Frank H. (perryfran) reviewed on 10/25/2017 + 1185 more book reviews

Several weeks ago, I saw a TV piece on Louise Penny as part of CBS' Sunday Morning program. I was unfamiliar with Penny's books but after seeing the piece which showed what a large following she has, I decided I need to read some of her Gamache series. STILL LIFE is the first in the series and I found it to be very enjoyable. I'm sure Gamache has been compared to Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot and that the series could be lumped in with a myriad of other cozy mysteries. However, I thought the novel was much more of a literary who-dun-it. The story takes place in the small Quebec village of Three Pines that is inhabited by a cast of very memorable characters. The village itself is very quaint and hard to get to. It's locals are engaged in art, books, good food, and archery. Gamache, chief inspector for the Sûreté du Québec, the police force in Quebec, is sent to Three Pines when an elderly woman appears to have been killed in a hunting accident. But was it an accident? Gamache must wade through the evidence including a lot of false leads before he can get to the truth. The novel kept me guessing right up till the end on who the bad guy was. Overall, it was very engaging and I'm sure I'll be read more in the series.

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