The Hangman

Louise Penny — 2010

On a cold November morning, a jogger runs through the woods in the peaceful Quebec village of Three Pines. On his run, he finds a dead man hanging from a tree. The dead man was a guest at the local Inn and Spa. He might have been looking for peace and quiet, but something else found him. Something horrible. Did the man take his own life? Or was he murdered? Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is called to the crime scene. As Gamache follows the trail of clues, he opens a door into the past. And he learns the true reason why the man came to Three Pines. This is a quick and easy read for people on the go.

Reviews

Jessica Ford@jessford

Jan 7, 2023

3.5 stars This isn’t your typical Louise Penny book. It lacks the rich description of characters and locations you expect from Penny. As a novella, it works. The Hangman is a very barebones story. Had I not already read the first six books in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series, I probably wouldn’t start. That said, the rest of the books are fantastic. I’m eager to continue reading them.

Cindy Lieberman@chicindy

Mar 26, 2022

A simple short story/novella that might serve to introduce people who don't read much to the murder mystery genre. If you're already reading her books in the series, skip this. It adds nothing to our understanding of the characters (including the town of Three Pines). It really should have been numbered .5 instead of 6.5, but I'm guessing it falls here in terms of when it was published.