This 13-chapter novella is an extra to Louise Penny's popular mystery series featuring Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Quebec Provincial Police.

The slim book is part of a series of titles sponsored by a Canadian literacy program. The publisher used slightly larger print on each page, and the story is told in a somewhat simpler fashion. Yet the familiar characters and the plot are certainly not dumbed down in any way. The Hangman offers a short and satisfying read.

A man is found hanged in the woods in rural Quebec. Was this an instance of suicide or of murder? The initial evidence shows that it could go either way. With Gamache on the scene -- along with his second-in-command, Inspector Jean-Guy Beauvoir -- we can bet that these worthy investigators will puzzle out the truth. They focus their attentions on the local inn where the man was a guest. Naturally, other visitors to the area are possible perpetrators. Who would have had a motive to do such an odd thing? The eventual answer may surprise you.

In addition to Gamache and Beauvoir, a few more of Penny's usual characters appear here. Coroner Dr. Harris employs her expertise at the crime scene and in her lab. When part of the action moves to the nearby village of Three Pines (where Gamache and his wife Rein-Marie will later move) we're welcomed into the bistro by Gabri and Myrna.

Avid fans of the series will be able to fill in some blanks, while newcomers won't know enough to miss them.

Here you'll even learn a piece of Canadian history when you find out why great mystery novels from up north can earn the Arthur Ellis Award.

As a timeless novella, The Hangman can serve as both introduction and appetizer to the larger series. Readers may be drawn afterward to dive into the full course provided by the full range of Gamache books. This story offers as much intrigue as any of the others, and Penny shows her creativity and intense talent to be able to craft such an intricate mystery in such a short form.

And while a practiced reader can probably whip this paperback off in under an hour, the experience is worth the time to approach it with some restraint. My advice is to go slow, savor the story, consider all of the circumstances of the crime, and let the encounter last a little bit longer.