The Beautiful Mystery (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #8)

by Louise Penny

Have no expectations. Enter every room, meet every man, woman and child, look at every body with an open mind. Not so open that their brains fell out, but open enough to see and hear the unexpected. Have no preconceptions. Murder was unexpected. And often so was the murderer.

“I’m not saying force of will can fight off a clearly lethal blow. But I am saying, from personal experience, a strong will can hold off death, by moments, sometimes minutes. And sometimes, in my job, those moments and minutes are crucial.” “Why?” “Because it’s that golden time, between this world and whatever you believe is the next. When the person knows they’re dying. And if they’ve been murdered, what do they do?” Frère Simon said nothing. “They tell us who killed them, if at all possible.”