When I finished this book, I quickly posted on Goodreads my placeholder review, as I do with all books. Usually it is just the star rating and the phrase “full review to follow”. However, that wasn’t enough to wrap up how I was feeling. Instead, I wrote “It is almost unthinkable that a series can be getting better, more nuanced, and satisfying in its seventh installment but that is where we are with Louise Penny and Inspector Gamache” because this might be the best book […]
Into the Ragged Meadow of My Soul
A Louise Penny mystery is a strange thing, where the mystery itself usually takes a backseat to other plotlines and character development. The murders are clean, not gory, and the characters are well-rounded people with rich inner lives and motivations that make sense. It’s so refreshing. The Cruelest Month, the third in the Inspector Armand Gamache series, takes place in the small town of Three Pines, same as the first two books do. Inspector Gamache and his homicide team are called in after town residents […]
It was the sort of little puzzle he enjoyed
What struck me most as I read A Fatal Grace was the compassion of Inspector Armand Gemache. I have only read two of the Inspector Gemache books, but I suspect that Louise Penny puts great value on people who see. People who see more than the surface. Gemache can see into people, and find compassion for them. Clara sees and creates art. Ruth sees and writes poetry. ‘People expect me to be cynical because of my job,’ Gamache found himself saying, ‘but they don’t understand. It’s […]
Ring the Bells that Still Can Ring
The best thing about the Inspector Gamache mysteries is that the mysteries are secondary. There are two stars in these books: Inspector Gamache, and the town of Three Pines. Louise Penny has created a town that is almost magical in its perfection. This tiny town, situated around a lake, with three giant pines at one end, is picturesque, peaceful, and beguiling to read about. The description of the town bookstore made me seriously consider quitting my job and taking out a small business loan so […]