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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n