The Long Way Home

Chief Inspector Gamache, Book 10

By: Louise Penny

Narrated by: Ralph Cosham

Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

Happily retired in the village of Three Pines, Armand Gamache, former Chief Inspector of Homicide with the Sûreté du Québec, has found a peace he'd only imagined possible. On warm summer mornings he sits on a bench holding a small book, The Balm in Gilead, in his large hands. "There is a balm in Gilead," his neighbor Clara Morrow reads from the dust jacket, "to make the wounded whole."

While Gamache doesn't talk about his wounds and his balm, Clara tells him about hers. Peter, her artist husband, has failed to come home. Failed to show up as promised on the first anniversary of their separation. She wants Gamache's help to find him. Having finally found sanctuary, Gamache feels a near revulsion at the thought of leaving Three Pines. "There’s power enough in Heaven," he finishes the quote as he contemplates the quiet village, "to cure a sin-sick soul." And then he gets up. And joins her.

Together with his former second-in-command, Jean-Guy Beauvoir, and Myrna Landers, they journey deeper and deeper into Québec. And deeper and deeper into the soul of Peter Morrow. A man so desperate to recapture his fame as an artist, he would sell that soul. And may have. The journey takes them further and further from Three Pines, to the very mouth of the great St. Lawrence river. To an area so desolate, so damned, the first mariners called it The land God gave to Cain. And there they discover the terrible damage done by a sin-sick soul.

©2014 Three Pines Creations, Inc. (P)2014 Macmillan Audio

RIP Ralph Cosham

For now you are home.
Very different but I liked it. Not an obvious murder.

Haunting story

This is a beautiful read, slow and haunting and strange, as it’s upside down cover reflects. Driven by characters developed earlier, it can only be appreciated if you’ve read the previous books in the series. Penny means to touch our hearts here and, through compelling characters and a strong story line, she does.

Another Great Read

The series continues. I wish I was a better French speaker. I would have lived to look at a Dt Lawrence seaway may to follow the adventure along.

Interesting education on asbestos. Surprise ending: Ruth sober. Massey guilty. Read at just the right speed.

Have read nearly all of
Penny’s books..glad this one chosen for our book club. Made for good discussion

Entertaining

Could have used about an hour of less detail. Longer is not always better. But loved listening. I may not have read the whole thing.

Characters

I Liked the story and the characters and the French accent and locations in Canada

A plot that keeps you guessing with our Beloved Gamach and our Beloved 3 Pines characters tracing Peter’s disappearance.

Classic Louise Penny. Peter doesn’t return to Clara after the date of their year’s agreement to separate passes. Gamach now lives retired in 3 Pines. Clara breaks down and asks Gamach to help. Gamach and Jean Guy, along with Clara and Myna trace Peter’s disappearance fwhich takes them on a quest following Peter’s footsteps to the wild river headlands of The St Lawrence. The plot keeps you guessing, love prevails and allows Gamach to come to peace with his parent’s death.

great read...one of Penny's best!

LP wries rich characters, brilliant reader and excellent paced story telling. a triumph all round.

Better Than Therapy

Louise Penny knows how to transport us physically as well as mentally to places we have never been before. She is uniquely in touch with the human soul and all the anger, joy, angst, hatred, loyalty, betrayal, and love and support that we can imagine.

A very different story than her previous novels, this one is free from the tension and battles surrounding Gamache and others who were determined to ruin his life. It is a more peaceful novel in many ways, but still held my attention completely.

This story answers the questions about what happens with Peter and Clara Morrow. It starts in Three Pines with Clara confiding in Inspector Gamache, who is now retired and living in Three Pines with his wife, Reine-Marie. They take us on a journey with the help of a few other Three Pines residents through some of the earlier years of Peter's life. Art, of course, takes the stage front and center as layers are peeled back to expose the players and motives to bring us to the present. After finishing, and all was revealed, I went back to re-listen to some chapters, as I wanted to see what clues I might have missed. This is masterful storytelling!

The consistent voice of Ralph Cosham through all 10 books is just wonderful. He is the perfect narrator for this series.

Note to those who have not read any of this series--this book will not stand alone, It is the culmination of many previous books, and would probably not make much sense at all if you are not familiar with the characters. A fantastic series, it is well worth starting from the beginning and listening straight through to this one.

Highly recommended!

The way this book moved me...

I love this series. From the first sentence in the first book "Still Life" to the last sentence in this book has been a journey that was worth every step and the hours of listening. Each book digs deeper and deeper into the humaness of each character, their joy and their pain. Penny's artistry is in her ability to breathe life into each character throughout the series. When you find a little of yourself in Gamache, Jean-Guy, Clara, Reine-Marie, or Myrna. But these are only some of the myriad of characters that leap off the page, or materialize in from of your face. Louise Penny helps you understand yourself a little bit more. Ralph Cosham, is nothing short of brilliant in his ability to tell a great story. Listen to each book. If this is your first introduction to Inspector Gamache, begin with Still Life--you will not regret it.