The fifth book in Louise Penny's "Chief Inspector Gamache Novel" series. Set in the tiny village of Three Pines, Quebec, Chief Insp Armond Gamache of the Surete du Quebec is called to investigate the appearance of body of an unknown man in a bistro. The story begins in a simple log cabin isolated in the woods outside Three Pines with a conversation between two men identified only as The Hermit and Olivier. A sentence is left hanging in the air: "Chaos is coming, old son." No one admits to knowing the murdered man, but as Gamache assembles his team, Olivier, the town's beloved bistro owner, experiences menace of approaching chaos. A number of side stories are involved in the telling of this tale--some intimately related to the plot, others only tangential. The characters in this town are as quirky as the town itself.

This book was chosen by a member of my Book Group. As did many reviewers, I found the conclusion of the story to be weak. Olivier was the obvious suspect, but the assembled evidence was weak and less than satisfying. Several times I found seeming contradictions in the text. Although I have not read the first four books, I sense this book undermines the characteristics of the town and its residents. She has been compared to Agatha Christie and has won numerous awards for her earlier books in the series. A Brutal Telling won the Anthony Award for the Best Crime Novel. Book Seven is due out on August 30, 2011.