[57D]≡ Descargar Gratis Still Life A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel Louise Penny 9780312948559 Books

Still Life A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel Louise Penny 9780312948559 Books

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Still Life A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel Louise Penny 9780312948559 Books

Note: This review, as well as many others, can also be found on my blog, The Baking Bookworm (www.thebakingbookworm.Blogspot.ca).

My Review: This is the first book in the mystery series by well respected Canadian author Louise Penny. While I've heard of Louise Penny I hadn't had the opportunity to pick up one of her books. That is until I bought a copy of this book for my Mom for Christmas. After reading the synopsis on the book jacket I hightailed it to my local library and grabbed myself a copy (seeing as asking to borrow my mom's new copy probably wouldn't be viewed as 'good gift giving' before she's even read it herself, right?).

There are a lot of things that I love about this book. First and foremost, I loved the Canadian references. This book oozes our awesome Canadian vibe and brings to light the issues between Francophones and Anglophones in Quebec. These issues aren't dealt with in any in-depth manner but just to add that authentic feel to the setting. The author's description of Three Pines as the quintessential small town where everyone knows everyone else's business is perfect. It's considered a safe place to live with "The only reason doors were locked was to prevent neighbors from dropping off baskets of zucchini at harvest time" and I could totally picture it.

Inspector Gamache, the protagonist, was probably the main reason why I enjoyed this book though. He's a very unique main character and not the traditional leading man who jumps into the fray without thinking and has a dysfunctional home life. He's a celebrated and successful Chief Inspector with the SQ who loves his wife (wha?!) and isn't impulsive or aggressive as he solves the crime. Instead, he observes everything and everyone and takes his time thinking things through in order figure things out. He's a very smart man and I loved how he dealt with some of the people who work under him.

Going into this book I think that I was expecting a fast-paced, edge of your seat read but the pace of the storyline surprised me. I suppose it goes hand in hand with Gamache's method of crime solving, but I found it to be a slower paced read. There was still a build-up of suspense over the length of the book but it was more gradual and I was actually surprised that I was ok with it.

If I have to give a negative about this book I'd have to say that there are a LOT of characters and they were, at times, hard to keep track of. Also, while they brought interest to the storyline, some of the secondary characters, namely Yolande and the sullen Agent Nichol, were a little too clichéd for my tastes. Agent Nichol, in the beginning of the book, came off as quite adept and smart. But as soon as they arrive in Three Pines it felt like she became someone totally different. She tried too hard, she was obtuse and rude. It felt like it came out of nowhere.

I would say that this book falls between a cozy mystery (due to the unique and well described setting) and a suspense novel (because the characters and the mystery itself were very well developed). The writing was wonderful and I cannot wait to pick up the next book in the series (which I hear is even better than Still Life).

My Rating: 4/5 stars


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Still Life A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel Louise Penny 9780312948559 Books Reviews

This is the book that started my love of all things Louise Penny writes. It's a great mystery, couched in a series that takes place in town where you wish you could live. The people are complex, lovely, although flawed in their loveliness. The primary characters are complex and exactly who you would want trying to solve a crime and bring justice back into your life. While each book is complete within itself, if you are considering reading the entire series, start with this one and read them in order. There is a very long story arc that takes place throughout the series and on-going character development that enhances the experience. There are so many more things I could say, but to do so might spoil some of the twists and turns of the series. One more observation it is not a book filled with guns and violence and "edge of the cliff" types of suspense requiring last minute saving. While there is danger, and evil and risk, it's much more complex than the typical "adventure suspense" type of book.
When the body of an elderly woman is discovered in the woods outside the idyllic hamlet of Three Pines, the first assumption is that this is the result of a tragic hunting accident. Unfortunately, in the world of mystery novels, nothing is ever as cut and dried as it seems.

”Still Life” is the first novel by Louise Penny. The book was published in 2007, and the twelfth book in the series will be published in August of this year. This should give you some indication of both the series’ success, and the work ethic of the author.

The book introduces the title character, Armand Gamache, a chief inspector of the Sûreté du Québec, as he seeks to solve a murder in a small village near Montreal. The village itself, and its eclectic denizens, becomes a character in the book, quirky and unique, always providing some background movement to draw the eye. The setting in a small village in the Canadian province of Quebec also adds interest, as Penny delves (a little bit) into the tensions, and friendships, between francophone and anglophone Québécois.

The supporting characters are also incredibly well done. From the strange and eccentric citizens of Three Pines, to the police officers tasked with solving the murder, each character is uniquely realized and speaks with a distinct voice. However, Penny tends to rely heavily on exposition to advance her characters in the story, rather than dialogue. Characters thought lines tend to spell out exactly how they are reacting to situations that arise in the book, rather than letting the subtext of their actions or dialogue advance the plot. The style is clunky and a bit disappointing, but hopefully can be chalked up to inexperience on the author’s part. (I certainly hope so, I started the second book in the series, A Fatal Grace, yesterday. I’ll keep you all posted)

The mystery itself is satisfying, red herrings and false flags abound. And while the clues to solving the mystery are there to be found, they don’t slap the reader in the face and scream “look at me!” This (I find) is a hard line for mystery writers to walk. Make the resolution too obscure, or the clues happen off screen, and the end is unsatisfying and feels tacked on. Telegraph the important stuff too loudly, and the mystery is solved by the read way too early, and takes a lot of the fun out of the read. Louise Penny does a great job sprinkling bits and pieces around, but blends them expertly into the background. It’s only when you go back and think about it that you put the pieces together.

In all, this is a satisfying “cozy-type” mystery, great for an afternoon’s read (and it is currently beach-reading season). The book is generally well written (barring the clunky exposition I mentioned earlier), and the characters engaging enough to encourage you to jump directly into the sequel. I also have to say that Penny captures the northeastern landscape in fall closely enough to cause some homesickness in this transplanted New Englander.

Check out more reviews by checking out my blog!

[...]
If you love a mystery series then dig into Louise Penny's Detective Gamache books. Best to start with number one and they do progress in the story lines. These are not Le Carre caliber at all. Think "Agatha Raisin". They are light as a feather and are centered in a delightful town outside Montreal. All of the atmosphere is French Canadian. The descriptions of the food, the town and the characters make me want to move to the fictional Three Pines right now. A murder is the glue that holds each book together. If you want to get your mind off the big, bad world, these do the trick. That's what I used them for. Louise Penny books are a guilty pleasure that serve a good purpose.
Note This review, as well as many others, can also be found on my blog, The Baking Bookworm (www.thebakingbookworm.Blogspot.ca).

My Review This is the first book in the mystery series by well respected Canadian author Louise Penny. While I've heard of Louise Penny I hadn't had the opportunity to pick up one of her books. That is until I bought a copy of this book for my Mom for Christmas. After reading the synopsis on the book jacket I hightailed it to my local library and grabbed myself a copy (seeing as asking to borrow my mom's new copy probably wouldn't be viewed as 'good gift giving' before she's even read it herself, right?).

There are a lot of things that I love about this book. First and foremost, I loved the Canadian references. This book oozes our awesome Canadian vibe and brings to light the issues between Francophones and Anglophones in Quebec. These issues aren't dealt with in any in-depth manner but just to add that authentic feel to the setting. The author's description of Three Pines as the quintessential small town where everyone knows everyone else's business is perfect. It's considered a safe place to live with "The only reason doors were locked was to prevent neighbors from dropping off baskets of zucchini at harvest time" and I could totally picture it.

Inspector Gamache, the protagonist, was probably the main reason why I enjoyed this book though. He's a very unique main character and not the traditional leading man who jumps into the fray without thinking and has a dysfunctional home life. He's a celebrated and successful Chief Inspector with the SQ who loves his wife (wha?!) and isn't impulsive or aggressive as he solves the crime. Instead, he observes everything and everyone and takes his time thinking things through in order figure things out. He's a very smart man and I loved how he dealt with some of the people who work under him.

Going into this book I think that I was expecting a fast-paced, edge of your seat read but the pace of the storyline surprised me. I suppose it goes hand in hand with Gamache's method of crime solving, but I found it to be a slower paced read. There was still a build-up of suspense over the length of the book but it was more gradual and I was actually surprised that I was ok with it.

If I have to give a negative about this book I'd have to say that there are a LOT of characters and they were, at times, hard to keep track of. Also, while they brought interest to the storyline, some of the secondary characters, namely Yolande and the sullen Agent Nichol, were a little too clichéd for my tastes. Agent Nichol, in the beginning of the book, came off as quite adept and smart. But as soon as they arrive in Three Pines it felt like she became someone totally different. She tried too hard, she was obtuse and rude. It felt like it came out of nowhere.

I would say that this book falls between a cozy mystery (due to the unique and well described setting) and a suspense novel (because the characters and the mystery itself were very well developed). The writing was wonderful and I cannot wait to pick up the next book in the series (which I hear is even better than Still Life).

My Rating 4/5 stars