A World of Curiosities

A World of Curiosities 

by Louise Penny
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is the 18th book in this series and I think it may be my least favorite. It had a very thriller-y tone and pace to it, which Penny's books don't usually. I am not a fan of that--I like my mysteries to be slower and more cerebral. This book did include the origin story for Gamache and Jean Guy Beauvoir which was interesting. The story centers on a painting (one of the stories anyway) which is a real painting: the Paston treasure.
Because the book is set in Canada, and Penny is a Canadian, this title counts toward the Canadian Reading Challenge. 

The Madness of Crowds

The Madness of Crowds 

by Louise Penny
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In this latest Gamache novel Penny has moved the world beyond the pandemic and taken her characters back to Three Pines. I didn't love the last book in the series (which was set in Paris) and I was pleased with this return to familiar territory. 

The mystery in this book is a complex tangle of family/choices/emotions and was very well put together as a plot. I did figure out who "done it" about 3/4 of the way through which I don't usually manage to do.

 I am counting it toward the 15th Canadian Reading Challenge. 

All the Devils are Here

All the Devils Are Here 

by Louise Penny
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was my least favorite of the Louise Penny novels so far. It was set in Paris and most of the regular characters from the series made only very brief appearances. I also felt like the story dragged a great deal in the middle. The imminent arrival of a baby is also part of the plot here and I never like that in a storyline. This is by no means a bad book--it is a Louise Penny novel after all--it just wasn't as fabulous as some of the previous ones. 

I am counting this toward the Canadian Reading Challenge.

A Better Man

A Better Man
by Louise Penny
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The province of Quebec is threatened with catastrophic flooding as this 15th novel in the Gamache series begins. The fight to save the province from the rising waters provides a throughline to the other events in the novel, surete politics for Gamache and Beauvoir, a crisis of artistic conscience for Clara, and a case involving a woman gone missing from her abusive husband. Like all these novels this one is a page turner and filled with wise observations on the world. 

“Consequences,” said Gamache. “We must always consider the consequences of our actions. Or inaction. It won’t necessarily change what we do, but we need to be aware of the effect."

What jumped out at me in this book was the questions to ask yourself before you speak: “Is it true? Is it kind? Does it need to be said?”

This book counts toward the 13th Canadian book challenge. 

Kingdom of the Blind

Kingdom of the Blind
by Louise Penny
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was another excellent installment in the story of Armand Gamache and the Surete du Quebec. Like the others it was well written and presented an interesting puzzle. Something happened at the end that I wasn't very happy about, but that has occurred before and Penny has resolved the issue satisfactorily in the next book, so I will wait and see what happens before I get too upset.
This quote spoke to me (definitely more to do with me than the book):

"Things sometimes fell apart unexpectedly. It was not necessarily a reflection of how much they were valued." (p. 4)

This book counts toward the Canadian Book Challenge (setting and author are Canadian); Cruisin' Through the Cozies Challenge  as a cozy of my choice; and the Mount TBR Challenge since it has been on my shelf since last December.

Lisa's Review: The Long Way Home

The Long Way Home by Louise Penny

My Rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the 10th book in the Chief Inspector Gamache series. I've definitely been enjoying my run on Louise Penny books lately - though I'm afraid of soon getting to the point where I can't just go get the next one from the library & will instead have to wait for the next one to be published.

The Long Way Home is a bit different from the rest of the series that I have read so far - the biggest difference being that there wasn't a murder to solve. There definitely was a mystery to investigate, but it seemed a more relaxed plot & read - though that doesn't mean that I didn't thoroughly enjoy it, because I did! 

This is my 5th book read for the 12th Annual Canadian Reading Challenge.

Lisa's Review: How the Light Gets In

How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny

My Rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is book #9 in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series.

I've been on a bit of an Inspector Gamache roll lately. My friend Mary & I had tickets to see Louise Penny in mid-December, and not knowing if there may be some spoilers on major plot development, Mary thought if I made it through How the Light Gets In, I should be safe.

There certainly was a lot of excitement to take in on this one! There were two main plots happening - one involving the investigation of the disappearance of Myrna's friend, and the other wraps up a story-line surrounding the Sûreté that has been ongoing for the last several books. I found both to be very interesting & kept the pages turning.

As a side note, Louise Penny was a delight to see in person!   

This is my third book read for the 12th Annual Canadian Reading Challenge.

Lisa's Review: The Beautiful Mystery

The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny

My Rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is book #8 in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series.

I think this is the first book in the series that does not involve Three Pines at all...in location, and none of the local characters (an earlier book in the series did not take place in Three Pines but did go there for a brief period).

In this book, Chief Inspector Gamache and Inspector Beauvoir travel to the remote Quebec monastery of Saint-Gilbert-Entre-les-Loups where one of the 24 monks who live there had been murdered, and all of the other 23 monks are suspects.

I loved the setting of this book. As much as I love Three Pines, I thought that this was a much welcome diversion for me. I found the whole scene of the secluded monastery to be a very interesting one.

An underlying story about the raid in the warehouse that has been a subtle undercurrent in prior novels starts to come more to the forefront here but not entirely - this story line has me wanting for more resolution!

I read many reviews on this book of folks who did not like the ending. I agree, I did not like how this one ended at all...but still loved the progression and setting. And I also knew that I could pick up the next book in the series right away, so was hopeful what I didn't like in the ending might change course when I picked up the next book (which I did the very next day!). 

This is my second book read for the 12th Annual Canadian Reading Challenge.

Lisa's Review: A Trick of the Light

A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny

My Rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Trick of the Light is the 7th book in the Chief Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny.

I can't believe it has been almost two years since I read my last Louise Penny book. As I started to dig in on this one, it felt like I was visiting with old friends in Three Pines.

Three Pines resident Clara Morrow finally gets her solo art show at the Musée in Montreal. Her post-celebrations back home are soon cut short when the body of Lillian Dyson is found in her garden. Nobody in Three Pines knows Lillian, except for Clara from a long time ago.

As usual, all of my favorite characters came back, and and I fell in love with them and Three Pines all over again. One of my favorites is Inspector Jean-Guy Beauvoir - he is at time so crass and unlikable, but some of the blunt thoughts that go through his head are spot on and make me laugh, like this one:

"Beauvoir stared at the women. It wasn't enough that they were English and had a prayer stick, but now they'd lapsed into pig latin. It was no wonder there were so many murders here. The only mystery was how any got solved, with help like this." 

This is my first book read for the 12th Annual Canadian Book Challenge.

Glass Houses

Glass Houses by Louise Penny
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The latest in this wonderful mystery series focuses on Quebec's Surete and the opioid crisis. All the usual characters  are there and much of the book is set in Three Pines. The structure of this story was quite different from earlier books as it jumps back and forth from a trial in which Gamache is testifying to the events that led up to the trial. This was not my favorite of these books, but was still an excellent novel.
I am counting this toward the Canadian Book Challenge as it is both by a Canadian and set in Canada.

Lisa's Review: The Hangman

The Hangman by Louise Penny

My Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Since I am loving the Chief Inspector Gamache series from Louise Penny, as soon as I finished #6 in the series (Bury Your Dead), I went looking for the next. I expected this to be #7, but found a #6.5 listed on Goodreads, which was The Hangman.

Back in Three Pines, a jogger finds a man hanging from a tree in the woods. Was this a suicide or a murder? This is where Chief Inspector Gamache and Inspector Beauvoir come in to investigate.

When I read the initial description, I knew this was a novella, so was expecting a short  read. That was definitely delivered. It was a very short read, with a very small sampling of the Three Pines 'regulars' being involved. The mystery was quite simply presented and resolved, which contributed to my initial 3 star rating...an interesting plot enough, but definitely not to the level I expect from Louise Penny.

After a little more research I discovered this was a novella written for the GoodReads Canada program (very different than the Goodreads social site). It is a literacy program aimed at engaging adult readers who may be at a lower level of reading. The expectation is that these books are written at a grade 3 level, to be straight forward, and not too complex. Taking this into consideration, I think Louise Penny completely delivered, so I upped my rating to 4.

This is my sixth book read for the 10th Annual Canadian Book Challenge.

Lisa's Review: Bury Your Dead

Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny

My Rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the sixth novel in the Chief Inspector Gamache series. I've thoroughly enjoyed all of the books in this series, but I think this is my favorite one yet.

I enjoyed the complexity of the three distinct (and sometimes intertwining) story lines. One brings us back to Three Pines with Jean-Guy Beauvoir & is a continuation of plot from the previous book. Another has Chief Inspector Gamache investigating a murder in Quebec City. And the other being the unfolding of events of a recent tragic event that involved both Beauvoir & Gamache.

I loved a lot about this book. I was almost blindsided by one big shocker...loved how my jaw dropped as I was about to realize what happened. Also, I'm no history buff, but I really enjoyed the Samuel de Champlain historical slant with the Quebec City story line. And I thought the way the third story line told from both Beauvoir and Gamache's points of view was excellent. There was a lot going on in this book and it was all laid out perfectly.    

This is my fifth book read for the 10th Annual Canadian Book Challenge.

Review: A Great Reckoning

A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This novel was mostly about the past: that of Armand Gamache, of Three Pines, and the Academy of the Surete. Penny wove the various tales together beautifully and once again crafted a compelling, thought provoking novel.

"There is always a road back if we have the courage to look for it, and take it. I'm sorry. I was wrong. I don't know. I need help. These are the signposts. The cardinal directions." (chapter 43)

This book counts toward the 10th Canadian Book Challenge.

Lisa's Review: The Brutal Telling

The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny

My Rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the fifth novel in the Chief Inspector Gamache series. This book starts with a secretive late night meeting of one of this series' regulars, Olivier, at the mysterious Hermits' cottage deep in the woods where a story of chaos is being told (much like an eerie campfire story). The next morning, the Hermit is found murdered in Olivier & Gabri's bistro, leaving many questions...Who was this man? Who knew him? What was he doing in Three Pines?

This book had more of an ominous feeling all of the way through than the others in this series so far, and certainly kept me turning the pages. All of the regular characters from the prior books make an appearance, and are becoming more developed.

I can't say I necessarily loved how this one ended, but I have a feeling there may be more to this story in the next book.

This is my second book read for the 10th Annual Canadian Book Challenge.

Review: The Nature of the Beast

The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was concerned when Gamache left the city to live in Three Pines that the series was going to go off the rails, but so far so good. This tale of obsession and the past coming back to haunt folks was a solid story which I thoroughly enjoyed. I listened to the audiobook which was the first one with the new reader for this series and he did a good job.
This is my first book for the 10th Canadian Book Challenge.

Review: The Long Way Home

The Long Way Home by Louise Penny
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a quieter book than the past few Gamache novels. It included lots of well-observed comments on the way the world is and a different side of Gamache's wife than we had seen before. 
This was one of my favorite passages because I totally get how Myrna feels:

"The heat shimmered off the buildings and bounced off concrete and drilled into the pavement which gave off the scent of melting asphalt in the heavy, humid air. Myrna found it strangely calming. Her mother's and grandmother's comfort smells were cut grass and fresh baking and the subtle scent of line-dried sheets. For Myrna's generation the smells that calmed were manufactured. Melting asphalt meant summer. VapoRub meant winter, and being cared for. There were Tang and gas fumes and long-gone photocopy ink." (p. 74)

This is my first book of the year for the Canadian Book Challenge. The Tragically Hip's Fully Completely is the album that marks completion of one book. 

Lisa's Review: A Rule Against Murder

A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny

My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

This is the fourth book in Louise Penny's Chief Inspector Armand Gamache/Three Pines mystery series. 

Armand and Reine-Marie Gamache are on a relaxing get away for their anniversary at the secluded & luxurious lakeside Manoir Bellechasse. The rest of the lodge is occupied by the well-to-do Finney family who are there for a family reunion. After a good introduction to the personalities and quirks of all of the members of the Finney family and staff, a death (and possibly a murder) befalls someone at the Manoir. Of course, Gamache quickly calls in his colleagues from the Sûreté du Québec to investigate.

As with the earlier books in this series, I thoroughly enjoyed A Rule Against Murder. Penny's attention to detail and descriptive writing made it very easy to paint an exact picture of the setting and characters in my head. One of the things I have really enjoyed about the prior books was continuing to get to know the people and surroundings of Three Pines. Since this story does not take place in Three Pines, I thought I would miss that aspect, but found that having a change of scenery was a good thing (and Three Pines & its residents were not completely absent).  

This is my fourteenth book read for the 8th Annual Canadian Book Challenge.

Lisa's Review: The Cruelest Month

The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny

My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

This is the third book in Louise Penny's Three Pines/Chief Inspector Armand Gamache mystery series. In this installment, spring has arrived in Three Pines and the residents are getting ready for the annual Easter egg hunt. When it's discovered there is a psychic as one of the guests at the B&B over Easter, the wheels are set in motion for a séance at the Old Hadley House to rid the house of its evil spirits. When the séance results in one of the guests being 'frightened to death', Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec returns to Three Pines with his team to investigate whether there is a murderer to blame. 

When I picked up this book I was thinking that for such a quaint, perfect little town, there sure is a lot of bad luck in Three Pines. Then I found myself laughing at Inspector Beauvoir's blunt observations, thinking to himself how the English & this place don't make sense:

"And what was with this case? Didn't anyone die a normal death in Three Pines? And even their murders weren't normal. Couldn't they just haul off and stab each other, or use a gun or a bat? No. It was always something convoluted. Complicated. Very unQuébécois. The Québécois were straightforward, clear. If they loved you they hugged. When they murdered you they just whacked you over the head. Boom, done. Convicted. Next." p. 79
 
The murder investigation plot of this book pretty much followed the same formula as the prior two books. A murder happens, Gamache & team arrive at the scene, interview all involved, we get to see our favorite characters & personalities, meet a few new ones, and determine that the murderer could be one of several people - all of which kept me interested. But I thought the more intriguing part of The Cruelest Month had to do with the side story involving dissent in the ranks with Chief Inspector Gamache and the Sûreté. Who can be trusted & who can't? That was the part that really kept me turning the pages. 

This is my ninth book read for the 8th Annual Canadian Book Challenge. 

Lisa's Review: A Fatal Grace

A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny

My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

This is the second book in Louise Penny's Three Pines mystery series. In this book, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec returns to the tranquil town of Three Pines with his team to investigate the murder of CC de Poitiers. Particularly puzzling is the fact that CC was murdered in broad daylight, surrounded by a large crowd of townsfolk gathered to watch an outdoor curling match. Adding to the complexity of the investigation is the fact that CC was an awful individual & there isn't a single person who liked her.

As with Penny's first book in this series, Still Life, I thoroughly enjoyed her style of writing. Her descriptions paint a perfect picture of the scenes & characters in my mind (I would love to visit Three Pines, stay at the B&B, and eat in the bistro). I was also happy that some of my favorite characters from her first book returned here, and I had the chance to get to know them a little more.

I'll definitely keep going with this series & see what else comes to pass in Three Pines - and I'm definitely curious to see what unfolds in the storyline with Agent Yvette Nichol.

This is my sixth book read for the 8th Annual Canadian Book Challenge.

Lisa's Review: Still Life

Still Life by Louise Penny

My Review: 4 of 5 Stars

This is the first book in the Inspector Gamache mystery series. The book is set in the seemingly idyllic village of Three Pines. When sweet Jane Neal is discovered murdered in the woods, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec and his team are called in to investigate the crime.

As Penny describes Three Pines and introduces the many characters in the book, I had an exact picture in my head of the village, and each of those characters - I felt like I knew all of them personally. I found the storyline to be entertaining & it kept me turning the pages. I'll definitely be looking to follow more of Inspector Gamache to see what other plots unfold in Three Pines. 

This is my third book read for the 8th Annual Canadian Book Challenge.