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From Publishers Weekly Starred Review. When the body of an unknown old man turns up in a bistro in Agatha-winner Penny's excellent fifth mystery set in the Quebec village of Three Pines (after Jan. 2009's A Rule Against Murder), Chief Insp. Armand Gamache investigates. At a cabin in the woods apparently belonging to the dead man, Gamache and his team are shocked to discover the remote building is full of priceless antiquities, from first edition books to European treasures thought to have disappeared during WWII. When suspicion falls on one of Three Pines' most prominent citizens, it's up to Gamache to sift through the lies and uncover the truth. Though Gamache is undeniably the focus, Penny continues to develop her growing cast of supporting characters, including newcomers Marc and Dominique Gilbert, who are converting an old house—the site of two murders—into a spa. Readers keen for another glimpse into the life of Three Pines will be well rewarded. 100,000 first printing. (Oct.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Review It is Penny s fastidious, cultured, and smart Inspector Gamache who makes The Cruelest Month impossible to put down. --People One of the best traditional mystery series currently being published. --Booklist (starred review) Penny produces what many have tried but few have a psychologically acute cozy. If you don t give your heart to Gamache, you may have no heart to give. --Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Penny produces what many have tried but few have a psychologically acute cozy. If you don t give your heart to Gamache, you may have no heart to give. --Kirkus Reviews (starred review) It is Penny s fastidious, cultured, and smart Inspector Gamache who makes The Cruelest Month impossible to put down. --People