The Grey Wolf

by Louise Penny
The Grey Wolf cover
Good Books rating 3.92
Technical:
  • ID: 217
  • Added: 2025-09-04
  • Updated: 2025-09-04
  • ISBN: 9781250328144
  • Publisher: Minotaur Books
  • Published: 2024-10-29
  • Reviews: 3
Reviews
Crime Fiction Lover · 2024-12-02
suspenseful 4.00

The Grey Wolf ends on a cliffhanger with some plot lines resolved but hints at a larger threat, maintaining strong suspense throughout.

This review highlights that The Grey Wolf delivers strong suspense and tension, ending on a cliffhanger that leaves some storylines open for continuation. The reviewer notes that while certain threads are concluded, the central mystery revolves around a 'black wolf' figure driven by a thirst for power, suggesting a deeper and ongoing menace. The book effectively balances resolution with anticipation, keeping readers eager for the next installment in the series.

Quick quotes

    The Grey Wolf is a cliffhanger.

    Some plot lines will be completed, however Gamache believes there is a black wolf with a need for power.

    The pursuit takes them across Québec and across borders.

BookTrib · 2024-10-28
mixed 3.25

The novel shifts from the cozy mystery feel to an intense international political thriller, with familiar characters playing smaller roles and pacing slowed by flashbacks.

This review notes that The Grey Wolf departs from the cozy atmosphere of earlier Three Pines novels by focusing on a broader international political thriller involving eco-terrorism. The beloved residents of Three Pines are sidelined, serving more as background than central players. The story is described as feeling like a 'greatest hits collection' of Penny's previous works, with numerous flashbacks interrupting the plot's momentum. However, despite these criticisms, the complex conspiracy and navigation of a monastic society remain riveting aspects that keep readers engaged.

Quick quotes

    The wonderful residents of Three Pines... are all but left behind.

    The book feels like a 'greatest hits collection' of the Three Pines series.

    Despite these flaws, the teams’ navigating the labyrinth of the monastic society is riveting.

Goodreads · 2024-10-04
refreshing 4.50

The book reinvents the long-running series by deepening themes of home and trust, avoiding formulaic repetition despite being the 19th installment.

The reviewer appreciates how Louise Penny took a year off before writing The Grey Wolf to focus on creating fresh and unique plots, which prevents the series from becoming formulaic or characters from becoming mere archetypes. The theme of home and what it means is strongly explored, especially as the peaceful life in Three Pines is disrupted by a threatening phone call and break-in. The book is seen as a special entry in the series that successfully reinvents itself after so many installments. They find it impressive that Penny maintains depth and originality in the 19th book of a popular mystery series.

Quick quotes

    No one can fault a writer if this is the direction he/she chooses to go in once a series becomes successful; it is why we see mystery and thriller series reaching fifty books in one series. Not so Louise Penny.

    Once the phone call set events in motion, I knew that the Grey Wolf would be one of those special books in a series that a reader would not guess is now nineteen books in.

    Home and what it means to people becomes an overarching theme throughout the narrative.

Appears in Lists