76. "The Brutal Telling" by Louise Penny

The Brutal Tellingis a Chief Inspector Gamache/Three Pines mystery, and I'd advise reading the previous entries in the series before tackling this one. The book affords more insights into Gamache's relationship with his wife, Raine-Marie, as well as Penny's usual insights into her characters. Sometimes these insights become a bit excessive, but the strength of the series is in its well-drawn, sympathetic, complex characters. In this case, Penny reveals a dark, calculating facet to a beloved Three Pines character, with repercussions for the rest of the village and for Gamache, who finds himself investigating someone who has become a dear friend.