Glass Houses A Novel

Louise Penny — 2017

An August 2017 LibraryReads pick! When a mysterious figure appears in Three Pines one cold November day, Armand Gamache and the rest of the villagers are at first curious. Then wary. Through rain and sleet, the figure stands unmoving, staring ahead. From the moment its shadow falls over the village, Gamache, now Chief Superintendent of the Sûreté du Québec, suspects the creature has deep roots and a dark purpose. Yet he does nothing. What can he do? Only watch and wait. And hope his mounting fears are not realized. But when the figure vanishes overnight and a body is discovered, it falls to Gamache to discover if a debt has been paid or levied. Months later, on a steamy July day as the trial for the accused begins in Montréal, Chief Superintendent Gamache continues to struggle with actions he set in motion that bitter November, from which there is no going back. More than the accused is on trial. Gamache’s own conscience is standing in judgment. In Glass Houses, her latest utterly gripping book, number-one New York Times bestselling author Louise Penny shatters the conventions of the crime novel to explore what Gandhi called the court of conscience. A court that supersedes all others.

Reviews

Sonia Grgas@sg911911

Feb 23, 2024

Really 4.5. Took a half star away because the first third was a bit over-melodramatic in it’s storytelling. Still better than most of the rest.

altlovesbooks@altlovesbooks

Jul 5, 2023

I get the feeling I'm going against the grain on this one. For whatever reason, I didn't find this book as satisfying as others have been in this series. Maybe it was the constantly shifting viewpoints between different plot lines, not necessarily happening at the same time? The sense that the murder wasn't even really the point of the book at all, but a misdirection away from the actual story? Unsure. I know the last 20% of the book or so, when the plot lines start converging and exposition happens linking it all together, is where the real fun for me was. The rest felt a bit like I was just along for the ride and not really invested in the proceedings. 3.5 stars.

Maggie Gordon@maggieg

Aug 13, 2022

I don't think Louise Penny is capable of writing a bad novel. Glass Houses isn't the powerhouse her last two books have been, but it's still an excellent read that does something new with the characters we all know and love. Gamache is now Chief Super Intendent of the Surete, and he's turned his attention to the war on drugs. Penny uses this book as a fascinating rumination on power, highlighting the need for those with power to use it for the overall good. I'm not sure Gamache made all the right choices in this one (actually, I am pretty sure he didn't given my knowledge on drug crime. Silly criminal law degree ruining my fun), but I don't think he's coming out unscathed. I was worried a few books back that Penny wouldn't have anywhere to go with these characters, but she keeps pushing them into different situations with important real world lessons.