Louise Penny
A Fatal Grace (2007)
Author: Louise Penny
Genre: Mystery (Detective/Cozy)
Plot Summary:
The village of Three Pines in Quebec is seemingly the most idyllic place in Canada, until CC de Poitiers moves in. CC is selfish and cold to the people of Three Pines as well as her husband and teenage daughter. In a short time she manages to anger and alienate the entire town. When she is dies at a public curling match the day after Christmas everyone in Three Pines is a suspect. Inspector Armand Gamache is brought in to solve the mystery of CC's death. As he delves deeper into the case his list of suspects continues to grow and new puzzles spring up at every turn. SPOILER: Armand Gamache is also working to solve the murder of an unnamed vagrant woman and the two murders end up being connected. The vagrant turns out to be CC de Poitiers long lost mother and a woman who was raised in Three Pines. In solving one mystery Gamache effectively solves the other as well.
Geographical Setting: Three Pines and Montreal, Quebec
Time Period: Contemporary (2007)
Series: Book 2 in the Three Pines series, also called the Inspector Armand Gamache series.
Appeal Characteristics:
Penny writes very well developed characters. The narrative frequently changes voice and the reader is able to see the story from many different perspectives. The villagers of Three Pines are unique and very likable, even in their failings. The officers of the Surrete du Quebec have varied personalities and are all vying for the attention of Gamache. Readers will find themselves with a very vivid picture of Three Pines as the setting is just as much a character in the novel as the people who inhabit it. The pace is not quick as the mystery is mostly cerebral and there is very little violence, but the story is engrossing and the reader will be compelled to find the truth. The dialogue often switches between French and English which may be distracting to some readers, but will not detract from the overall plot.
Read-alikes:
Those who find themselves drawn to the characters, setting, and style of the Three Pines mysteries should read more of the series. It is recommended that they start with Still Life by Louise Penny. This is the first in the series and takes place after the murder of Three Pines resident, Jane Neal. This novel introduces the characters and will shed light on certain parts of A Fatal Grace that may have been difficult to understand. Readers who are drawn to the more cozy mysteries with developed characters should readHer Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen. Like A Fatal Grace, Bowen’s novel is lacking any strong violence and relys on humor and characterization to move the plot along. The main character is Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie, 34th in the line of succession for the English throne. Georgie finds herself drawn into a mystery when a man is found dead in her bathtub. For those who are drawn to the small town feel and characterization of Penny’s novel Murder on Monday by Ann Purser would be a good choice. The novel takes place in a small British village and features Lois Meade, house cleaner and amateur detective. Over My Dead Body by Claire Lorrimer features a small village in England that is threatened a wealthy man who wants to widen the road and shrink the town. This novel has similar characterization, setting, and tone to Penny’s novel. For those who like a series that follows the same investigator they should read Death of a Maid by MC Beaton. The novel finds Hamish MacBeth investigating the murder of a maid killed by a bucket of water. Beaton’s writing style is similar to Penny’s, but has a lighter more humorous side. Beaton’s Hamish MacBeth novels are well known cozy mysteries that will appeal to Louise Penny’s readers.
Red Flags: adult language, mild sexuality
Still Life (2006)
Author: Louise Penny
Genre: Mystery (Police Detective/Cozy)
Plot Summary:
Jane Neal was a kind and likable, if somewhat private, woman. She did not let friends see her art nor did she allow them into her house beyond the kitchen. Finally, at the age of seventy-six, Jane decided to submit a painting in an art show and, upon having her piece accepted, she invited her friends to come into her mysterious house to celebrate. But the next morning, Jane was struck dead by an old-fashioned arrow in the woods near her home. Was it a hunting accident or murder? Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his team of investigators from the Surete du Quebec come to the little town of Three Pines to interview Jane's friends and uncover the cause of her death. A keen observer, Gamache must determine who among this tight-knit group of townspeople might have had a motive to kill a kind elderly woman. SPOILER: Jane's art holds the key to her murder and leads to the discovery of another murder. In Jane's home, Gamache discovers that her walls had been her canvas. The paintings on her walls tell stories of Three Pines and the people who live there. With the help of Jane's friend Clara Morrow, Gamache finds clues among Jane's art to implicate the murderer. A delusional villager, Ben Hadley, had killed his ailing mother, Timmer Hadley, in order to claim his inheritance before she had a chance to change her will. Ben had always painted a sorry picture of his life. He told his friends, including Jane, that he could not escape from Timmer's grip, that she controlled him and would not let him leave her home, even as a grown man. In reality, Timmer's motives were quite the opposite of what Ben led his friends to believe. She wished to deny Ben his inheritance, but only in order to motivate him to take control of his life. Upon seeing Jane's painting for the art show, Ben believed that Jane's art hinted at his role in Timmer's death. Jane had painted Ben into a scene that took place on the day of his mother's death: a day when he was supposedly out of town. Ben killed Jane and then altered her painting in order to cover up the clues. Ironically, it was his attempt to remove his own face from the painting that eventually led the townspeople and Gamache to discover his crimes.
Geographical Setting: Montreal, Quebec and the village of Three Pines, Quebec
Time Period: Present Day (2006)
Series: Chief Inspector Armand Gamache (Book 1)
Appeal Characteristics:
Readers who like well-developed series characters will enjoy this book with its strong detective character, Armand Gamache. Gamache is a kind and wise detective whose deep ruminations on human nature and psychology help solve cases. The people of Three Pines provide the series with a cast of quirky secondary characters whose lives are intertwined, from the frazzled artist Clara Morrow and her staid husband Peter, to the almost mythical Timmer Hadley who lives in a huge manor of faded splendor, to the rough-natured poet Ruth Zardo, to the quick-witted gay couple, Olivier and Gabri, who own the B & B and the town bistro. Although the plot is important, the story line is more driven by the interactions among characters. The focus of the story is more interior and psychological than it is exterior and action-oriented. The charming town of Three Pines creates a detailed frame for the story and helps set a light, cozy tone. This is a town with a long history: It is small town in Quebec, isolated from the big city, with a rich blend of French and English, traditional and modern. It is also a town with an artistic sensibility. Some of the townspeople are themselves famous or talented artists and poets. Art and poetry add to the detail of the frame, as do sidelights about antiques (Olivier sells all of the bistro's furnishings) and archery. The pace is deliberate and engrossing, allowing readers to dwell in this charming town, meditating on what drives and motivates the characters. Certainly, solving the case is important, and the pace does speed up near the end, but getting there is half the fun. Penny's writing style is thoughtful and sophisticated, sometimes including literary references, but always with a light and conversational tone. She writes dialogue that is often humorous, quick, and witty. Her characters are smart and eloquent, yet realistic and sometimes, even, realistically unlikable.
Read-alikes: In Fifth Son, from the Inspector Green Mystery Series by Barbara Fraser Fradkin, Detective Michael Green goes to a small Canadian town to determine whether a stranger's death was suicide or murder. Fifth Son shares appeal elements with Still Life, including a detective who analyzes cases from a psychological perspective, a small-town Canadian setting, and a death which may or may not have been murder. Eric Wright's Inspector Charlie Salter mysteries are also set in Canada and are full of specifics about their setting. The first book in the series, The Night the Gods Smiled, follows Salter as he investigates the murder of a Toronto English professor at a conference in Montreal. Unlike Gamache, Salter is dissatisfied with his work and home life, but, like Gamache, he is a well-developed character whom readers will enjoy following through the series. Those who enjoy the cozy aspects of Penny's story may also enjoy Murder on Monday by Ann Purser. English house-cleaner-turned-detective Lois Meade helps solve a murder case in which a villager was strangled in the church kitchen. Readers who enjoy gossipy, realistic, small-town characters will find much to relish here as Lois snoops around among her clients for clues. The pace increases as tension builds and readers will find themselves digging into the past to uncover clues about the present. Readers who like the police detective subgenre and who enjoy Penny's literary writing style, brilliant detective, and detailed setting might also enjoy P.D. James' Adam Dalgliesh series. A good starting point, showcasing James at the height of her literary powers, is A Taste for Death. While Commander Adam Dalgliesh investigates two murders which took place in a church, he finds himself immersed in a world of high society and powerful politicians. For those who enjoy series with detailed sidelights, Julia Spencer-Fleming's Reverend Clare Fergusson series, with its forays into the worlds of ex-military characters and the Episcopal clergy, would be a good match. In All Mortal Flesh, the fifth book in the series, Reverend Clare Fergusson and Police Chief Russ Van Alstyne find their forbidden relationship even more complicated when Van Alstyne's wife turns up dead. Spencer-Fleming's mysteries are character-driven and light in tone, although with more violence and stronger language than in Penny's novel.
Red Flags: Some language, brief violence, and gay characters.
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