The Grey Wolf

A Novel (Chief Inspector Gamache Novel, Book 19)

De: Louise Penny

Narrado por: Jean Brassard

"Brassard's accents—whether French Canadian, Italian, or continental French—create indelible characters. His performance lets us feel Reine Marie's warmth and Armand's affectionate nature, and he adds an additional layer to surly Ruth and her potty-mouthed duck. Exciting and entertaining."—AudioFile (Earphones Award winner)

The 19th mystery in the #1 New York Times-bestselling Armand Gamache series.

Relentless phone calls interrupt the peace of a warm August morning in Three Pines. Though the tiny Québec village is impossible to find on any map, someone has managed to track down Armand Gamache, head of homicide at the Sûreté, as he sits with his wife in their back garden. Reine-Marie watches with increasing unease as her husband refuses to pick up, though he clearly knows who is on the other end. When he finally answers, his rage shatters the calm of their quiet Sunday morning.

That's only the first in a sequence of strange events that begin THE GREY WOLF, the nineteenth novel in Louise Penny's #1 New York Times-bestselling series. A missing coat, an intruder alarm, a note for Gamache reading "this might interest you", a puzzling scrap of paper with a mysterious list—and then a murder. All propel Chief Inspector Gamache and his team toward a terrible realization. Something much more sinister than any one murder or any one case is fast approaching.

Armand Gamache, Jean-Guy Beauvoir, his son-in-law and second in command, and Inspector Isabelle Lacoste can only trust each other, as old friends begin to act like enemies, and long-time enemies appear to be friends. Determined to track down the threat before it becomes a reality, their pursuit takes them across Québec and across borders. Their hunt grows increasingly desperate, even frantic, as the enormity of the creature they’re chasing becomes clear. If they fail the devastating consequences would reach into the largest of cities and the smallest of villages.

Including Three Pines.

A Macmillan Audio production from Minotaur Books.

©2024 Louise Penny (P)2024 Macmillan Audio

Narration made story tedious

The story was good- once I was anle to sort it out. I had to re-listen to nearly every chapter (some a third time) be I could be sure who was who. Any attempt by narrator to do a voice in character sounded painful- like he was really straining to do anything but flat reading. The characters completely lost their “character”.
That aside- it’s a good story.
**It would be well worth having the book re-recorded. I would buy it a second time just to hear it read with character voices by the last narrator.

loved the new book

please bring back your last narrator. this one is not good. he doesn't bring the characters to life

Get a new narrator please!!

The story is not the best of the books. That said, I always enjoy the Gamache books. This one kept my attention but I have liked other storylines much more. The narrator! Oh my! So disappointing! The book would be better with a new narrator! Please consider a change and a re-do!!!

Love Louise Penny, hate this narrator

First off, I love Louise Penny books. I was really looking forward to hearing more about 3 Pines. Instead, we heard someone literally reading the book aloud-not acting it out, the way all of the other books had been produced. Listening to someone read aloud in a Quebecois accent does not add to the story. We need a narrator who brings the story to life. We also did not hear really anything about 3 Pines. We got a complicated storyline with minimal characterization. Bring back Balthurst and the village!

The bad reader

The reader was horrible, please go back to Glenister, almost imposible to follow, everybody sounded the same, and Gamache was the worst.

Not one of Penny’s best

I found the plot too convoluted and a little unbelievable. Never found out about Simon’s motivations and involvements and how a case of domestic terrorism can involve monks in a far flung place. On the whole, I found it as they say in French « tiré par les cheveux,  » - far fetched. I also could not understand why people would be so tight lipped about an impending catastrophe and felt that Louise Penny was just dragging it to create suspense, but all it did was to confuse and frustrate. I also did not enjoy the new narrator. There will be a continuation of this story as we are left on a cliffhanger. I still enjoyed the usual Three Pines characters, although they were marginal to the story.

It keeps going and oh so well!

Louise Penny is a master mystery writer. As I’ve read (and re-read ) each title, I’ve felt like I’ve become a citizen of Three Pines, Quebec, Canada. This one had many twists, turns, suspense and even a thread to the next story. The new narrator did well. All in all, it’s so worth listening to the whole series, with this being another winner for sure!

Excellent story and narration

SPOILER ALERT….sort of. I actually really like the new narrator. And the plot is classic Louise Penney. But I absolutely hate stories that are not complete. I resent having to wait for the next book and pay an additional amount to get closure. My belief is that quality books stand on their own.

Not what I expected

I have listened to one of Louise Penny‘s books and I love three Pines and everything it represents unfortunately there was not much three pines in this one. The story was not bad, although it was hard to follow, and there were so many difficulties in the names for me at least, but the narrator made it really difficult. I tried my best to get involved with the narrator, but he does not have the capability of giving life to each individual. They all sounded the same as much as I love Penny’s books this was not my favorite. I finished it, but Shirley ask Louise Penny to consider bringing a Bathurst back and bringing three pines back. No this was not my favorite and I worked hard to get through it. I don’t think I can recommend it to other people.

Different writer too?

Not sure if it’s just the new narrator, but this Gamache seems different: Impatient, quick to anger, and now swearing? I’m not sure if I can even finish it between the new narrator and inconsistencies with this and previous books. And other little things- now Steven has family (a niece)? In the previous book Armand was all he had.
All in all, disappointing. Especially since I was waiting so long for the next book!