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A Better Man: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel
- Chief Inspector Gamache/Three Pines Series, Book 15
- Narrated by: Robert Bathurst
- Length: 13 hrs and 8 mins
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A Better Man: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel
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Still Life
- Chief Inspector Gamache, Book 1
- Written by: Louise Penny
- Narrated by: Adam Sims
- Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 461
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 393
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 395
The discovery of a dead body in the woods on Thanksgiving Weekend brings Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his colleagues from the Surete du Quebec to a small village in the Eastern Townships. Gamache cannot understand why anyone would want to deliberately kill well-loved artist Jane Neal, especially any of the residents of Three Pines - a place so free from crime it doesn't even have its own police force.
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4 out of 5 stars
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The accent mistakes were frustrating!
- By Jennifer on 2019-10-09
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The Hangman
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- Narrated by: Robert Bathurst
- Length: 1 hr and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 24
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 18
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Story4 out of 5 stars 18
On a cold November morning, a jogger runs through the woods in the peaceful Quebec village of Three Pines. On his run, he finds a dead man hanging from a tree. The dead man was a guest at the local Inn and Spa. He might have been looking for peace and quiet, but something else found him. Something horrible. Did the man take his own life? Or was he murdered?
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent
- By Gail Payne on 2023-02-02
Written by: Louise Penny
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State of Terror
- A Novel
- Written by: Louise Penny, Hillary Rodham Clinton
- Narrated by: Joan Allen
- Length: 15 hrs and 41 mins
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 608
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 540
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 536
After a tumultuous period in American politics, a new administration has just been sworn in, and to everyone’s surprise the president chooses a political enemy for the vital position of secretary of state. There is no love lost between the president of the United States and Ellen Adams, his new secretary of state. But it’s a canny move on the part of the president. With this appointment, he silences one of his harshest critics, since taking the job means Adams must step down as head of her multinational media conglomerate
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4 out of 5 stars
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Turn up the speed!
- By Kindle Customer on 2021-10-16
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The Healers
- Inspector Ramsay, Book 5
- Written by: Ann Cleeves
- Narrated by: Simon Mattacks
- Length: 6 hrs and 56 mins
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 4
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 4
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Story5 out of 5 stars 4
Isolated farmer Ernie Bowles was found lying on his kitchen floor, gruesomely strangled. News of the murder came to Inspector Stephen Ramsay early on Monday morning and he fears this case will not be simple. In his experience, most murders are straightforward: an explosion of family pressure, the loss of control in a fight. But Bowles seems to have kept himself to himself and had lived alone since his mother’s death. A seemingly unconnected women is then found strangled too, surely two such killings in the same locality are more than just chilling coincidence?
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- Written by: Elizabeth George
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 21 hrs and 28 mins
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 128
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 120
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 120
When a police detective is taken off life support after falling into a coma, only an autopsy reveals the murderous act that precipitated her death. She'd been working on a special task force within North London's Nigerian community, and Acting Detective Superintendent Thomas Lynley is assigned to the case, which has far-reaching cultural associations that have nothing to do with life as he knows it.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Best in the series!
- By Nicole on 2022-01-17
Written by: Elizabeth George
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The Crow Trap
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Three very different women come together at isolated Baikie’s Cottage on the North Pennines to complete an environmental survey. Rachael, the team leader, is still reeling after a double betrayal by her lover and boss, Peter Kemp. Anne, a botanist, sees the survey as a chance to indulge in a little deception of her own. And then there is Grace, a strange, uncommunicative young woman hiding plenty of her own secrets.
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4 out of 5 stars
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GREAT suspense!
- By Amazon Customer on 2018-10-01
Written by: Ann Cleeves
-
Still Life
- Chief Inspector Gamache, Book 1
- Written by: Louise Penny
- Narrated by: Adam Sims
- Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 461
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 393
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 395
The discovery of a dead body in the woods on Thanksgiving Weekend brings Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his colleagues from the Surete du Quebec to a small village in the Eastern Townships. Gamache cannot understand why anyone would want to deliberately kill well-loved artist Jane Neal, especially any of the residents of Three Pines - a place so free from crime it doesn't even have its own police force.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
The accent mistakes were frustrating!
- By Jennifer on 2019-10-09
Written by: Louise Penny
-
The Hangman
- Written by: Louise Penny
- Narrated by: Robert Bathurst
- Length: 1 hr and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 24
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 18
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 18
On a cold November morning, a jogger runs through the woods in the peaceful Quebec village of Three Pines. On his run, he finds a dead man hanging from a tree. The dead man was a guest at the local Inn and Spa. He might have been looking for peace and quiet, but something else found him. Something horrible. Did the man take his own life? Or was he murdered?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent
- By Gail Payne on 2023-02-02
Written by: Louise Penny
-
State of Terror
- A Novel
- Written by: Louise Penny, Hillary Rodham Clinton
- Narrated by: Joan Allen
- Length: 15 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 608
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 540
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 536
After a tumultuous period in American politics, a new administration has just been sworn in, and to everyone’s surprise the president chooses a political enemy for the vital position of secretary of state. There is no love lost between the president of the United States and Ellen Adams, his new secretary of state. But it’s a canny move on the part of the president. With this appointment, he silences one of his harshest critics, since taking the job means Adams must step down as head of her multinational media conglomerate
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Turn up the speed!
- By Kindle Customer on 2021-10-16
Written by: Louise Penny, and others
-
The Healers
- Inspector Ramsay, Book 5
- Written by: Ann Cleeves
- Narrated by: Simon Mattacks
- Length: 6 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 4
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 4
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 4
Isolated farmer Ernie Bowles was found lying on his kitchen floor, gruesomely strangled. News of the murder came to Inspector Stephen Ramsay early on Monday morning and he fears this case will not be simple. In his experience, most murders are straightforward: an explosion of family pressure, the loss of control in a fight. But Bowles seems to have kept himself to himself and had lived alone since his mother’s death. A seemingly unconnected women is then found strangled too, surely two such killings in the same locality are more than just chilling coincidence?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Another Winner
- By Amazon Customer on 2023-05-19
Written by: Ann Cleeves
-
Something to Hide
- A Lynley Novel
- Written by: Elizabeth George
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 21 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 128
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 120
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 120
When a police detective is taken off life support after falling into a coma, only an autopsy reveals the murderous act that precipitated her death. She'd been working on a special task force within North London's Nigerian community, and Acting Detective Superintendent Thomas Lynley is assigned to the case, which has far-reaching cultural associations that have nothing to do with life as he knows it.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Best in the series!
- By Nicole on 2022-01-17
Written by: Elizabeth George
-
The Crow Trap
- Written by: Ann Cleeves
- Narrated by: Janine Birkett
- Length: 14 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 115
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 105
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 105
Three very different women come together at isolated Baikie’s Cottage on the North Pennines to complete an environmental survey. Rachael, the team leader, is still reeling after a double betrayal by her lover and boss, Peter Kemp. Anne, a botanist, sees the survey as a chance to indulge in a little deception of her own. And then there is Grace, a strange, uncommunicative young woman hiding plenty of her own secrets.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
GREAT suspense!
- By Amazon Customer on 2018-10-01
Written by: Ann Cleeves
Publisher's Summary
2019 Amazon.com Best Books of the Year
"Robert Bathurst's intelligent narration captures every nuance, every emotion, and each of Louise Penny's subtle revelations about the unique, completely engaging residents of Three Pines." (AudioFile Magazine, Earphones Award winner)
Catastrophic spring flooding, blistering attacks in the media, and a mysterious disappearance greet Chief Inspector Armand Gamache as he returns to the Sûreté du Québec in the latest novel by number one New York Times best-selling author Louise Penny.
It’s Gamache’s first day back as head of the homicide department, a job he temporarily shares with his previous second-in-command, Jean-Guy Beauvoir. Flood waters are rising across the province. In the middle of the turmoil a father approaches Gamache, pleading for help in finding his daughter.
As crisis piles upon crisis, Gamache tries to hold off the encroaching chaos, and realizes the search for Vivienne Godin should be abandoned. But with a daughter of his own, he finds himself developing a profound, and perhaps unwise, empathy for her distraught father.
Increasingly hounded by the question, how would you feel..., he resumes the search.
As the rivers rise, and the social media onslaught against Gamache becomes crueler, a body is discovered. And in the tumult, mistakes are made.
In the next title in this "constantly surprising series that deepens and darkens as it evolves" (New York Times Book Review), Gamache must face a horrific possibility, and a burning question.
What would you do if your child’s killer walked free?
What the critics say
"Enchanting...one of his most ennobling missions." (Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review)
"With an uncompromising eye, Penny explores the depths of human emotion, both horrifying and sublime. Her love for her characters and for the mystical village of Three Pines is apparent on every page." (Publishers Weekly starred review)
"The appeal of this series and especially of Gamache himself has always been Penny's ability to show her hero moving from the tangible, brutal facts of murder to the emotions within, the stories in the blood. There are multiple stories, often contradictory, to be found in the many-tentacled web of human tragedy and suffering that Gamache teases to the surface in this moving exploration of ties that both bind and destroy." (Booklist starred review)
More from the same
What listeners say about A Better Man: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Gayle Agnew Smith
- 2019-12-17
I wish the narrator had been French Canadian.
Of course the book was amazing but I think the narrator should have been French Canadian or at least French. So hard to follow with someone without an understanding of the French Canadian view. His British accent devalued the experience for me. I'm from Ontario but think the bóok woud have been better with a different narrator!
6 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Michelle
- 2019-08-31
So worth the wait
I love the characters in these books, and Louise Penny shows that you don't need shock value to have a great murder mystery. I often think if I drive into the Eastern Townships I will somehow come across Three Pines although it is a fictional town, so powerful are the characters and descriptions.
Gamache is always thoughtful and kind, the kind of person I wish there were more of in this crazy world we live in.
I liked the social media thoughts in this book, the good, the bad and the ugly of it. Very timely.Excellent through and through
5 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- janet corcoran
- 2019-11-09
British accent???
Why would audible record a French Canadian set book by Brit R Bathurst? I found it very distracting and difficult to reconcile a British accent to characters who are French Canadian. I would recommend reading Louise Penny’s latest novel.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- JMLD
- 2019-12-29
No more.
This is the first book of fiction I have listened to and can't take any more of it. Some of the voices are so grating I'm cringing while listening. The dialogue is weak. Very disappointing.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2019-12-13
British accent out of place
I normally like to be read to by someone with an English accent but found it unsatisfying in this case. Mispronunciation of place names eg Abitibi was annoying. I’m sure Judge Pelletier should have Ben pronounced differently. Surely there are French Canadian readers who could have made the experience more authentic.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Meaghan
- 2023-02-28
Penny does it again
Wow! Another incredible Gamache story!! I’m going to be disappointed at the end of the series!
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- KForgaardPullen
- 2023-02-24
Insulting Narration
Louise Penny is her usual quality story telling. However using an British narrator using weird variations is no way to tell a story set in Quebec Canada. I will be certain to avoid any future editions
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- melanie
- 2023-01-27
Great performance
Love every book of Louise penny. Great performance and story. Always a thrill to listen.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sid Klages
- 2023-01-19
Clever - but missing the point
Another good Gamache story. Louise Penny never fails. However the use of an English narrator was so wrong and became annoying with every "oui" or "non" and mispronounced french names (the judge) was actually irritating and boardering on farce. Surely a fine bilingual Quebec narrator could have been hired.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- MC
- 2022-09-09
Very happy
Very pleased to hear a much better reading of this wonderful series. Perhaps the narrator and producer understood the discontent felt be those who understand the language and adjusted and made an effort to better pronounce the words on French. Thank you, it allows for a better understanding when listening to the series. The story as always is comfort and makes one wish that they could visit 3 Pines and sit in the bistro and spend a night at the ‘Bed and Brunch’.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Sally
- 2019-09-10
Not My Favorite
The series seems to be getting pretty dark. The constant attempt to diminish Gamache is getting so old that this has taken over the entire series. And now Clara has also become a target...it is just getting to dire. Where Three Pines used to be a magical place, the residents all seem to be suffering from a never ending depressive malaise. Always looked forward to the next book in this series but not at all sure that I will spend a credit on the next one. I do however appreciate this narrator and the difficult time he had overcoming his fabulous predecessor.
49 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Lulu
- 2019-12-21
Inevitable, But Still Sad
I am a huge fan of Louise Penny and the Three Pines series. Such a fan, these books inspired me to visit Montreal and Quebec City. I think Armand Gamache is one of the truly great characters of modern literature and the characters who inhabit Three Pines fascinating. I loved many of the detailed plotlines of previous books and learned so much reading several of them. The fact that I lasted through 15 books in any series is a testament to the quality of the series. I am usually burned out by the 5th or 6th book in most series. They always become predictable and repetitive or increasingly outlandish and unbelievable. Not so this series. While I was slightly frustrated by the ongoing conspiracy subplots, I could largely ignore it and focus on the primary mystery to be solved in each book and the characters.
That changed with book 14, Kingdom of the Blind. Suddenly the ongoing conspiracies sucked up most of the plotline and the actual mystery to be solved slipped into the background, as did the characters. I hoped it was an aberration, so moved on to A Better Man. Unfortunately, this book continued to focus on all of the various people out to get Gamache for no apparent reason and spent little time on the actual crime to be solved. It made me finally think about Gamache differently If so many people hate him enough to take such elaborate steps to destroy his career, then what am I missing about him? And suddenly his patience and almost saintliness made him seem weak and not nearly as interesting a character.
So, before I fall out of love with one of my favorite characters of all time, I have decided it is time to put an end to this relationship. Unfortunately, I believe A Better Man is my last Three Pines book. I always assumed this day would eventually come. But I still find it depressing.
47 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2019-08-31
Another fantastic novel, but....
I never tire of the characters of Three Pines. I’ve read the whole series. The sense of humor is so witty and the plot so interesting that I can’t wait for the next book to come out.
Louise Penny brings to the reader great insight into the emotional lives of the characters.
One suggestion; take a break from the conspiracy theories and paranoia of the upper echelon of the Surete du Quebec. The murder investigations themselves are fascinating. The plot doesn’t always need a corrupt leader under every rock. Maybe just under every other rock?
34 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Meg
- 2019-08-28
Tired Old Village
As much as I fell in love with Three Pines when I read the first of Louise Penny's Gamache mystery books, I've gotten extraordinarily tired of this series - tired of platitudes being repeated over and over again, tired of the cranky old rude poet, tired of hearing about videos and Gamache's heroism, and so tired of Reine-Marie and Armand sappy emotions, And did I mention that I'm tired of the tired old platitudes? Three Pines needs a good cleaning and more people need to just head to Paris.
I had hoped the early characters would be developed in interesting ways and we'd spend much more time with them. Instead we're taken to exhausting meetings at the Surete du Quebec headquarters. I'm beyond caring if Aramand is the head of it all - and so is Armand! Reine Marie is just a new form of Martha Stewart, sadly never developed beyond that. Ruth and Clara are doing the same schtick they've done for ten books. Gabri is tirelessly stoking fires and serving croissants. Three Pines is a tired old village. Part of me was hoping the flood would sweep it away, anticipating some fresh rebuilding.
Some of Penny's writing is so transporting, for example her description of waiting for winter to end in the north. She had me enraptured. Then she went right back to the same formula - and gave us the four rules for wisdom once again and again. It's as if she's telling us "I don't know" what to write about anymore. I hope Penny packs up the Latin, all the rulesy wisdom, and finds some real interest for this series. And please don't bring anyone back from Paris!
33 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Angelyn S. Furst
- 2019-09-04
Gamache has become predictable
I loved the previous Gamache novels. Unfortunately, this one is tired and predictable. Gamache, as always, carries guilt, which I find boring. A little guilt is fine, but guilt over everything's is just plain boring. The story doesn't capture my imagination and the continuous "GET GAMACHE" from his supervisors is dragging the entire story down.
30 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Donna J. Shaw
- 2019-09-01
Becoming stale
It is time to stop beatifying Gamache and work on rounding out some of the other characters a bit more. What makes Three Pines so special is the interplay between its residents. Saint Gamache is a bit too perfect. I would like to read more about the more down to earth folks like Myrna, Ruth, Claire, Gabri, Olivier, and Rene-Marie.
28 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Wayne
- 2019-08-28
Fantastic novel in a fantastic series!!
Karin Slaughter and Louise Penny released modern detective series novels on consecutive weeks one based in Georgia and the other in Quebec. Life is good! I'm hard pressed to say which is better because both are a close to perfect as possible. A BETTER MAN is Book 15 in Louise Penny's Gamache/Three Pines series which is set in Quebec province of Canada especially in the small hamlet of Three Pines which is just north of the Vermont border. Armand Gamache is getting a bit long in the tooth but he is as sharp as ever. Frankly the publisher's summary tells too much. The incomparable Ralph Coshan narrated the first 10 novels in the Three Pines series. After Cosham's death Robert Bathurst took over series narration. Bathurst is not as good as Cosham but he easily earns 5 stars.
Each novel in this series stands alone quite well, but to appreciate the wonderful job author Penny has done with the development of the quirky Three Pines characters (and the less quirky ones) listening to some of the earlier series novels is recommended. If you have not done so in the past you owe it to yourself to give Louise Penny a try.
27 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Joanne
- 2019-09-21
What Happened?
I'm a HUGE Louise Penny/Inspector Gamache fan. I will continue to be a HUGE fan. However, this book will play no roll in contributing to my enthusiasm. The story lines were thin, and repetitive. It's time to move away from the story line of everyone having it in for Inspector Gamache. And, although there will never be another Ralph Cosham, until "A Better Man..." Robert Bathurst was an acceptable narrator. But, his representation of the new characters in this book was truly difficult to listen to. In fact, his take on Ruth has always made me cringe. I still look forward to the next installment of this series. Louise Penny is truly a gifted writer who produces intellectually rich and interesting characters.
24 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Kcosper
- 2019-09-12
Tiring
I did not find this as compelling as the ones before. The story too forever to unfold as the officers talked it over and over and over and over. The domestic violence issue is important but the story turned into a melodrama, continually referring to the officers' thinking of their own families over and over and over. Still love the characters and the place not the story, not so much.
23 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Lara Kellett
- 2019-09-07
Disappointing and redundant
After 14 books, the readers well know the denizens of Three Pines. We didn't need the old descriptions repeated over and over. Too many details felt tired and unnecessary. Bathhouse's interpretation was contrived to the point of seeming condescending. He reads the story as if to children. The story was at times intriguing, but Penny over-explains points that are already obvious. The narration did not bode well for several two dimensional characters who were so stereo typed that we cannot wait to be rid of them. Overall, this was certainly not the best in the series. Surely, we hope there will be another, but next time, perhaps the reader may be given a little credit for having some insight.
16 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Tester567
- 2020-09-11
So good!
I think this book becomes among my preferred book of the Gamache’s series, a great story, a nice suspense, an exciting denouement, it’s worth the reading.