Last week Louise Penny published The Black Wolf, the 20th book in her Armand Gamache/Three Pines mystery series – I’m still straggling along halfway through book four. Nevertheless, I’m here to make the case, rooted in my own experience, that if you think you’re too far behind Louise’s rigorous publishing schedule to dive into her thought-provoking, readable, suspenseful, and unexpectedly humorous books, it isn’t too late!
Penny’s books are known for combining a cozy, relaxed setting, deeply embedded in the beauty of the changing seasons (and of lavish meals that evoke a grown-up version of the Redwall books I drooled over as a kid), with a psychologically unsettling and seemingly unsolvable crime to challenge the impeccable wit and ethics of Chief Inspector Gamache. The strong sense of place combined with small community living evokes Agatha Christie, but Christie’s books often leave us with a bleak sense of inevitability about the disturbing crimes committed in her tales. Instead, readers of Penny’s books find deftly-delivered lessons about friendship, human nature, and how to live well, seamlessly interwoven with the central plot of tragic and untimely death. Often the murder feels less important than the bittersweet sense of flawed-yet-loving community that remains in its wake. Like Twin Peaks, this series portrays an incomprehensible evil unfolding in a place where it is least expected; unlike it, Penny’s books leave us with hope.
Still Life, the first book in the series, will transport you to the russet-hued October woods of Quebec, where Canadians are in the midst of their Thanksgiving celebrations: a perfect autumnal read. If you’re like me, you might hesitate to pick up the first book in a long series, wondering if you’ll ever find the time to catch up. I’m still not sure if or when I’ll make it to book 20, but I can wholeheartedly recommend to my fellow latecomers to the Penny party: tuck a chunk of Brie into a warmed baguette, pour a cafe au lait, and settle into an armchair journey to Three Pines. As Gamache would say, Mieux vaut tard que jamais!
Already a fan of the Three Pines series and looking for your next read? Try one of these mysteries with a similar feel:
Just one more thing: did you know that you can watch Still Life: A Three Pines Mystery on Hoopla? It’s free to access with your library card!
