The Madness of Crowds cover art

The Madness of Crowds

Chief Inspector Gamache, Book 17

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The Madness of Crowds

By: Louise Penny
Narrated by: Adam Sims
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About this listen

The new book in the internationally best-selling Gamache series by 'one of the greatest crime writers of our time' (Denise Mina).

The incredible new book in Louise Penny's number one best-selling Chief Inspector Gamache series.

When Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is asked to provide crowd control at a statistics lecture given at the Université de l'Estrie in Quebec, he is dubious. Why ask the head of homicide to provide security for what sounds like a minor, even mundane lecture?

But dangerous ideas about who deserves to live in order for society to thrive are rapidly gaining popularity, fuelled by the research of the eminent Professor Abigail Robinson. Yet for every person seduced by her theories, there is another who is horrified by them. When a murder is committed days after the lecture, it's clear that within crowds can lie madness.

To uncover the truth, Gamache must put his own feelings about the divisive professor to one side. But with her ideas gaining ground, the line separating good and evil, right and wrong, is quickly blurring - especially when the case leads unexpectedly close to home....

Includes a bonus conversation between the author and audiobook narrator Adam Sims.

©2021 Louise Penny (P)2021 Hodder & Stoughton Limited Crime Crime Thrillers Fiction Mystery Police Procedural Thriller & Suspense Thriller Suspense Murder
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Really unsure about this book but enough going on to keep you interested. really liked the narrator. Storyline fine. maybe it was me and my thought process. I did stay with it and did enjoy but not the best I have listened to. Took me a week to listen.

First my this author

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Louise Penny is a master of this genre.
Adam Sims once again magically brings Penny's work to life.

ANOTHER Brilliant Work

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I was looking forward to this interview but was deeply bored by Adam Sims making it all about himself. Why does he think he’s more interesting than Louise Penny?

Egotistical narrator

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Full disclosure - absolutely adore the characters and world that Louise Penny has created, and Adam Sims' narration of that world.
This is a very timely story, written and set post-pandemic. Controversial ideas are floated and discussed, and those ideas have very human faces.
Listening to these stories is like coming home - love them. No idea WHAT I will do once I finish A World of Curiosities!

A story for the times.

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Excellent narration and a really evocative story. I started listening to Louise Penny a few weeks ago and have devoured the whole series. I was really interested to see how Penny would treat the pandemic in this latest book. I really enjoyed the interview at the end between author and narrator.

An excellent read as always

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I loved the fact that everyone is back in Three Pines with all the village. The introduction of a new and interesting character who I hope will be back is fascinating. The theme of genocide is very controversial. I loved the book.

One of her best

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The Madness of Crowds completed the Gamache series for me and this book is representative of the series. It’s long and rambling with the focus constantly moving between the murder mystery, philosophical, ethical issues and social commentary. The characters are almost phantasmagorical as it Three Pines itself which “appears”, it seems, only to the chosen few. The language is irrepressible. Just as I’m wondering whether Penny even employed an editor, another passage carries me away into the forests or the mouthwatering descriptions of Canadian cuisine. As a lover of tightly written and very focused whodunnits, Penny’s books should have little appeal, but I’m captivated. The characters and their relationships are unbelievable, but I’m seriously invested in each and every one. The moral dilemmas challenging our heroes are predictable, but have made me consider aspects of my own thinking. I cringe at Penny’s focus on love and the importance of feelings, but it works in her books. Moreover, I love her use of poetry, natural landscapes visual arts, music and societal issues to surround and provide many levels of meaning. Penny’s work reminds me of the novels of another Canadian author, Robertson Davies. Both wrote huge, multi-part books and shared a Jungian approach. Lastly, I really liked the way the Pandemic experience was included in The Madness of Crowds.

A compulsive novel

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Very hard hitting and goes right into the depths of some very serious issues. Not actually an enjoyable listen. But I don’t regret it. This one lacks the humour that I enjoy in the series. I hope the next will be less intense. If you are a fan you will want to listen to this one though.

Tough to listen to

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Louise Penny writes such a detailed story describing every scene to drag me in & keep me captivated & Adam Simms is just such an EXCELLENT narrator. Learning about how the narrator reads the book for us is amazing. There’s no doubt his narration builds on an amazing story & create an awesome addictive experience. Other books are lost by poor narration- they all need an Adam Simms!!!

What a bonus at the end!!!!

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I love this series but this and “a better man” are the chaff amongst the wheat. Kept waiting for the epic twists and turns ive loved to expect from LP - none came

Long boring and unbelievable

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