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Great Reckoning finished

Plot turns on discovery that the murdered professor (LaDuc) was forcing his cadets to play Russian Roulette a la Deer Hunter.  That's tough to swallow, as none of the cadets die even though the "game" had been played over a three or four year period--seemingly at least a dozen times.  What was La Duc going to do with a dead cadet's body in his study?  The map had no connection to the murder, just a add-in for local color and history.  Disappointing.  The actual murderer (his childhood friend) was fine.  Garmand had given this guy a second chance.  He was repaying Garmand by murdering LaDuc before La Duc could ruin the police college.

Amelia Choquet, the pierced girl whom we are encouraged to believe is Garmand's illegitimate daughter is actually the daughter of the boy who killed Armand's parents in a car crash. She's a total cliche.  The tough girl who is really kind at heart and also smarter than all those people with conventional backgrounds.

Plot is too long and too loose for my taste.  Character of Armand too cloying--he's perfect. Writing style is excellent.  I think this will by my only Louise Penny novel.

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