The Madness of Crowds by Louise Penny was published in 2021 and the Covid pandemic does feature in the book although it’s assumed that it’s all over and done with as there is a vaccine – if only that were the case – it’s still around in 2023 and people are still dying, with variants able to dodge the vaccines.
Anyway, I was happy when I realised that in this book the Quebec village of Three Pines is the setting. I’ve read all of these books apart from the most recent one and it just about always seems to be winter in Three Pines. I suppose that all adds to the cosiness of the Bistro with all of those sugary pastries and hot chocolate – mention of which always makes me feel slightly icky!
To the book: Chief Inspector Armand Gamache has been given the job of organising the crowd control at a lecture which is being given by a controversial speaker. Gamache is keen for the lecture to be cancelled as its subject of euthanasia is so objectionable and divisive. The speaker believes that killing off anyone who is a drain on society is the only way of getting the country’s economics back on an even keel post Covid, and worryingly some people in the government seem to be taking the idea seriously. It’s all very close to the hearts of the Gamache/Beauvoir families, given that a supposedly imperfect baby is the latest addition to the families, and of course with Penny’s late husband having had dementia of some sort it’s something that presumably she would have been completely against.
As you would expect murder ensues! It’s a good read with moral and psychological questions as usual.
I did not like this as much as most of her other books, maybe because the theme is too close to what some ignorant people really believe but also because I really dislike the doctor in fhe forest! I bought the most recent book but have been saving it for the right moment. The new TV series has not been renewed for a second season which is a pity – I had not had time to watch it but my mother was enjoying it.
Constance,
Yes she does these campaigning books every now and again, I can understand why but it can make for uncomfortable reading. The doctor called the ‘something’ saint is a ghastly person. I am about 36th in a queue for her latest book at the library! I doubt if the TV series would have made it to a channel that we have anyway.