Synopses & Reviews
As the early morning mist clears on Thanksgiving Sunday, the homes of Three Pines come to life--all except one...Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec and his team of investigators are called in to the scene of a suspicious death in a rural village south of Montréal and yet a world away. Jane Neal, a long-time resident of Three Pines, 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 this holiday season...and is soon certain that Jane died at the hands of someone much more sinister than a careless bowhunter. ...
STILL LIFE
With this award-winning first novel, Louise Penny introduces an engaging hero in Inspector Gamache, who commands his forces--and this series--with power, ingenuity, and charm.
"[An] auspicious debut... [Penny's] deceptively simple style masks the complex patterns of a well-devised plot."--Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review
"A perfectly executed traditional mystery."--Denver Post
Review
“A rare treat.”
—People magazine
“Its hard to decide what provides the most pleasure in this enjoyable book: Gamache, a shrewd and kindly man constantly surprised by homicide; the village, which sounds at first like an ideal place to escape from civilization; or the clever and carefully constructed plot.”
—Chicago Tribune
“Cerebral, wise and compassionate, Gamache is destined for stardom. Dont miss this stellar debut.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Terrific. Like a virtuoso, Penny plays a complex variation on the theme of the clue hidden in plain sight.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A gem of a book.”
—Booklist (starred review)
“[An] auspicious debut… [Pennys] deceptively simple style masks the complex patterns of a well-devised plot.”
—Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review
“A perfectly executed traditional mystery.”
—Denver Post
“A stellar debut novel. The setting is entrancing… Well done!”
—Deadly Pleasures
“A gem of a debut novel—clever, charming, with perceptively realized characters… and the enormously appealing Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. I cant wait for the next installment.”
—Deborah Crombie, author of Water Like a Stone
“An excellent, subtle plot full of understanding of the deeper places in human nature, and many wise observations that will enrich the reader long after the pages are closed.”
—Anne Perry, author of Long Spoon Lane
“Georges Simenon kept Maigret going for over a hundred books. It will be a delight for all of us who love detective fiction if Louise Penny can stay around long enough to do the same for Gamache.”
—Reginald Hill, author of The Stranger House
“Still Life is a masterpiece of a traditional drawing room mystery, repainted in the autumnal colors of the Canadian countryside. Louise Penny is a storytelling artist.”
—Julia Spencer-Fleming, author of To Darkness and to Death
“What a joy it is to discover a detective like Armand Gamache, strong, calm and charismatic and at work on a good mystery in a believable setting.”
—Peter Lovesey, author of The Circle
“What a joy to read a crime novel written with such skill and integrity, strong on character and atmosphere...I couldn't put it down.”
—Margaret Yorke, author of False Pretences
“Still Life is a lovely, clever book and I hope I shall be reading a lot more by Louise Penny!”
—Ann Granger, author of That Way Murder Lies
Review
“A rare treat.”
—People magazine
“Its hard to decide what provides the most pleasure in this enjoyable book: Gamache, a shrewd and kindly man constantly surprised by homicide; the village, which sounds at first like an ideal place to escape from civilization; or the clever and carefully constructed plot.”
—Chicago Tribune
“Cerebral, wise and compassionate, Gamache is destined for stardom. Dont miss this stellar debut.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Terrific. Like a virtuoso, Penny plays a complex variation on the theme of the clue hidden in plain sight.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A gem of a book.”
—Booklist (starred review)
“[An] auspicious debut… [Pennys] deceptively simple style masks the complex patterns of a well-devised plot.”
—Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review
“A perfectly executed traditional mystery.”
—Denver Post
“A stellar debut novel. The setting is entrancing… Well done!”
—Deadly Pleasures
“A gem of a debut novel—clever, charming, with perceptively realized characters… and the enormously appealing Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. I cant wait for the next installment.”
—Deborah Crombie, author of Water Like a Stone
“An excellent, subtle plot full of understanding of the deeper places in human nature, and many wise observations that will enrich the reader long after the pages are closed.”
—Anne Perry, author of Long Spoon Lane
“Georges Simenon kept Maigret going for over a hundred books. It will be a delight for all of us who love detective fiction if Louise Penny can stay around long enough to do the same for Gamache.”
—Reginald Hill, author of The Stranger House
“Still Life is a masterpiece of a traditional drawing room mystery, repainted in the autumnal colors of the Canadian countryside. Louise Penny is a storytelling artist.”
—Julia Spencer-Fleming, author of To Darkness and to Death
“What a joy it is to discover a detective like Armand Gamache, strong, calm and charismatic and at work on a good mystery in a believable setting.”
—Peter Lovesey, author of The Circle
“What a joy to read a crime novel written with such skill and integrity, strong on character and atmosphere...I couldn't put it down.”
—Margaret Yorke, author of False Pretences
“Still Life is a lovely, clever book and I hope I shall be reading a lot more by Louise Penny!”
—Ann Granger, author of That Way Murder Lies
Review
“A rare treat.”
—People magazine
“Its hard to decide what provides the most pleasure in this enjoyable book: Gamache, a shrewd and kindly man constantly surprised by homicide; the village, which sounds at first like an ideal place to escape from civilization; or the clever and carefully constructed plot.”
—Chicago Tribune
“Cerebral, wise and compassionate, Gamache is destined for stardom. Dont miss this stellar debut.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Terrific. Like a virtuoso, Penny plays a complex variation on the theme of the clue hidden in plain sight.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A gem of a book.”
—Booklist (starred review)
“[An] auspicious debut… [Pennys] deceptively simple style masks the complex patterns of a well-devised plot.”
—Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review
“A perfectly executed traditional mystery.”
—Denver Post
“A stellar debut novel. The setting is entrancing… Well done!”
—Deadly Pleasures
“A gem of a debut novel—clever, charming, with perceptively realized characters… and the enormously appealing Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. I cant wait for the next installment.”
—Deborah Crombie, author of Water Like a Stone
“An excellent, subtle plot full of understanding of the deeper places in human nature, and many wise observations that will enrich the reader long after the pages are closed.”
—Anne Perry, author of Long Spoon Lane
“Georges Simenon kept Maigret going for over a hundred books. It will be a delight for all of us who love detective fiction if Louise Penny can stay around long enough to do the same for Gamache.”
—Reginald Hill, author of The Stranger House
“Still Life is a masterpiece of a traditional drawing room mystery, repainted in the autumnal colors of the Canadian countryside. Louise Penny is a storytelling artist.”
—Julia Spencer-Fleming, author of To Darkness and to Death
“What a joy it is to discover a detective like Armand Gamache, strong, calm and charismatic and at work on a good mystery in a believable setting.”
—Peter Lovesey, author of The Circle
“What a joy to read a crime novel written with such skill and integrity, strong on character and atmosphere...I couldn't put it down.”
—Margaret Yorke, author of False Pretences
“Still Life is a lovely, clever book and I hope I shall be reading a lot more by Louise Penny!”
—Ann Granger, author of That Way Murder Lies
Synopsis
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.
Synopsis
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 its 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.
Synopsis
A Debut Dagger honor book in the U.K., this work introduces an engaging series hero in Inspector Armand Gamache who commands his forces with integrity and quiet courage. Locals are convinced a murder was no more than a tragic hunting accident, but Gamache uncovers something more sinister.
Synopsis
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 its 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.
Synopsis
Winner of the New Blood Dagger, Arthur Ellis, Barry, Anthony, and Dilys awards.Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec and his team of investigators are called in to the scene of a suspicious death in a rural village south of Montréal and yet a world away. Jane Neal, a long-time resident of Three Pines, has been found dead in the woods. The locals are certain its a tragic hunting accident and nothing more but Gamache smells something foul this holiday season…and is soon certain that Jane died at the hands of someone much more sinister than a careless bowhunter.
With this award-winning first novel, Louise Penny introduces an engaging hero in Inspector Gamache, who commands his forces—and this series—with power, ingenuity, and charm.
About the Author
Louise Penny, author of the New York Times bestselling Chief Inspector Gamache novels, worked as an award-winning journalist for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation before leaving to write crime fiction. Her first mystery, Still Life, was the winner of the New Blood Dagger and the Arthur Ellis, Barry, Anthony, and Dilys Awards; and was also named one of the five Mystery/Crime Novels of the Decade by Deadly Pleasures magazine. Louise went on to become the first writer ever to win the Agatha Award for Best Novel four times, as well as an Anthony Award for The Brutal Telling and the Dilys, Arthur Ellis, Macavity, and Anthony Awards for Bury Your Dead. Her novels are bestsellers in the United States and Great Britain and have been translated into twenty languages. She lives with her husband, Michael, in a small village south of Montréal.
Reading Group Guide
Discussion questions for The Three Pines Mysteries, by Louise Penny
1. How important is the use of humor in this book?
2. Which Three Pines villager would you most like to have cafe au lait with at the bistro?
3. Why is Ruth a villager?
4 Louise Penny says her books are about murder, but at their heart they're about other things. What else is this book about? What are some other themes?
5. Agent Nichol is an extremely controversial character in the books. What do you think of her? What purpose does she serve
Discussion questions for Still Life
1. At the beginning of Still Life, we are told that “violent death still surprised” Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. Why is that odd for a homicide detective, and how does it influence his work? What are his strengths and his weaknesses?
2. The village of Three Pines is not on any map, and when Gamache and Agent Nicole first arrive there, they see “the inevitable paradox. An old stone mill sat beside a pond, the mid-morning sun warming its fieldstones. Around it the maples and birches and wild cherry trees held their fragile leaves, like thousands of happy hands waving to them on arrival. And police cars. The snakes in Eden.” Can you find other echoes of Paradise in Three Pines, and what role do snakes—real or metaphorical—play there?
3. There are three main couples in the book: Clara and Peter, Olivier and Gabri, and Gamache and Reine-Marie. How would you characterize each of these relationships?
4. Gamache says “Ive never met anyone uniformly kind and good,” yet no one has anything bad to say about Jane—except regarding her art. What is your impression of that art? How do you understand the game Jane used to play with Yolande and the Queen of Hearts?
5. When the charred arrowhead is found in his home, it is said that Matthew Croft “had finally been hurt beyond poetry.” How does poetry help him and other characters in this novel? Does it ever have the power to hurt? What do you think of Timmer Hadleys idea that “theres something about Ruth Zardo, something bitter, that resents happiness in others, and needs to ruin it. Thats probably what makes her a great poet, she knows what it is to suffer.”
6. Consider Gamaches advice to Nichol: “Life is choice. All day, everyday. Who we talk to, where we sit, what we say, how we say it. And our lives become defined by our choices. Its as simple and as complex as that. And as powerful.” Similarly, Myrna stopped practicing psychology because she lost patience with people who lead “still” lives, “waiting for someone to save them….The fault lies with us, and only us. Its not fate, not genetics, not bad luck, and its definitely not Mom and Dad. Ultimately its us and our choices.” How do their choices affect the principal characters in the novel? Do any of their choices remind you of ones you have made in your own life?
7. Theres a huge clue to the murder early in the book, when Jane gives Ben a meaningful look and then quotes from W. H. Auden: “Evil is unspectacular and always human, and shares our bed and eats at our own table.” Why is it so easy to overlook that clue at the time, and what impact does it have when its quoted again in the last chapter?
8. Who do you think Gamache has in mind when he tells Gabri and Olivier: “Youre not the types to do murder. I wish I could say the same for everyone here.”
9. Clara has “very specific tastes” in murder mysteries: “Most of them were British and all were of the village cozy variety.” Do you see Still Life as a typical “cozy”? Why or why not?
Discussion questions for The Three Pines Mysteries, by Louise Penny1. How important is the use of humor in this book? 2. Which Three Pines villager would you most like to have cafe au lait with at the bistro? 3. Why is Ruth a villager? 4 Louise Penny says her books are about murder, but at their heart they're about other things. What else is this book about? What are some other themes? 5. Agent Nichol is an extremely controversial character in the books. What do you think of her? What purpose does she serve Discussion questions for Still Life1. At the beginning of Still Life, we are told that “violent death still surprised” Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. Why is that odd for a homicide detective, and how does it influence his work? What are his strengths and his weaknesses? 2. The village of Three Pines is not on any map, and when Gamache and Agent Nicole first arrive there, they see “the inevitable paradox. An old stone mill sat beside a pond, the mid morning sun warming its fieldstones. Around it the maples and birches and wild cherry trees held their fragile leaves, like thousands of happy hands waving to them on arrival. And police cars. The snakes in Eden.” Can you find other echoes of Paradise in Three Pines, and what role do snakes—real or metaphorical—play there? 3. There are three main couples in the book: Clara and Peter, Olivier and Gabri, and Gamache and Reine-Marie. How would you characterize each of these relationships? 4. Gamache says “Ive never met anyone uniformly kind and good,” yet no one has anything bad to say about Jane—except regarding her art. What is your impression of that art? How do you understand the game Jane used to play with Yolande and the Queen of Hearts? 5. When the charred arrowhead is found in his home, it is said that Matthew Croft “had finally been hurt beyond poetry.” How does poetry help him and other characters in this novel? Does it ever have the power to hurt? What do you think of Timmer Hadleys idea that “theres something about Ruth Zardo, something bitter, that resents happiness in others, and needs to ruin it. Thats probably what makes her a great poet, she knows what it is to suffer.” 6. Consider Gamaches advice to Nichol: “Life is choice. All day, everyday. Who we talk to, where we sit, what we say, how we say it. And our lives become defined by our choices. Its as simple and as complex as that. And as powerful.” Similarly, Myrna stopped practicing psychology because she lost patience with people who lead “still” lives, “waiting for someone to save them….The fault lies with us, and only us. Its not fate, not genetics, not bad luck, and its definitely not Mom and Dad. Ultimately its us and our choices.” How do their choices affect the principal characters in the novel? Do any of their choices remind you of ones you have made in your own life? 7. Theres a huge clue to the murder early in the book, when Jane gives Ben a meaningful look and then quotes from W. H. Auden: “Evil is unspectacular and always human, and shares our bed and eats at our own table.” Why is it so easy to overlook that clue at the time, and what impact does it have when its quoted again in the last chapter? 8. Who do you think Gamache has in mind when he tells Gabri and Olivier: “Youre not the types to do murder. I wish I could say the same for everyone here.” 9. Clara has “very specific tastes” in murder mysteries: “Most of them were British and all were of the village cozy variety.” Do you see Still Life as a typical “cozy”? Why or why not?