Still Life
Book - 2006
Winner of the New Blood Dagger, Arthur Ellis, Barry, Anthony, and Dilys 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. The locals are certain it's a tragic hunting accident and nothing more, but Gamache smells something foul in these remote woods, and is soon certain that Jane Neal died at the hands of someone much more sinister than a careless bowhunter.
Still Life introduces not only an engaging series hero in Inspector Gamache, who commands his forces---and this series---with integrity and quiet courage, but also a winning and talented new writer of traditional mysteries in the person of Louise Penny.
- Details
- Full Record
- Additional Info
Searching for more content…
Searching for more content…9780312541538
9780312352554
0312352557
0312541538
Related Resources
Opinion
From Library Staff
From the critics
Community Activity
Quotes
Add a Quote'When my death us do part
Then shall forgiven and forgiving meet
again,
Or will it be, as always was, too late?
PimaLib_SamR
Feb 24, 2016
We choose our thoughts, we choose our perceptions, we choose our attitudes. We may not think so. We may not believe it, but we do.
"What do you see?" Elise asked Peter. (about of the art piece "Fair Day")
"Honestly, I don't know. But I know we need to accept it." p 11
"Now, can I interest you in a glass of wine, or perhaps a chandelier?"
Summary
Add a SummaryJane Neal, an artist in the town of Three Pines, is shot with an arrow and dies. At the end of the mystery her home is revealed to have walls covered with her most amazing paintings.
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his team investigate a suspicious death in rural Montreal. Instead of a tragic hunting accident it turns out to be murder.
Comment
Add a CommentMy book club just loves Louise Penny. I thought it was intriguing and complicated at the very end. But they solved the crime. On to the 2nd book.
An easy read - pretty standard murder mystery. Jane has used her house as her palette to record all the events in a Canadian town. Her death reveals all of the secrets of the town including her killer.
I have read all her books. I love them mostly because I don't know Whodunnit until the end. Hope she keeps it up. The movie wasn't very good but it was nice to see the town and the people but the man who played Gamache wasn't right. Still everyone was good, especially the one in the monastery.
The first two pages were promising. Then it went downhill. I was told that it had great characters- well, after 30 pages all I had were a bunch of names and useless descriptions. And a small town in which, apparently, everyone is a successful artist/antique dealer/bookseller... yet there aren't very many tourists. How is that supposed to work?
Is this what modern fiction is like? Maybe that's why I don't read much of it...
The first in a series of Canadian mysteries. They share many similarities with gentle mysteries, but have a bit more bite. There’s definitely a murder, but nothing too extravagant or gory in the details. And while Inspector Gamache is definitely a seasoned investigator, his calm and soothing manner reflect the atmosphere of the books. An excellent book for those who want a who-dunnit without a lot of violence and gore.
The detective series that Louise Penny begins with Still Life is one of my favorites. The novels have an interesting set of characters that continue from one novel to the next, including a detective more interested in morality than personal success. The focus on morality over law reminds me a lot of the Cadfael series by Edith Pargeter.
Love her books but I find the audio books by far the best way to enjoy the series
I found Still Life to be moderately interesting, at least enough that I will move on to read book 2 in the series.
Louise Penny’s Three Pines series is engaging and has a compelling story arc. With memorable characters, who you’ll wish were your neighbors, and intriguing mysteries this series doesn't disappoint.
Highly recommended by book club members. 1st in the series about a small town