MADreads

Three Pines, small village with lots of crime

May 5th, 2008 Mary K. - Central

There is no way Three Pines, Quebec could be a real place, but if it was fans of Louise Penny’s mystery series would be eager to visit.  Penny portrays this village as a very desirable place, where everyone knows each other, the local residents are both charming and eccentric, there is an excellent restaurant and bed and breakfast, run by two gay men, and as a haven for artists and a famous poet.  Lovely as it is, this small village does seem unusually prone to murder.

In The Cruelest Month a seance in Three Pines, conducted by a guest at the B & B, has a fatal result.  One of the attendees has aparently been scared to death.  An autopsy reveals poison and  the expertise of Armand Gamache and his team from Montreal is required.  Gamache is the quintessential police detective, whose refusal to be a team player in his department has cost him dearly. 

The crime is eventually solved but it takes a back seat to intrigue and betrayal in the Surete de Quebec.  Gamache has made accusations against a popular superior and as a result Armand is under attack, his family is being portrayed unfairly in the press, and he thinks he has a mole in his team.  This plot line dominates the book and somewhat overshadows the solution to the murder.

That is a minor complaint however.  This series has a lot going for it and I am already ready to read the next book.  If you’re new to Penny’s series, you might want to start with Still Life.

Entry Filed under: Mystery