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55th out of 907 books
—
856 voters
Still Life (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #1)
by
Louise Penny
Winner oftheNew Blood Dagger,Arthur Ellis,Barry,Anthony, andDilys 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. T
Paperback, 320 pages
Published
September 30th 2008
by Minotaur Books
(first published January 1st 2005)
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This review has been revised and can now be found at Expendable Mudge Muses Aloud.
First, imperfect novel, but still very good.
First, imperfect novel, but still very good.
Apr 29, 2013
Steve aka Sckenda
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Appreciators of Cozy Mysteries
Recommended to Steve aka Sckenda by:
Richard
All gentle people, wherever they may live, are citizens of Three Pines. Here, in rural Quebec, live people as temperate as a Canadian summer, but here also reside a few spicy curmudgeons and misfits. “Three Pines wasn’t on any tourist map. Like Narnia it was found unexpectedly and with a degree of surprise that such an elderly village should have been hiding in the valley all along.”
Three Piners possess useful and humane skills. They create, paint, plant, refurbish, write, garden, decorate, tal...more
Three Piners possess useful and humane skills. They create, paint, plant, refurbish, write, garden, decorate, tal...more
42 likes
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Oct 02, 2011
Chandra
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2011-reads,
mystery-dectective-crime
Still Life is the first in a series of detective novels set in the province of Quebec featuring investigator Armand Gamache. When a beloved elderly woman is found dead in a bucolic village south of Montreal, Gamache and his team are called in to investigate. The nature of her death (an arrow through the heart in the middle of hunting season) suggests an accident. However, we all know this is a murder mystery novel. But, for the love of Pete, it takes a long time for the characters in the novel t...more
29 likes
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This is a murder mystery in the category of police procedural. I like to throw in a few of these every once in a while for variety. After all, one does not wish to consider oneself effete for having dined on too rich a diet of purely literary fare, does one?
Now that we're in the star bestowal business I thought for a minute about what makes for a good book of this sort. Here’s the list I came up with along with how Still Life did with respect to it.
Now that we're in the star bestowal business I thought for a minute about what makes for a good book of this sort. Here’s the list I came up with along with how Still Life did with respect to it.
✓ Interesting characters...more
✓ Plausible forens
21 likes
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May 14, 2010
Tatiana
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Tatiana by:
Harper Bell
I am a little sad that I can't give Still Life more than 2 stars. It was recommended to me and it's not a pleasant task to trash someone's suggestion, but what can I do, this book was just a barely OK read for me.
Still Life is a traditional ("cozy") mystery set in a Canadian village Three Pines. One Sunday morning a body of 76-year old Jane Neal - a long-time resident of the village - is found. At first, it appears that Jane was killed in a hunting accident, but later we find out that quite a fe...more
Still Life is a traditional ("cozy") mystery set in a Canadian village Three Pines. One Sunday morning a body of 76-year old Jane Neal - a long-time resident of the village - is found. At first, it appears that Jane was killed in a hunting accident, but later we find out that quite a fe...more
18 likes
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I started reading A Fatal Grace and soon realised that I would be better to go back to the beginning with Louise Penny's first book set in the magical Quebecois village of Three Pines. I'm loving it so far and I'm only up to page 12. A sample:
"In the twenty-five years she'd lived in Three Pines she'd never, ever heard of a crime. The only reason doors were locked was to prevent neighbours from dropping off baskets of zucchini at harvest time."
I love the characters so much I want to go to Three...more
"In the twenty-five years she'd lived in Three Pines she'd never, ever heard of a crime. The only reason doors were locked was to prevent neighbours from dropping off baskets of zucchini at harvest time."
I love the characters so much I want to go to Three...more
12 likes
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3.5 stars
I liked the main detective and the characters are all interesting and three-dimensional. I had no idea who the killer really was (can be a positive or a negative) and felt that the story moved at a slightly slower pace than I expected. All in all, the book is well-written and it's a good story, but not that exciting. Will pick up #2 though, since I really did like Gamache.
I liked the main detective and the characters are all interesting and three-dimensional. I had no idea who the killer really was (can be a positive or a negative) and felt that the story moved at a slightly slower pace than I expected. All in all, the book is well-written and it's a good story, but not that exciting. Will pick up #2 though, since I really did like Gamache.
2 likes
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This was the author’s debut novel, the first in a series set in Quebec, featuring Chief Inspector Armand Gamache.
The mystery takes a back seat to setting the stage with the characters and the village. Gamache is a likable man, a kind and introspective deep thinker. There is wit and wisdom throughout the book, with much insight into human nature. It’s slow-paced and the mystery and resolution weren’t quite as gripping as I would have preferred, but because it is so well-written and the character...more
The mystery takes a back seat to setting the stage with the characters and the village. Gamache is a likable man, a kind and introspective deep thinker. There is wit and wisdom throughout the book, with much insight into human nature. It’s slow-paced and the mystery and resolution weren’t quite as gripping as I would have preferred, but because it is so well-written and the character...more
2 likes
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I've heard good things about Penny's mysteries, and probably should have finished this book before forming an opinion. Thing is, some of the writing and/or story distracted me from the story. The stereotype of a gay man 'trembling with pleasure' over the sight of cranberry glass, for instance. Does anyone really tremble over cranberry glass? An officer getting upset early on because the lead detective wasn't given the appropriate level of respect/awe... The cops' automatic disdain of civilians,...more
3 likes
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Apr 06, 2008
Terri
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Those interested in cozies and/or Canadian authors.
Shelves:
2008
Still Life is a mystery cozy featuring a small Canadian village in Southern Quebec called Three Pines, eccentric characters, and, of course, a murder.
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is called upon to solve the death of Jane Neal, a beloved and elderly member of Three Pines. It is inconceivable to the residents that anyone would murder Jane, though, curiously, it appears that one of them is the murderer. Chief Inspector Gamache and his team must invade the privacy of these villagers in order to fi...more
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is called upon to solve the death of Jane Neal, a beloved and elderly member of Three Pines. It is inconceivable to the residents that anyone would murder Jane, though, curiously, it appears that one of them is the murderer. Chief Inspector Gamache and his team must invade the privacy of these villagers in order to fi...more
STILL LIFE (Police Proced-Canada-Cont) – Ex
Penny, Louise – 1st book
Headline, 2005- Hardcover
*** Death brings Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his officers of the Sûreté du Quebec to the small village of Three Pines, Canada. Much-loved Jane Neal has been found dead in the woods. Gamache must determine whether her death was the result of a hunting accident, or deliberate murder.
*** Penny’s debut book is a true, classic traditional mystery. Penny has a wonderful writing voice full of introspecti...more
Penny, Louise – 1st book
Headline, 2005- Hardcover
*** Death brings Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his officers of the Sûreté du Quebec to the small village of Three Pines, Canada. Much-loved Jane Neal has been found dead in the woods. Gamache must determine whether her death was the result of a hunting accident, or deliberate murder.
*** Penny’s debut book is a true, classic traditional mystery. Penny has a wonderful writing voice full of introspecti...more
3 likes
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Jun 21, 2012
Jonelle
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mystery,
murder-mystery
Read my first book in Louise Penny's Armand Gamache series and enjoyed it a great deal. Instead of a police procedural, I'd almost call this a cozy mystery. The characters and place were quite vivid. I'm looking forward to reading more of her books.
2 likes
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Absolutely delightful!! Inspector Gamache was a happy surprise to find in a series new to me. I was totally unfamiliar with the author and this series and will definitely be reading another one. I loved the way the mystery unfolded and each character became more complicated at the story progressed. I did find the ending a bit rushed after the slow pace we took getting there. I loved the setting, French Canada. There were a couple of interesting bites about the difference between the French and t...more
Fascinating subsidiary characters, engaging plot and sleuth. I'm going to continue with the series...
Jan 18, 2010
Laurel
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-on-my-kindle,
books-read-2010
You can definitely tell this is the first in a series. Initially, I was disappointed; "Still Life" does not lack for characters with potential, but I wanted more than just potential. I changed that perception towards the end, especially when I realized that in further books we'll not only meet Gamache again, but the other inhabitants of Three Pines as well. "Still Life" offers a depth of ideas, not the least being Oscar Wilde's "Conscience and cowardice are really the same things...." I'm still...more
2 likes
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Feb 27, 2012
Kristen
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2011,
serial-mystery
If you love good mysteries, you'll enjoy the Armand Gamache series by Louise Penny. It's set in Canada. In the debut mystery, Jane Neal is found dead in Three Pines, a tiny village, which causes a bit of upset. It's up to Gamache and his police force to find out about her life and past, her friends and family, and who wanted to harm her and others, when a cast of suspicion is thrown to one person to another. Secrets and lies are exposed. In the end, they really get up and close to find out who'v...more
3 likes
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Jul 09, 2010
Snail in Danger (Sid) Nicolaides
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mystery-genre,
canada
A decent debut. Some of the writing was really brilliant, but sometimes I felt like the author was dwelling too much on technical details. Also, she teetered on the edge of making the main detective too wise. (A risk in most mysteries.) I'm intrigued enough to read the next book in the series.
Though I think giving one of the characters the last name "Malenfant" was a bit heavy-handed. Also I think I may be doomed to go through life referring to the main character as "Chief Inspector Ganache."
Though I think giving one of the characters the last name "Malenfant" was a bit heavy-handed. Also I think I may be doomed to go through life referring to the main character as "Chief Inspector Ganache."
1 like
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· see review
This was the first Louise Penny book that I have read. I truly enjoyed it. There were both mystery and a murder in the book, but it was a very light and full of strong characters with enjoyable interpersonal interactions and personalities. The weaving together the interests of local artists with local events such as the fair, added a warm and community feel to this novel. There was a bit of suspense combined with the unraveling of characters as the plot progressed. This was a very enjoyable read...more
Still Life by Louise Penny has the characteristics of a good murder mystery. It has an interesting setting: a Québécois village close to the U.S border with a mixture of French and English settlement history. It has colorful inhabitants with complex personalities, including artists who have transformed this hamlet into an artists' colony. It has an unusual murder that is not easy to solve. It has a couple pages of suspenseful reading, which at first I thought were thrown in as a requirement for...more
A sweet-sour “womens” tea cozy genre mystery novel about a Murder in Three Pines village - don’t go shopping for a country home in this town. I warned you.
Oh my. What a strange, haunting, cozy/dark detective series. Cutesey gentrified Quebec village, flakey croissant and lavish bistro dining interludes are juxtaposed with raw revelations of turbulent human emotion and behavior. A benevolent, wise, unjaded superintendent anchoring the investigations. Quirky village inhabitants involved with highe...more
Oh my. What a strange, haunting, cozy/dark detective series. Cutesey gentrified Quebec village, flakey croissant and lavish bistro dining interludes are juxtaposed with raw revelations of turbulent human emotion and behavior. A benevolent, wise, unjaded superintendent anchoring the investigations. Quirky village inhabitants involved with highe...more
I've heard very positive reports on the author, Louise Penny, so decided to read the first in a series of Inspector Armand Gamache mysteries. Initially, I really enjoyed Penny's writing style -- subtle sense of humor, eccentric and interesting characters, nice descriptive detail of the Village of Three Pines (a small town in Quebec), etc. Just half way through the book I started getting impatient as the details and characters piled up with no particular focus evident. The mystery of who shot the...more
Feb 08, 2013
Leya
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
all-time-favorite,
library-book
The beauty about reading a book that is set in Canada, is that it's set in familiar territory. You know that the Thanksgiving that the characters are celebrating is in October, you know exactly what a double double from Timmy's tastes like, the changing of the leaves, the list goes on and on. It's like spending time in your back yard.
So as you can imagine (and see) I enjoyed the setting. I'm not certain if the town of Three Pines is fictional or not, but I certainly enjoyed visiting it. I loved...more
So as you can imagine (and see) I enjoyed the setting. I'm not certain if the town of Three Pines is fictional or not, but I certainly enjoyed visiting it. I loved...more
Was delighted to find a mystery series set in my native land of Canada. Louise Perry has invented a Quebecois version reminiscent of the European detective, Maigret. Armande Gamache is past middle age, and after a military career and time abroad, now serves as the Chief Inspector of the Surete du Quebec, the security arm of the provincial police. He lives in Outremont, a desirable quartier of Montreal and is still in love with his wife Reine Marie with whom he discusses his cases. On his way to...more
Still Life is the first installment in a detective series categorized as a cozy, which might totally mislead a prospective reader, for it is so much more. While I like an occasional murder mystery, I don't read extensively in the genre. My tastes tend towards the cozy, I admit, rather than the edge-of-your-seat suspense or the dark gritty urban thriller, but sometimes cozies descend into silliness or campiness. Not the case, here, where the puzzle of the mystery, while being a good one, takes a...more
1 like
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· see review
Set in a quaint Quebecois village, Louise Penny’s Still Life narrates the murder and murder investigation of the beloved town resident, Jane Neal. Of the books I’ve read so far in “Spies and Detectives,” Still Life most closely aligns with what I’ve always imagined as a classic “whodunnit”: the gradual introduction of a cast of characters and their possible motives, the inclusion of red herrings, and a measured and generous chief investigator. To the mix Still Life adds the sub-plots of negotiat...more
Oct 23, 2012
Rosario (http://rosario.blogspot.com/)
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
The first in the Inspector Gamache series, the book is set in a small village in Quebec, close to Montreal. A former teacher, loved by everyone in the community, is found killed by an arrow. In most places, this would point to the killer pretty quickly, but this is a part of the world where hunters use arrows as often as they do guns, and pretty much everyone knows what to do with a bow and arrow.
Gamache and his team are called to investigate, even though most in the village assume this was just...more
Gamache and his team are called to investigate, even though most in the village assume this was just...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Still Life is fundamentally a murder mystery. However, the mystery itself takes a back seat to the engaging, well-developed characters and the setting of the story. The story takes place in the apparently invented village of Three Pines in the Quebec Providence. The village is not on the way to anywhere. It is hard to find, but visitors that happen upon it often choose to stay. The vistas are breath taking, but the weather can be brutal, providing a perfect home for characters ranging from hardy...more
This book popped up as a recommendation on my Kindle. (I love that feature!) I had never heard of Louise Penny before, but I thought I would give the book a try. I am so glad that I did! I thoroughly enjoyed this engrossing tale.
The story is set in a tiny, beautiful village named "Three Pines" in Quebec, Canada. Jane Neal, a beloved, retired school teacher and amateur artist, is found dead in the woods--with a wooden arrow shot through her heart. The villagers think it was a hunting accident, bu...more
The story is set in a tiny, beautiful village named "Three Pines" in Quebec, Canada. Jane Neal, a beloved, retired school teacher and amateur artist, is found dead in the woods--with a wooden arrow shot through her heart. The villagers think it was a hunting accident, bu...more
Jun 07, 2012
Regan
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audiobook,
mysteries-suspense
Still Life is a charming and well done mystery novel, if not quite gripping or riveting. In a few places the characters seem not quite thought through or cartoonish. And there were quite a number of characters that were developed enough to move the plot along, but never had their stories really wrapped up which was annoying. Overall a good read.
The narrator was a poor choice, however. First, his delivery is rather staccato and reminded me of the old John-Wayne-does-Shakespeare joke (IsThis. The...more
The narrator was a poor choice, however. First, his delivery is rather staccato and reminded me of the old John-Wayne-does-Shakespeare joke (IsThis. The...more
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Many of Louise Penny's books are published under different titles by UK/Canada and US publishers.
She lives with her husband, Michael, and a golden retriever named Trudy, in a small village south of Montreal.
Her first Armand Gamache novel, "Still Life" won the New Blood Dagger, Arthur Ellis, Barry, Anthony and Dilys Awards.
Awards:
* Agatha Award: Best Novel
o 2007 – A Fatal Grace – Winner
o 2008 –...more
More about Louise Penny...
She lives with her husband, Michael, and a golden retriever named Trudy, in a small village south of Montreal.
Her first Armand Gamache novel, "Still Life" won the New Blood Dagger, Arthur Ellis, Barry, Anthony and Dilys Awards.
Awards:
* Agatha Award: Best Novel
o 2007 – A Fatal Grace – Winner
o 2008 –...more
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“Normally death came at night, taking a person in their sleep, stopping their heart or tickling them awake, leading them to the bathroom with a splitting headache before pouncing and flooding their brain with blood. It waits in alleys and metro stops. After the sun goes down plugs are pulled by white-clad guardians and death is invited into an antiseptic room.
But in the country death comes, uninvited, during the day. It takes fishermen in their longboats. It grabs children by the ankles as they swim. In winter it calls them down a slope too steep for their budding skills, and crosses their skies at the tips. It waits along the shore where snow met ice not long ago but now, unseen by sparkling eyes, a little water touches the shore, and the skater makes a circle slightly larger than intended. Death stands in the woods with a bow and arrow at dawn and dusk. And it tugs cars off the road in broad daylight, the tires spinning furiously on ice or snow, or bright autumn leaves. ”
—
11 people liked it
But in the country death comes, uninvited, during the day. It takes fishermen in their longboats. It grabs children by the ankles as they swim. In winter it calls them down a slope too steep for their budding skills, and crosses their skies at the tips. It waits along the shore where snow met ice not long ago but now, unseen by sparkling eyes, a little water touches the shore, and the skater makes a circle slightly larger than intended. Death stands in the woods with a bow and arrow at dawn and dusk. And it tugs cars off the road in broad daylight, the tires spinning furiously on ice or snow, or bright autumn leaves. ”
“Myrna could spend happy hours browsing bookcases. She felt if she could just get a good look at a person’s bookcase and their grocery cart, she’d pretty much know who they were.”
—
10 people liked it
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