MINM Review: Glass Houses by Louise Penny

Intriguing, socially relevant, ultimately suspenseful and surprising, Glass Houses checks a lot of boxes for a satisfying crime fiction read. Glass Houses is the thirteenth installment of a highly recommended series by Canadian author, Louise Penny.

Violence: Mild-to-Moderate

Profanity: Moderate

Sexual Content: Mild

Explicit Language: None

Animal Cruelty: None

Thrilling Action: Moderate

Red Herrings: Mild-to-Moderate

Twists and Turns: Moderate

Suspense: Moderate

Plot Development: Moderate-to-High

Character Development: Moderate-to-High

Pages: 391 (Hardcover)

Best for Crime Fiction Readers:

  • Who enjoy classic-style murder mysteries.
  • Who enjoy courtroom drama.
  • Who enjoy following series in which the characters become cherished "friends".
  • Who appreciate diversity in the characters that they read about.
  • Who appreciate contemplative, literary crime fiction.
  • Who Enjoy Crime Fiction That Provides A Window Into Another Culture. Glass Houses - And The Entire Armand Gamache Series - Is Set Mainly In A Small Quebecois Village, South Of Montreal.  
  • Who love for their books to be very atmospheric in a comforting way. Like being wrapped in a warm duvet, with a favorite hot beverage in hand, much of Glass Houses is atmospheric in this way. Please note that the books in this series are not "cozies".
Glass Houses by Louise Penny book cover image.jpg

Publisher's Blurb:

When a mysterious figure appears on the village green on a cold November day in Three Pines, Armand Gamache, now Chief Superintendent of the Sûreté du Québec, knows something is seriously wrong. Yet he does nothing. Legally, what can he do? Only watch and wait. And hope his mounting fears are not realized.

From the moment its shadow falls over Three Pines, Gamache suspects the creature has deep roots and a dark purpose. When it suddenly vanishes and a body is discovered, it falls to Gamache to discover if a debt has been paid or levied.

In the early days of the investigation into the murder, and months later, as the trial for the accused begins in a Montreal courtroom on a steamy day in July, the Chief Superintendent continues to struggle with actions he’s set in motion, from which there is no going back. “This case began in a higher court,” he tells the judge, “and it’s going to end there.”

And regardless of the trial’s outcome, he must face his own conscience.

In 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. 

MINM Overall Rating: 5/5