Book Review: The Madness of Crowds by Louise Penny

Published in 2021. Mystery. Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is called on to provide crowd control at an upcoming speaking engagement for a visiting professor. An unusual request for the Chief of Homicide of the Quebec Surete, but he follows orders and begins his preparation. His research reveals the topic the professor is lecturing on and understands the need for crowd control, but he also encourages the local college to cancel the lecture. It’s based on statistical research of the effects of Covid on the population. The professor’s conclusions are controversial, and it could lead to violence. His plea falls on deaf ears and the lecture goes on. In the middle of it, firecrackers go off to panic the crowd and gunshots are fired at the stage. The Chief saves the professor’s life, just barely. His team begins an investigation into the incident to find the guilty party only to have a real murder on their hands. The professor’s best friend is found dead in the woods.

The characters in this book believe that Covid is over, and that there’s no more threat from the disease, and life can resume as normal. In real life, this isn’t quite true. Covid isn’t over, at least not yet. Hopefully, it will in the future, but who knows? My point is don’t celebrate too early.

This author is one of my favorites, and I enjoy visiting the village of Three Pines each time.