Finally getting around to this popular Canadian series that has worldwide recognition. What a great introduction to Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and the residents of Three Pines. Watching him enter the small town and sift through the dark secrets and murder clues, was just the thing for these cold January evenings. Crime fiction often comes in series, and getting to know the detective who solves the mysteries is a big part of the attraction. There’s always lots of details floating about with the reader unsure about which facts and theories are important and which are not, but in the end it doesn’t really matter, because you can depend on the trusty Inspector to sort it all out in the end. There’s a grand comfort in that.
Louise Penny offers a nice balance of action and reflection, making this feel ‘more than’ the usual whodunit. Her work has been paralleled with British whodunits which tend to have (according to wiki) “murders by unconventional means, bucolic villages, large casts of suspects, red herrings, and a dramatic disclosure of the murderer in the last few pages of the book.” Loved the Canadian setting outside of Montreal (just like Kathy Reichs’ Bones series; if you liked that, you’ll love this) and looking forward to more from this author–since I bought the three book starter set at Costco, the next two instalments are likely imminent! Judging by the reviews, future instalments keep getting better and better. And after all, it’s still going to be cold and dark for awhile yet…
There is a movie based on Still Life. It’s available on youtube.
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