I really can't recommend Louise Penny's 2004 debut novel Still Life,, the first of six Chief Inspector Armand Gamache tales, set in the village of Three Pines, Quebec, more highly. It has taken me a while to get around to this series; the Canadian e-book rights were spotty despite the author having been celebrated in Canada and internationally -- she is the only author ever to win three Agatha awards in a row for Best Novel. Alas, Still Life remained out of reach of her fellow Canadian readers as an e-book due to (stupid) e-rights issues ... until mid-April 2011. All of Ms Penny's novels are available in Canada in paper; most are available at public libraries as audio books; none are available as e-books. Now ... THERE's a mystery!

Jean Neal, a 70s-something local artist, is found dead in a pile of autumn leaves at Three Pines, Quebec steps from her home, in the midst of hunting season. She's been killed by an arrow. Accident? or murder? When Montreal-based Chief Inspector Armand Gamache investigates (beginning with: "where the heck is Three Pines, anyway?"), he uncovers an artist neighbourhood of painters, poets and crafters, snuggled next to the gay couple running the local b&b/antique shop and shady relatives in for the killing, metaphorically, one hopes. Toss in Children's Aid, and a deep seated fear of snakes, and you have a really cracker jack tale of murder and love lost over six decades.

Penny's prose is easy, thoughtful, intelligent and psychological. She really gets inside her characters, like Simenon does in his Inspector Maigret tales, but with (much) less emotional detachment; yet the story bubbles along like best of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe; and the unexpected humour conjures Howard Engel's Benny Cooperman, or, allowing for the generation gap, Raymond Chandler. But please don't think her style, her stories, her compassion for the characters is in any way derivative: Three Pines will ring true on multiple levels even if you have no idea what real maple syrup tastes like.

However you acquire an opportunity to read it ... read it. It's a five star gem.