Louise Penny

Still Life (A Three Pines Mystery)

Erin G.

Exceeded my expectations, can't wait to read more in the series.

Sarah Sammis

Reminds me of The Killings at Badger's Drift but set in a border village in Quebec. 

Maybe because I read a ton of mysteries (around 60 a year), I found the solution rather straightforward. Despite the easy solution, I still enjoyed the set up of the series. I am intrigued enough by the main characters and the small town and the politics to keep reading.

One annoyance, though, is there were a few copy editing inconsistencies and one typo. Canadian English spelling is nearly identical to British English. However, I saw attempts to Americanize, namely the u dropped from words like colour and neighbourhood. But words where an s would be used instead of a z were left alone. Then the word centre was spelled both ways. I'm hoping future editions I find in this series are more consistent.

Sonia Grgas

Really 3.5. Still 3.5 upon reread. Listened 2nd time.

Laura Mauler

Denaiir

maybe the audiobook quality didn't help because the narrator made it more boring, but I didn't connect with the characters (except Yvette, hated her) and the plot was too plain, I didn't really enjoy it and won't continue the series

The discovery of a dead body in the woods on Thanksgiving Weekend brings Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his colleagues from the Surete du Quebec to a small village in the Eastern Townships. Gamache cannot understand why anyone would want to deliberately kill well-loved artist Jane Neal, especially any of the residents of Three Pines - a place so free from crime it doesn't even have its own police force. But Gamache knows that evil is lurking somewhere behind the white picket fences and that, if he watches closely enough, Three Pines will start to give up its dark secrets... Celebrating ten years of Chief Inspector Gamache, this collector's edition contains an exclusive, illuminating and in-depth profile of Louise Penny, creator of one of the most enduring and distinctive characters in crime fiction.

A Chief Inspector Gamache Mystery

Still Life

Lara Engle

Delightful characters, decent mystery, only a few moments of cringe. There was some fat shaming and several predictable stereotypes. Sometimes, Gamache has boomer energy, but it's mostly charming. I found the shifting third-person omniscient narrator to be jarring at times because it shifted from one paragraph to the next. I actually really appreciate an omniscient narrator in this current atmosphere of unreliable narrators, though. I loved how the setting was so key. I enjoyed using my French and having a literary hangout in Quebec. I look forward to joining Gamache and crew again.

altlovesbooks

I read this on the recommendation of my supervisor at the library I work at, and was surprisingly entertained. I don't normally read novels in this genre, but something about the writing style, plot, and characters appealed to me. The backstories (of which there were many) were fleshed out, and left me feeling like I knew everybody from Three Pines like family. I look forward to reading the other books in this particular series.

Named One of the Five Mystery/Crime Novels of the Decade by Deadly Pleasures Magazine Winner of the New Blood Dagger, Arthur Ellis, Barry, Anthony, and Dilys awards Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Surêté du Québec and his team of investigators are called in to the scene of a suspicious death in a rural village south of Montreal. Jane Neal, a local fixture in the tiny hamlet of Three Pines, just north of the U.S. border, has been found dead in the woods. The locals are certain it's a tragic hunting accident and nothing more, but Gamache smells something foul in these remote woods, and is soon certain that Jane Neal died at the hands of someone much more sinister than a careless bowhunter. Still Life introduces not only an engaging series hero in Inspector Gamache, who commands his forces--and this series--with integrity and quiet courage, but also a winning and talented new writer of traditional mysteries in the person of Louise Penny.

A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel

Wynter

While the series revolves around Chief Inspector Gamache, I was surprised how much of the mystery was investigated and solved by the locals of Three Pines - the sleepy Québécois town, where the crime is committed. This novel has quite a large cast of characters, but most of them are fleshed out really well, including the title's detective. I loved the little Canadian quirks that were included in the character development, including a certain somebody's obsession with Tim Hortons' double-double. I'm certain I'll be picking up the next book in the series.

Jessica Ford

This is a great book. I love Inspector Gamache and how he looks at the world. The characters in this book were very interesting. It kept me guessing "who dunnit" up until the very end. I can't wait to read the rest of the Gamache books.

Clara

The discovery of a dead body in the woods on Thanksgiving Weekend brings Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his colleagues from the Surete du Quebec to a small village in the Eastern Townships. Gamache cannot understand why anyone would want to deliberately kill well-loved artist Jane Neal, especially any of the residents of Three Pines - a place so free from crime it doesn't even have its own police force. But Gamache knows that evil is lurking somewhere behind the white picket fences and that, if he watches closely enough, Three Pines will start to give up its dark secrets...

Carol Bailey

I don't recall ever reading anything by Louise Penny prior to this. I don't know how I missed out. This story was engaging and well written. I did struggle with keeping some of the characters straight and don't really understand what role Agent Nichols played except to be an idiot and provide comic relief for how dense she was. I'm definitely going to be reading the next in the series.

In Still Life, bestselling author Louise Penny introduces Monsieur L'Inspecteur Armand Gamache of the Surete du Quebec, a modern Poirot who anchors this beloved traditional mystery series 

Winner of the New Blood Dagger, Arthur Ellis, Barry, Anthony, and Dilys awards.
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Surêté du Québec and his team of investigators are called in to the scene of a suspicious death in a rural village south of Montreal. Jane Neal, a local fixture in the tiny hamlet of Three Pines, just north of the U.S. border, has been found dead in the woods. The locals are certain it's a tragic hunting accident and nothing more, but Gamache smells something foul in these remote woods, and is soon certain that Jane Neal died at the hands of someone much more sinister than a careless bowhunter. 
Still Life introduces not only an engaging series hero in Inspector Gamache, who commands his forces—-and this series—-with integrity and quiet courage, but also a winning and talented new writer of traditional mysteries in the person of Louise Penny.

A fun mystery with characters who each have their own fun personalities. I enjoyed the audiobook, the French pronunciations were good. I like a book that I can learn from too, and this book offered insight into bow hunting and French Canadian culture that I know little about. I will be checking out the sequel for sure. 

B. R.

The CWA Dagger-winning first novel from New York Times bestseller Louise Penny 'Chief Superintendent Armand Gamache of the Quebec police is one of the most interesting detectives in crime fiction' The Times The discovery of a dead body in the woods on Thanksgiving Weekend brings Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his colleagues from the Surete du Quebec to a small village in the Eastern Townships. Gamache cannot understand why anyone would want to deliberately kill well-loved artist Jane Neal, especially any of the residents of Three Pines - a place so free from crime it doesn't even have its own police force. But Gamache knows that evil is lurking somewhere behind the white picket fences and that, if he watches closely enough, Three Pines will start to give up its dark secrets... 'A cracking storyteller, who can create fascinating characters, a twisty plot and wonderful surprise endings' Ann Cleeves

Celeste Richardson

Actual rating: 3.5 stars, rounded up.

I’ve been hearing hearty praise for this series for literally years. I’ve never taken the time to pick it up, because while I enjoy a good mystery element in my reading, I don’t generally set out to read a mystery; it’s just to one of my go-to genres. And if I do set out to find a mystery, I tend to choose those that lean more towards suspense or thriller or horror. That is not the world of Three Pines, at least as far as I’ve seen in this first installment, Still Life. Even though the plot centers around a murder, there’s something gentle and quiet about the tone and writing. While I didn’t adore this book, I did enjoy it. And while I’m not on the hype train yet, I can see why so many people love the series so much. Three Pines sounds like a delightful place, in spite of the murder. And the cast of characters is a lot of fun.

I love Inspector Gamache. He’s like an endearing version of Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot, but more believable and compassionate. The rest of the cast is pretty great, as well. I enjoyed getting pieces of the story from different perspectives, whether those perspectives were Three Pines residents or other law enforcement agents. Some of the townspeople are incredibly unique, and I’ll be interested to see more of them.

Three Pines is a charming setting, even when murder is afoot. The setting puts me very much in mind of a cozy mystery, but the tone was weighty enough to give the book more gravitas than that genre usually brings to the table. I found the pacing pretty slow for a novel this short, but not so slow that I actually became bored. The plot itself was an interesting one, and I didn’t actually guess the outcome until pretty late in the narrative. I also really appreciated the importance of art to the plot, and all of the ways in which it was discussed.

Still Life wasn’t a total hit for me, but it was far from a miss. I found it thoughtful and thought-provoking which, paired with my enjoyment of the cast and the setting, means that I’ll absolutely be continuing on with the series. If you’re looking for something akin to a cozy mystery but with more depth, perhaps in a similar vein to Agatha Christie, this just might be the series for you.

A picturesque village just north of the U.S. border. A place where neighbors greet each other, where visitors feel right at home, and where the truth hides behind closed doors... Enter the world of Three Pines-and discover why Louise Penny is the blockbuster #1 New York Times bestselling author who has enthralled millions of readers. Jane Neal-well-loved in her community-does not appear to be a woman anyone would want to harm, let alone murder. But when she turns up dead, with an arrow wound to her chest, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache can't help but think that Jane died at the hands of someone much more sinister than a careless hunter. Now it's up to Gamache to find a killer who's on the loose. . .and on his trail. When it comes to murder, you have to see the forest for the trees. Outstanding Praise for Louise Penny's Still Life "Perfectly executed."-Denver Post "Clever and carefully constructed."-Chicago Tribune "Auspicious...[with] a well-devised plot."-Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review

Liz Carpenter

In Still Life, bestselling author Louise Penny introduces Monsieur L'Inspecteur Armand Gamache of the Surete du Quebec, a modern Poirot who anchors this beloved traditional mystery series. Winner of the New Blood Dagger, Arthur Ellis, Barry, Anthony, and Dilys awards. Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Surêté du Québec and his team of investigators are called in to the scene of a suspicious death in a rural village south of Montreal. Jane Neal, a local fixture in the tiny hamlet of Three Pines, just north of the U.S. border, has been found dead in the woods. The locals are certain it's a tragic hunting accident and nothing more, but Gamache smells something foul in these remote woods, and is soon certain that Jane Neal died at the hands of someone much more sinister than a careless bowhunter. Still Life introduces not only an engaging series hero in Inspector Gamache, who commands his forces---and this series---with integrity and quiet courage, but also a winning and talented new writer of traditional mysteries in the person of Louise Penny.

Sheila

This is brilliant literary mystery ;~; I almost felt that it was too short, but in truth it was just the right length. I loved the juxtaposition made between the behaviours of the side characters Agent Nichol & Yolande - one who couldn't see the problem, & one who didn't want to see the problem. 

This gets 5 stars not only for the writing, but because of the crumbs of Québecois (& Montreal) culture & life that resonate if you've lived in la belle province or the city of Montreal for any significant amount of time. So many things that put a little smile on your face & say "heh yeah." I want more Inspector Gamache & I'm so glad Louise Penny is churning out these mysteries at a good clip because I want to keep reading them for years.

Melody Izard

There are 7 books in this series and I certainly can't imagine what sort of crimes are going to keep this Chief Inspector busy in this small village of Three Pines but I plan to read more to find out. 

This one, book one, involved a street fair, some dog poo, bows and arrows and snakes (or maybe not). There are personal discoveries going on in the white space of the plot for all the main characters and an interesting kind of French infected mood about things as a murder is solved.

Lisa Miller

A re-read after catching up with the series to the most recent addition #11. First in the series and a first novel - it shows. A bit clunky and a few mistakes. In addition some details that no longer fit with the rest of the series. It is however the introduction to the wonderful Three Pines village, it's fabulous inhabitants and the heroes of Armand Gamage, Jean-Guy Beauvoir, Isabelle Lacoste. While a few details in this first book don't align with the series there are many more that were built upon layer by layer in each successive book. It's a three star book that turns onto a five star series.

JacQueline Roe

It’s been a while since I read a straight-up detective mystery. What great fun! The characters were vivid, the plot engaging & well-paced. The mystery itself was fascinating, without grisly details. The characters were diverse & I loved learning more about Quebec. Lastly, I’d like to say I look forward to more. The inspector is a generous man of substantial character with a splash of humor. I’m so glad I tried something different!

McKenna Odom

 Bruna Acioly Leão

Life was far from hurried here, but neither was it still. 

It's like Agatha Christie but with feelings.

In this first installment of Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache series we are introduced to the Quebec detective as he works to solve the apparent accidental shooting with a hunting bow of an elderly woman on the quiet village of Three Pines.

Jane Neil was kind and reasonable and loved by most. If it wasn't an accident, who could have wanted her dead?

We follow along, not only the inspector and his coleagues, among which the truly awful agent Ivette Nichol, but also the people who live in this village, particularly Jane's closest friends, as they try to unravel who could have done it.

I thought the story was a very effective mystery, compelling and kept me curious about all the minor details as well as the bigger picture. There were somethings that in the end felt out of place in the overall plot, and the first red herring was obvious (at least to me), but in the end, the story had a satisfying and surprising conclusion.

I look forward to reading the rest of the series on audio. The narration by Ralph Cosham brings the perfect cosy mystery feel to the story.

Still Life (A Three Pines Mystery)

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