The Black Wolf
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3.7 • 51 Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
The 20th mystery in the #1 New York Times-bestselling Armand Gamache series.
Somewhere out there, in the darkness, a black wolf is feeding.
Several weeks ago, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec and his team uncovered and stopped a domestic terrorist attack in Montréal, arresting the person behind it. A man they called the Black Wolf.
But their relief is short-lived. In a sickening turn of events, Gamache has realized that plot, as horrific as it was, was just the beginning. Perhaps even a deliberate misdirection. One he fell into. Something deeper and darker, more damaging, is planned. Did he in fact arrest the Black Wolf, or are they still out there? Armand is appalled to think his mistake has allowed their conspiracy to grow, to gather supporters. To spread lies, manufacture enemies, and feed hatred and division.
Still recovering from wounds received in stopping the first attack, Armand is confined to the village of Three Pines, leading a covert investigation from there. He must be careful not to let the Black Wolf know he has recognized his mistake. In a quiet church basement, he and his senior agents Beauvoir and Lacoste, pore over what little evidence they have. Two notebooks. A few mysterious numbers on a tattered map of Québec. And a phrase repeated by the person they had called the Grey Wolf. A warning…
In a dry and parched land where there is no water.
Gamache and his small team of supporters realize that for the Black Wolf to have gotten this far, they must have powerful allies, in law enforcement, in industry, in organized crime, in the halls of government.
From the apparent peace of his little village, Gamache finds himself playing a lethal game of cat and mouse with an invisible foe who is gathering forces and preparing to strike.
"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 on The Grey Wolf (Earphones Award winner)
A Macmillan Audio production from Minotaur Books
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
The aftermath of a terrorist attack puts a legendary detective on his back foot in this installment in Louise Penny’s long-running Chief Inspector Gamache series. Gifted Quebecois crime fighter Gamache thought he had the Black Wolf in custody. When he finds out he may be wrong, he and his faithful agents Lacoste and Beauvoir begin painstakingly peeling back the onion layers of a conspiracy that involves the former deputy prime minister, organized crime, and a potential international crisis. Penny takes her time setting up the story and ratcheting up the suspense, but once things get going, The Black Wolf becomes an absolute pressure cooker. And we loved how, no matter how intense the action gets, there’s always an artful touch to her prose. Narrator Jean Brassard’s inviting regional accent is just perfect for drawing us into Gamache’s world. Hot-button topics like climate change and international friction nip at the heels of this classic, edge-of-your-seat thrill ride.
Customer Reviews
I’ve now read every book
… and this is what I have to say … Chief Inspector Gamash continues to be the smartest one in the room, the bravest, the most heroic, the most sensitive and the most predictable. Did I forget something. I guess if I gave this most recent of the series a rating it would be meh. Which isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy it. But time to move on. And a BIG THX U to Ms Penny.
Disappointing
Terribly disappointing: Heavy emphasis on conspiracy theories with the US.
Narration better
Liked the storyline, and the narration improved. I think it would be best if there were 2 narrators, Jean Brassard and a female.