Still Life (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache) by Louise Penny
As the early morning mist clears on Thanksgiving Sunday, the homes of Three Pines come to life – all except one…
To locals, the village is a safe haven. So they are bewildered when a well-loved member of the community is found lying dead in the maple woods. Surely it was an accident – a hunter’s arrow gone astray. Who could want Jane Neal dead?
In a long and distinguished career with the Sûreté du Quebec, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache has learned to look for snakes in Eden. Gamache knows something dark is lurking behind the white picket fences, and if he watches closely enough, Three Pines will begin to give up its secrets…
Miss Neal met her maker in the early morning mist of Thanksgiving Sunday.
I was hooked from the first line! There is something about this kind of mystery that is really appealing to me. I love getting to know all of the characters within a small town- everyone knows each other and now they are questioning whether or not they can trust their neighbour. It is cliche, but Three Pines is one of those places where no one locks their doors.
Something that made reading Still Life so fun for me was just how Canadian it is! I loved all the Canadian references and it made me feel that much more connected to the story and the characters.
The fact that art was such a big part of this book was a pleasant surprise for me. I have said many times on this blog how much I love reading about art and artist. A painting became part of the mystery and that was so compelling for me!
I am not completely sold on Armand Gamache as a character just yet. I liked how he integrated with everyone in the community, but his treatment of a new female detective didn’t sit quite right with me, even though she did have a chip on her shoulder. I am not sure if she is in the next book in the series, but I sure hope so. I would love to see their dynamic change and evolve. I think they could learn a lot from one another.
I have been told that there series only gets better from here, so I am excited about that! I have ordered the next three books and I can not wait for them to get here. To be honest, this is all I am in the mood to read right now, and normally I am not a series reader!
What is your favourite mystery series?
I’m so happy to see that you like the first book in this series. It’s true…they only gets better, and I’ve read and enjoyed every single one. If you ever have a chance to hear Louise Penny speak, I’m sure you would like the experience, as well! My other favorite series right now is the Ruth Galloway mysteries by Elly Griffiths, an author from the UK.
I’m so excited to continue on with the series! I will have to look up Louise Penny interviews. That sounds like a wonderful way to pass time.
I just looked up that series and instantly added it to my TBR. I love any mystery set in the UK.
Yay…Ruth will have another fan, I’m sure:)
Oooh I just started this series earlier this year. And I’m already on book 5 :D, I hope I’ll can read them all until September.
That’s amazing! I hope I can get through them all this year.
Ahhhhh….so fun to start a new series! And a long one! I definitely have my favorites! I read that Louise Penny created Gamache with her husband in mind! She remarked that since she knew the series would be long, she wanted a main character that she wouldn’t mind being married to!
Ah I love that!