A Rule Against Murder Louise Penny St. Martin Minotaur Jan. 09

Louise Penny, whose middle names must be Agatha and Christie, has, with A Rule Against Murder, worked through the seasons. It's Summer, Chief Inspector Gamache and his wife, Reine-Marie have returned to the well respected and secluded Manor Bellechasse to celebrate their wedding anniversary. They've come back to their friend Clementine Dubois and the old time luxury she affords them. The manor, built in the heyday of logging offers the Gamaches these comforts and their privacy. Their peace is interrupted by a hotter than usual summer, black flies and the Finney Family. The Finney's arrive with an unusual monument to their late father. Among the extended family are Armand Gamache's friends from Three Pines, Peter and Clara Morrow.

The heat and the Finneys begin to wear on everyone to the point of murder. Gamache's hand is forced. Naturally, Peter and Laura are there as sounding boards as Gamache is a reflective cop. He listens but is equally determined to close a case once on it. A Rule Against Murder is a happy addition to Still Life (fall) Fatal Grace (winter) and the Cruelest Month (spring). Ms. Penny's easy, comfortable style and her beloved characters have generated a long list of fans of the traditional mystery. Joining them is as easy as reading A Rule Against Murder.

Dave Biemann