“Some might argue that Three Pines itself isn’t real, and they’d be right, but limited in their view. The village does not exist, physically. But I think of it existing in ways that are far more important and powerful. Three Pines is a state of mind. When we choose tolerance over hate. Kindness over cruelty. Goodness over bullying. When we choose to be hopeful, not cynical. Then we live in Three Pines.”
As much as I love binge reading (and watching) it’s also nice to intersperse books in a series with other reading. Then when I pick one up again, it’s a nice break and feels like coming ‘home.’ That is especially true of this series set in Three Pines.
It’s been good reading this series in order, although I didn’t keep order completely so far, and have spoken to many who have easily read them out of order. Penny’s mysteries are thoughtful and literary–much more than just a ‘whodunit.’
When a mysterious figure appears in Three Pines one cold November day, Armand Gamache and the rest of the villagers are at first curious but then become wary. Through rain and sleet, the hooded anonymous figure stands unmoving, staring ahead. From the moment its shadow falls over the village, Gamache, now Chief Superintendent of the Sûreté du Québec, suspects the creature has deep roots and a dark purpose. But what does one do with a situation like that, when nothing has happened yet? Watch and wait. But when the figure vanishes overnight and a body is discovered it falls to Gamache and his team to discover what happened as well as continue with other ongoing struggles embedded in the series.
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