Reviewed by Jeanne
I am a fan of Louise Penny: I love the way she delves into
character and into the human heart while spinning engrossing mysteries. I love her sense of place, and how I wish
there was a real Three Pines to visit! I
confess I am running a few books behind because her books are meant to be savored
and, despite what others have said, I find this a series best read in order.
Since I tend to keep up with what Penny is writing, I was
surprised to come across a reference to The Hangman. It’s a novella written in 2010 which had somehow
slipped my notice, so of course I had to rectify that. The date puts it between Bury Your Dead
and A Trick of the Light.
The story opens in Three Pines where a man out for an early
morning jog finds a body hanging from a tree.
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his team arrive to determine if the
man committed suicide or if they have a murder to investigate.
At only 87 pages, the story has a lot of ground to cover. Even so, Penny makes sure to give the reader
some of Gamache’s musings and insights which for me underpin all the
books. Is it a good story? Yes, and I would recommend that fans read
it. However, the short form left me
wanting more. This could have been a
full novel. Some things felt rushed, and I was sorry that we didn’t get to see
more characterization, which is the hallmark of Penny’s writing as far as I am
concerned.
Still, any Penny is better than none!
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