The Brutal Telling is the fifth book in the Armand Gamache series by Louise Penny. In this book, Gamache investigates the death of an unknown man who’s body is found in the local Bistro. As the story unfolds, secrets are uncovered in layers.
I’ve enjoyed all of Penny’s stories. The characters are very rich and well developed, the stories are well told. The characters continue to develop and sometimes evolve in each of the books, giving something to look forward to in the next installment.
From time to time, I feel that Gamache is making an unreasonable leap, not following every possibility, but it is forgivable since the story is so well told. In the end, everything is tied up and the story makes perfect sense.
This is a rather typical space opera by Doc Smith. It was written around 1960 so is a little more modern. The heroes are about prefect, the villains evil, all are fairly shallow.
This book is set in a fantasy world where magic comes through illuminations. The idea is interesting, the text involving the illuminations is well told and interesting. The rest of the book is a bit bland.
The book tells the story of Sue, from unearthing, preparing, and through the legal battle that determined her ownership.
Since everyone knows the story, I’ll dispense with the usual plot and character analysis.
