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The Hangman (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache Novella)
by
Louise Penny
On a cold November morning, a jogger runs through the woods in the peaceful Quebec village of Three Pines. On his run, he finds a dead man hanging from a tree.
The dead man was a guest at the local Inn and Spa. He might have been looking for peace and quiet, but something else found him. Something horrible.
Did the man take his own life? Or was he murdered? Chief Inspector A...more
The dead man was a guest at the local Inn and Spa. He might have been looking for peace and quiet, but something else found him. Something horrible.
Did the man take his own life? Or was he murdered? Chief Inspector A...more
ebook
Published
December 2011
by Grass Roots Press
(first published January 1st 2010)
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Apr 21, 2012
Alan
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Louise Penny fans, Canadian Crime/Mystery fans, Adult Literacy readers
Louise Penny's "The Hangman" is a short story/novella that was published between the 6th & 7th Chief Inspector Armand Gamache full-length novels "Bury Your Dead" and "A Trick of the Light". It is part of a series called "Good Reads" where about a dozen Canadian authors have provided a short work for adult literacy promotion. You can see more about the program at ABCLifeLiteracy.ca. Note that this has nothing to do with the goodreads.com website.
The plot of "The Hangman" involves an apparent...more
The plot of "The Hangman" involves an apparent...more
This is a short (87 pages) novella written for a special series of books sponsored by a Canadian literacy organisation. They're all by Canadian authors, use simple, clear language, and are less than a hundred pages. I read this book because I will read anything that features the Quebec village of Three Pines and Inspector Armand Gamache.
Although it doesn't have the depth of the novels, this was a very good story. A body is found hanging from a tree in the woods near the village of Three Pines....more
Although it doesn't have the depth of the novels, this was a very good story. A body is found hanging from a tree in the woods near the village of Three Pines....more
Warning: This is not a typical, full-length Louise Penny mystery. As such, I'm rating it for the value it offers in relation to its intent.
The Hangman was written as part of Good Reads Canada (nothing to do with this site, by the by) a non-profit organization promoting literacy. (See ABC Life Literacy Canada). As part of this body of work, it is an excellent offering.
I have had the pleasure of volunteering in literacy organizations, as a private tutor, and this book would have been a sure-fire...more
The Hangman was written as part of Good Reads Canada (nothing to do with this site, by the by) a non-profit organization promoting literacy. (See ABC Life Literacy Canada). As part of this body of work, it is an excellent offering.
I have had the pleasure of volunteering in literacy organizations, as a private tutor, and this book would have been a sure-fire...more
Aug 31, 2012
Lori McD
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2012_read,
detective-pi,
cozy-mystery,
kindle-book,
contemporary,
mystery,
own,
series,
short-story,
favorite-author
I'd never heard about this story until I was looking up Louise Penny's book list for a friend. Surprise - it's a GOODREADS published Kindle/ebook!
While short, this standalone story grips you right away with Gamache and Beauvoir at the scene of a hanging. Lots of the usual misdirections and possible suspects, and a little of the folks that we love in Three Pines.
According to the publishing date, this story seems to take place before "Bury Your Dead", which is likely why there's not much mention o...more
While short, this standalone story grips you right away with Gamache and Beauvoir at the scene of a hanging. Lots of the usual misdirections and possible suspects, and a little of the folks that we love in Three Pines.
According to the publishing date, this story seems to take place before "Bury Your Dead", which is likely why there's not much mention o...more
The Hangman is a novella written by Louise Penny as part of the GoodReads Canada project which publishes short novels targeted toward increasing the literacy levels among adults in that country. Set in the small village of Three Pines which is tucked out of the way in a rural area of Quebec, Penny is able to evoke a sense of peace and place even as the village is again the scene of a murder. A jogger finds the body of a man hanging in the woods outside the village and it becomes apparent that wh...more
The Hangman is not a full-fledged Gamache mystery. It's a stand-alone novella set in Three Pines featuring Gamache, but it was written as part of GoodReads Canada, a literacy program, so it's written on a 3rd grade level aimed at adults, adults who are "emerging readers" primarily. It's clear and simple and the plot and writing are understandably not as complex as her usual novels.
The plot is not complicated but there are a few red herrings and overall it kept me involved. I think anyone who rea...more
The plot is not complicated but there are a few red herrings and overall it kept me involved. I think anyone who rea...more
Reading this story was a little like encountering dear friends you haven't seen in a long time at a large party. It's great to see them, but you don't really have a chance for a satisfying visit. This is a straight to ebook novella features an interesting enough mystery, with a number of twists in spite of its brevity. What's missing, though, are the things that make the Three Pines mysteries so wonderful to read--the nuanced and very human characters, their developing relationships with each ot...more
Knowing I enjoy mysteries, a friend recommended the Louise Penny books - and I wasn't disappointed. Unexpectedly, this was a novella rather than a novel, but Penny did a terrific job of setting up the scenes, providing clues, investigating the crime, and drawing a conclusion in short order but without leaving any holes. It was actually refreshing to read a short story instead of a book 400 pages or more as many mysteries are. I enjoyed her character development, the description of the crime scen...more
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This is a book that was written for a Canadian literacy project. Very short (it's a novella rather than a full length novel) but it was a good read, even though I finished it in less than a day. Gamache and Beauvoir are featured in it as well as the village of Three Pines. Because it is so short, however, the only Three Pines characters that make an appearance are Gabri and Myrna. It was very enjoyable, but I have to say that I much prefer her full length novels.
I love Louise Penny, but this is novella and it simply did not carry the substance of a full-length novel. A man is found hanging in the woods outside the village of Three Pines. The initial thought that it would be a suicide are discarded and Inspector Gamache handles it as a murder, despite the note left behind. This is a really quick read and as such perhaps worthwhile for the ardent Louise Penny fan. For all others, there isn't much point.
I guess when I bought this book I didn't realize there is such a thing as a "Good Reads", which basically means it's a shortened version that you can read in one sitting. I really thought that when I came to the end, I must have skipped some pages, it was that short. Although she usually does a great job developing the story, I didn't like that it was so short and it just tells you who did it. The end. Give me a chance to figure it out.
This is a short ebook only entry in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series. It's a generally entertaining and well thought out series, but this very brief story falls far short of the norm. There's just not much substance to it. Penny does not appear to have the knack for good short story telling. Still, it does comfortably speak in the voice of that series, making for an easy, if not terribly compelling read.
I bought this book on Kindle not knowing that it was a novella or short story. However, it was a very clever mystery and it gave me a good preview of the author's Armand Gamache series of mystery novels. I plan to read more of them. The main character reminded me a bit of Poirot on public television. Having the series set in Quebec also gives the story a European flavor as well.
This is a novella by one of Canada's best loved mystery writers. Like her other books, this involves a murder in the idyllic Quebec village of Three Pines with the redoubtable Inspector Gamache in charge of solving the case. It is in a series of short books written as part of a literacy project and is therefore a quick read for book addicts but none the less enjoyable.
This little novella is part of the Canadian adult literacy program and as such is written in a much simpler form than Penny's usual Gamache series. Yet it was entertaining to read and hopefully encouraged the audience it was aimed at to want to read more. And besides ... any Gamache book is better than no Gamache at all!
This is a super short read - I read it in a little over an hour in the car. Penny does a great job of getting you hooked from page one. The Hangman reminds me a lot of a Sherlock Holmes mystery. Even I couldn't tell who had done it until the last page! Overall, a short, fun, and quick read! Would recommend!
I love these Inspector Gramache tales. I'm not sure of the chronology of this versus the others I have read, but while it was most enjoyable (and the first on my birthday-gifted Kindle) it was not as engaging for me as the others. Perhaps a function of my first exposure to the digital format?
I had no idea there was an Inspector Gamache novella! I found this in my library's digital library and thought it was the next book in the series until I got it and the copyright is 2010. This was a fun, quick read. The full length novels are much better, but this was worth reading.
This was not at all like Louise Penny's other Inspector Gamache books--yes, the characters were the same, but the since the writing style for this project was supposed to be simplistic, it felt very different from her normal style, and therefore somewhat disappointing.
Louise Penny's contribution to the Adult Literacy collection, this short novel is a quick, easy read but depends on Gamache and his colleague to solve a murder. A taste of Three Pines to tide me over until her next full-length novel comes out later this year.
Jun 10, 2013
Debra
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mystery-thriller-suspense
A novella designed to be read in literacy programs, this story doesn't really have the complexity or turns of phrase that I enjoy in Louise Penny's works, yet it is still compelling. And a heck of a lot more interesting than most literacy materials.
A long short story. It's a nice Agatha Christie-style murder mystery, complete with the suspects being gathered in a room as the sleuth announces whodunnit. Great Canadian angle that I won't spoil, but the writing felt as though it were a translation.
Short, but good first intrduction to Inspector Gamache.
When a man is found hung in the forest outside of the Inn and Spa at Three Pines, the Inspector sees that it is not what it seems.
I liked it and will be trying the longer Gamache books.
When a man is found hung in the forest outside of the Inn and Spa at Three Pines, the Inspector sees that it is not what it seems.
I liked it and will be trying the longer Gamache books.
I didn't realize when I ordered this that it was a very short story written for new readers. It has Penny's regular characters and uses an economy of language to tell the tale. But if I'd seen it in a bookstore, I would have just read it there and not paid money for it.
I just love these novels. With each new book I am further drawn into the lives of Gamache and Beauvoir. Three Pines is a place I would love to visit. Although revenge is a common theme, penny does a great job of presenting it.
A quick Gamache mystery, but no less enjoyable for its abbreviated length. Once again, the crime takes place in the vilage of Three Pines, with the usual cast of likeable citizens and the Poirot-esque Armand Gamache.
I understand this book was written with a lower reading level. It was designed for people who are learning to read who are adults. I missed some of her normal style of writing but the story was good.
A nice short story for what it is - a simple day in the life of a homicide detective where he solves the murder (or is it suicide) of a stranger to Three Pines. This is part of a literacy project for adults in Canada.
Having read repeatedly about the popularity of this author , I randomly chose this title because it was available on Kindle. It was luckily quite short and seemed to be written for 3rd graders.
It was okay but the plot was rather simple and the conclusions made didn't always seem that logical. I hate to say it, but dialog written by Louise Penny for men seems all wrong to me.
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Many of Louise Penny's books are published under different titles by UK/Canada and US publishers.
She lives with her husband, Michael, and a golden retriever named Trudy, in a small village south of Montreal.
Her first Armand Gamache novel, "Still Life" won the New Blood Dagger, Arthur Ellis, Barry, Anthony and Dilys Awards.
Awards:
* Agatha Award: Best Novel
o 2007 – A Fatal Grace – Winner
o 2008 –...more
More about Louise Penny...
She lives with her husband, Michael, and a golden retriever named Trudy, in a small village south of Montreal.
Her first Armand Gamache novel, "Still Life" won the New Blood Dagger, Arthur Ellis, Barry, Anthony and Dilys Awards.
Awards:
* Agatha Award: Best Novel
o 2007 – A Fatal Grace – Winner
o 2008 –...more
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