All the Devils Are Here by Louise Penny

 This is my fourth Louise Penny book, and I don't need to read any more. Unless her earlier ones are better, I'm done. I was seduced by seeing it on the free shelf at Elevation Fitness, my gym, and picked it up. I loved the Eiffel Tower on the beautiful blue cover, and it looked like a winner. It is not.

First of all, there were way too many characters. And the plot was convoluted and complicated. The setting of Paris and the Marais was fun, but that didn't make up for the book's other shortcomings. The characters were confusing...Usually I like Inspector Gamache, but not much of his personality was revealed here. The plot was absolutely unbelievable. The disaffected son was unrealistic. What propelled me forward was that I was slightly interested in how the convoluted plot would unwind. And the good guys turned into bad guys and then back into good guys; people changed loyalties...all in all, a loser of a book. I will return it to the gym!

Now I'm wondering why I waste my time on such drivel when there is such good reading available to me. I like an easy read, I guess. And I assumed Penny would be "cozy" and light... Ah well, live and learn! Louise Hench told me at our Ridgeview Book Group that she's not reading any more fiction. She says she doesn't have time; it's a matter of good, better, or best. I understand that and feel myself relating to that, although I can't imagine giving up great fiction. I find it inspiring. I disappoint myself when I read crap like this one...