by Sarah Erwin

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book and a link to purchase the book from Amazon.

The Black Wolf is book 20 in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache mystery series by Louise Penny and is a continuation from book 19, The Grey Wolf. To best follow a plot full of twists and turns, this reader recommends picking up The Grey Wolf first.

In this latest entry, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is at home in the village of Three Pines, recovering from wounds received in stopping a terrorist attack. However, this is far from a relaxing recovery, as Gamache soon realizes that while they arrested the person they thought was behind the terrorist attack, a bigger attack is planned. Could the person they put in jail not be the Black Wolf? Are more civilians at risk? Gamache and his team begin leading a covert investigation from Three Pines.

Wow! This is an intricate plot, with lots of twists and lots of dialogue. Readers should give themselves time to start this book and settle into the plot. I grabbed this on audio and found myself slowing it down and going back to make sure I caught everything. Once I was into the story, I was all the way in – curious to see where this would go. The story reads more like a political thriller than a traditional mystery, but certainly does not lack in tension. I always have faith in Gamache, but I was worried!

The characters appearing in this story are mostly Gamache’s immediate team and several political leaders. As Gamache struggles with who to trust, it makes sense that readers did not see much of our Three Pines friends, but I did miss them. I enjoyed the glimpses we got.

As always, Gamache stories are well written, clever and well thought out. While readers might miss the gentleness of Three Pines in this latest story, those looking for a fast-paced political story that this reader did not solve ahead of time, should pick up The Black Wolf.

You can click here to purchase this book from Amazon.

To enter to win a copy of The Black Wolf, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “black wolf” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen January 5, 2026. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Also listen to our new mystery podcast where mystery short stories and first chapters are read by actors! They are also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify.

Sarah Erwin started her career as a children’s librarian, later becoming a public library director and now she’s a stay at home mom. While her career might have changed, her love of reading has been a constant since 4th grade and she reads over 200 books a year. Read along with her on her blog Sarah Can’t Stop Reading or on Instagram. Sarah lives in St. Louis, MO with her two kids, her husband and a family dog and cat.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.