A World of Curiosities in the 18th book in the Inspector Gamache series by Canadian author Louise Penny.   It is a police procedural crime novel, but there are many layers and intriguing developments throughout the story, completed by a thriller ending.

The tale begins with several back-stories.   The main story is an early Gamache case in which a prostitute is killed and her two kids are orphaned, but they have been damaged, and the echoes are part of the current murders.    There is a look back at the killings at the Ecole Polytechnique, with a real life survivor as part of the narrative.    And there is look back at when Chief Inspector Gamache first takes on his protege, Jean-Guy Beauvoir.

Ten years later, the events of the past collide with murders near Three Pines, a small village in Quebec and the clues start with a mysterious painting (A World of Curiosities) within a hidden room.     A spider is building his web, with revenge on his mind.

The multiple strands and layers of this story make it a page-turner, one of the best of its genre.   Highly recommended – 4.8/5 stars.

An audiobook excerpt: