The fifth book in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series, The Brutal Telling is a murder mystery that takes place in the small town of Three Pines, where a man no one seems to recognize has turned up dead in the local cafe. The Brutal Telling has all the hallmarks of the series: an outsider is murdered, the peace of Three Pines is shattered, Inspector Gamache bestows his beatific smile on those who deserve it and saves the day. But for reasons unrelated to the […]
We need to talk about Peter
Half Cannonball, and a third of the way through the Inspector Gamache books! Like all the other Inspector Gamache books, this one is great. If you’re not familiar, these books take place in Quebec (mostly in a small town called Three Pines, but this one takes place at a remote hotel not too far away), and star Inspector Armand Gamache, a homicide detective and one of the best people in literature. By “best” I don’t mean best written (although he is pretty well written), but […]
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 […]
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 […]