Tag: cozy mystery

A Rule Against Murder (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #4) by Louise Penny

A Rule Against Murder (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #4) by Louise Penny

When a body is discovered near a retreat in the woods, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache happens to be staying at the Manoir Bellechasse, the lodge, with his lovely wife, Reine-Marie. Now, their peaceful get-away has devolved into a murder investigation. Someone at the hotel is a killer.

Can Gamache figure out who before it’s too late?

“But just as their waffles arrived they heard a faraway sound, something so unexpected it took Gamache a moment to recognize it. It was a scream.” pg 84

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As delightful as this entry is in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series, I had trouble getting into the story. It has Louise Penny’s usual eccentric characters and thoughtful insights into universal emotions like love and despair.

And, as usual, I guessed completely wrong on the resolution and enjoyed the nail-biting conclusion.

“His team had a near perfect record, and they did it by sorting facts from fancy from wishful thinking. They did it by collecting clues and evidence. And emotions.” pg 95

I think what I was missing from the mystery was the setting of Three Pines itself. Honestly, it was nice to branch out a little and see many of Penny’s beloved characters in a different place, but Three Pines is so delightful that I missed it.

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To be fair, it does make a bit of a cameo with a village festival, but it wasn’t the same. The irascable poet, Ruth Zardo, is almost completely absent, except for a one-liner, and I missed her. I’m also inordinately fond of the bed and breakfast owners, Oliver and Gabri. But we didn’t see much of them because the action was taking place at a different hotel.

Here’s hoping the next book takes place back in Three Pines. I’d still recommend this one to readers who love cozy mysteries. Louise Penny has a gift for writing them.

Thanks for reading!

The Cruelest Month (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #3) by Louise Penny

The Cruelest Month (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #3) by Louise Penny

“But Three Pines itself was a village forgotten. Time eddied and swirled and sometimes bumped into it, but never stayed long and never left much of an impression. For hundreds of years the village had nestled in the palm of the rugged Canadian mountains, protected and hidden and rarely found except by accident.” pg 10, ebook

Readers are back with Chief Inspector Armand Gamache for another unlikely murder in the village of Three Pines. This time, it appears as if someone was scared literally to death.

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“Eight of them had gathered in the cozy back room of the bistro to raise the dead this Good Friday, and the only question seemed to be, who would do it.” pg 17, ebook.

Why is it that such a lovely place continues to experience such horrors?

“Was it possible the old Hadley house was full of their anger and sorrow? Was that why it attracted murderers? And ghosts?” pg 26, ebook.

Meanwhile, Gamache is haunted by a ghost from his past, the Arnot case. Claire continues to work on her painting while Peter tries not to be jealous of her talent. And for fans of the irascible poet, Ruth has a special role in this story.

I think what sets Louise Penny apart from other mystery authors is that she has created an entire community full of humorous and welcoming characters that I find myself wanting to return to. That’s not as simple as she makes it seem.

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“One by one they entered the old Hadley house. It was colder inside than out and smell of mold. The electricity had long since been turned off and now the circles of torchlight played on the peeling floral wallpaper, stained with damp which they all hoped was water.” pg 35, ebook

My only criticism is that I didn’t enjoy the mystery in this book as much as the previous ones. There was a lot of side drama that did a lot to build the characters but not to advance the plot. Otherwise, highly recommended for readers who enjoy cozy mysteries.

Thanks for reading!

A Fatal Grace (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #2) by Louise Penny

A Fatal Grace (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #2) by Louise Penny

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache solves more murders while surrounded by the sparkling personalities that compose the small town of Three Pines in Canada. 

Nobody likes the victim of the murder, which makes the job harder for Gamache. As a reader, I was cheering for Gamache to solve the crime, but not because of the unlikeable CC de Poiters. She was as different a character from the victim of the first book, Jane, as you could possibly be.

I wonder if Louise Penny’s editors said, ‘Give us another cozy murder, but different.’ Well, she delivered.

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“Anything CC didn’t like didn’t exist. That included her husband and daughter. It included any unpleasantness, any criticism, any harsh words not her own, any emotions. CC lived, Saul knew, in her own world, where she was perfect, where she could hide her feelings and hide her failings. He wondered how long before that world would explode.” pg 11, ebook

Meanwhile, a storm is brewing at Gamache’s headquarters because of fall out from the mysterious Arnot case (which the reader first read about in the last book and finally gets to learn about in this one).

“Only fools underestimated (Gamache), but Brault knew the service was full of fools. Fools with power, fools with guns. The Arnot case had proved that beyond a doubt. And had almost destroyed the large, thoughtful man in front of him.” pg 57, ebook

We are also treated to more background on some of my favorite characters from the last book, Clara and Myrna, plus poetry from the irascible Ruth.

Well, all children are sad
but some get over it.
Count your blessings. Better than that,
buy a hat. Buy a coat or pet.
Take up dancing to forget. pg 39, ebook.

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I like that Penny is developing these characters. They’re not just stuck in a time or place, unmoving and stiff. For example, Clara and Peter, her husband, are still fighting, but about different subjects now than from the last book. How very realistic for a married couple.

“When my death us do part
Then shall forgiven and forgiving meet again,
Or will it be, as always was, too late?” pg 61, ebook.

And it’s simply a treat to follow Gamache around and listen to his inner voice. He’s sensitive and kind, smart and intuitive. He also likes good food and drink. It makes him so relatable. He’s one of those characters that I’d like to meet for a drink sometime, if he were real. Or I’d want him in my book club.

“Gamache’s job was to collect the evidence, but also to collect the emotions. And the only way he knew to do that was to get the know the people. To watch and listen. To pay attention. And the best way to do that was in a deceptively casual manner in a deceptively casual setting. Like the bistro.” pg 142, ebook.

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The only part of this book that I found a bit off-key was a moment between Gamache and one of the town’s oldest residents, Em. They talk about moments from their past when something inexplicable caused them to behave in a certain way. That conversation comes back to haunt Gamache later in the book, and it almost has an air of magical realism to it.

There’s nothing wrong with magical realism, but I felt like Three Pines and its residents had enough every day magic without resorting to the truly far out there. I’d be curious as to what other readers thought of that moment — I won’t say any more because I don’t want to spoil it. You’ll know what I’m talking about when you get there.

Highly recommended for readers with a hankering for cozy mysteries. Thanks for reading!

Still Life (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #1) by Louise Penny

Still Life (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #1) by Louise Penny

Still Life is a satisfying start to a cozy mystery series. It has a diverse and quirky cast of characters and it kept me guessing as to what was coming next.

“Miss Jane Neal met her maker in the early morning mist of Thanksgiving Sunday. It was pretty much a surprise all around.”pg 6, ebook

The small town of Three Pines, Canada, is the kind of place where people don’t lock their doors. Or, it used to be that way.

Now, one of their kindest citizens is dead and a killer walks among them.

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“Her name’s Jane Neal. Aged seventy-six. Never been married. We got this information from Mr. Hadley who says she was the same age as his mother who died a month ago.” pg 29, ebook

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is one of the top of his field. He knows how to listen and he’s a keen observer — of people, of scenes, of everything. He’s a dazzling main character.

“Ruth Zardo, my job is to find out who killed your friend. And I will do that. I will do it in the manner I see fit. I will not be bullied and I will not be treated with disrespect. pg 41

As for the townsfolk, you’ll enjoy meeting each and every one. We have the owners of the local restaurant and bed & breakfast, local artists, real estate sales people, a book shop owner, an award winning poet and more. The dialogue between all of them is a delight to read. You may find yourself laughing out loud… I did.

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Also, I’d recommend starting the last chapters of this book either during the day or early in the evening. I thought I’d just read a few pages before bed and found myself finishing the book two hours later. (And far past my bedtime.)

Highly recommended for readers who love mysteries. This is a gem.

For readers interested in page to screen adaptions, this book has been made into a film. It is also slated to become a series for Amazon.

Thanks for reading!