Peter Morrow hadn't returned after the year he and Clara had agreed upon for his return so the search for Peter began. Of course, Armand Gamache was asked to be involved even though he had retired from the police force.

THE LONG WAY HOME has the well-known, well-loved residents of Three Pines we all are familiar with and the residents that make Louise Penny's books ones I enjoy reading.

THE LONG WAY HOME was a bit different from her other books. Instead of solving a murder, the Three Pines residents were working together to find Peter.

This book was different because of the way the investigation took place. Gamache actually was not in charge; Clara was. It discussed muses and different art terms. It was more about artists than the solving of a regular murder mystery, but the characters as always worked beautifully together.

?I can't say I didn't like THE LONG WAY HOME, but it is quite different from her other books and took a bit of getting used to. Regardless of the style and plot, though, THE LONG WAY HOME still had the pull all of her books have on you. ?

?Ms. Penny's books usually involve emotions. THE LONG WAY HOME was specifically about happiness, sadness, and finding oneself.? 4/5

This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.

THE LONG WAY HOME by Louise Penny
This was my first Inspector Gamache novel and that was a mistake. I should have read the preceding novels first! Even at the end of the book I was still sure I was missing important nuances of plot , conversation and place.
That said, I enjoyed this book. The mystery lurks into being in the first paragraphs and keeps one on edge for the remainder of the book. The characters are well defined. The plot is rich with suspense and is logically rendered. You will care about the characters and be surprised by the ending. There is humor in the characters, especially Ruth and Rosa, as well as humanity and empathy.
If you know a bit about art and artists you will be ahead of the game. If you know nothing about art and artists you will learn a lot about their temperaments and work styles. Neither instance will detract from the story.
5 of 5 stars