I am so thrilled to find a series that I am interested in continuing and to have 15 or so more to read is extra exciting. Gamache is a wise and measured main character-someone you just like instantly. But, you get to see inside the heads of so many other in the course of the story, as well. And this setting, which I understand continues into others in the series somehow, is just soothing. (Even with a murderer slinking around, it’s true.) I love how the townspeople’s relationships feel so fully fleshed out even as you are just meeting them, particularly through their conversations filled with humorous barbs and jabs at each other. Forgive the comparison to TV, but it occurs to me this is very Midsomer Murder-like with its countryside village setting and smart investigator main character. And it is definitely very like Kate Atkinson’s Jackson Brodie series in the writing.

Such a cozy vibe. I particularly enjoyed the focus on the community (yes a staple of murder mysteries, but it felt more personal in this novel) and the intimacy of the main friend group. Overall a perfect vacation read (or curled up on the couch in early autumn).

I can see the appeal this book might have for others, so it earned a star for that. For me however, I found it flat and cliché. The gay couple who won’t stop pointing out that they are gay. The fat, black women too angry to continue her psychiatry practice. The lovable and space artist who can’t keep food out of her hair. Bleh

This was just ok. Not a series that I want to bother continuing with though.

Whodunit Pleasure

The story unfolds with the skill of Agatha Christie. The characters are deceptively quaint until they reveal themselves to be as flawed as the rest of us. The simplicity of the story is its genius. It doesn’t bludgeon the reader with psychological horror nor is it obvious who the killer is. All elements are balanced and the result is a compelling read at a steady pace.

I think Louise penny is a lovely writer, and I plan on reading more of this series next time I’m in the mood. However, the actual mystery kind of fell flat for me once we found out who did it.

This was a re-read, but this time round I listened to the audiobook. Extra star for this version—the narration was great. I enjoyed Gamache. I enjoyed the lovely little nuggets of psychological insight Penny peppers throughout the narrative. Not so much the recurring anti-fat bias bits though.