Good Afternoon,
I've just finished the first novel by Louise Penny in her series of mysteries starring Inspector Gamache. The book is set in rural Quebec, an hour or so South of Montreal. The events of the story take place in a small village, set deep in the woods, populated by artistically minded folk.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Still Life. It reminds me of the classic Scandinavian police procedurals I've read, such as those written by Per Mahloo and Maj Sjowall, featuring Martin Beck. The tension in the work is driven by the characters themselves, whose motivations, dreams, and loves are explored in great detail.
I like when the murder itself comes second in a murder mystery, and such is indeed the case in Still Life. Instead, one is gifted with insights into the minds of the inhabitants of the small village in which the novel takes place. After understanding the things that drive the characters, we learn why they do what they do, and what has happened to them that caused one of them to murder a fellow human being.
The depth of the characters was beautifully explored, and the setting itself played an integral part to the plot, which is important if I'm to lose myself in the telling of the story. I feel that I'm a part of the village, and, as such, invested in the outcome.
Although we know that evil exists to the extent that someone killed someone else, Louise Penny posits that the innate goodness of humanity balances out the horror of murder. The community is tight-knit, the inhabitants support each other, and the untimely death is an aberration. Such a view is divergent from that of authors like Jo Nesbo, who seem to revel in violence to an almost gratuitous extent.
I'd give the first book of the Inspector Gamache novels an 8/10, and I look forward to reading the next twelve books in the series. We shall see if the rest of the writing holds up to the high standard set in the initial story.
Time to go tend bar for a wedding at Comal!
Cheers,
Graham
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