Somehow, I missed Louise Penny’s novella, The Hangman, from 2011. It does feature Chief Inspector Gamache and Inspector Beauvoir, along with several of the residents of Three Pines. But, it appears that the novella was originally written for the Good Reads series, sponsored by ABC Life Literacy Canada.

I have to say, though, that I missed an obvious clue as to the identity used by the hanged man. Duh! Maybe I would have caught it sooner if I was a Canadian mystery reader. I should have known, though.

A jogger who was staying at the local Inn & Spa found a man hanging from a tree, and called the police. Gamache questioned him. Why didn’t he try to get the man down? He does admit the man may also have been a guest at the Inn & Spa. Gamache doesn’t know why there was no suicide note. But, then, he realizes there was no tree bark under the man’s fingernails. Was he murdered?

When Beauvoir finds a note in the man’s bedroom, it could be a suicide note. But, it’s not clear, and it’s unsigned. It takes time for Gamache to identify the victim, but, even he has an ah hah moment.

As with all of Louise Penny’s books, I can’t go into any more detail without spoiling it. It’s a short novella. I read it in an hour and a half the other night. However, if you’re a fan of Armand Gamache, it’s worth picking up this story. It’s not really necessary to read it as part of the series. But, it’s one more link to the character many of us love.

Louise Penny’s website is https://www.louisepenny.com/

Although I read a Kindle version, The Hangman is available in print format.

The Hangman by Louise Penny. Grass Roots Press, 2011. ISBN 9781926583501 (ebook), 92p.

FTC Full disclosure – I bought a copy from Amazon.