.  4 Stars (Very Good)

 

“Kingdom of the Blind” by Louise Penny

You might be getting tired of reading my numerous reviews of Inspector Gamache books, but believe me, I am not at all tired of reading the books in this series, as the characterizations keep getting more complex, and more enthralling, just as the story lines continue to fascinate. While Gamache is still being investigated for questionable decisions from the last book, he and his friend, psychologist/book-store owner, Myrna, are named as executors of a will for a person they have never met, so when someone pertinent to the will is found murdered, and a third executor, who is a stranger to the other two, could be implicated, things become even more mysterious and tangled. 4 Stars (Very Good)