If you like mystery, intrigue, a beautifully told story, and a hint of love added in for good measure, you're bound to love the novel, Still Life.
Jane Neal was a fixture in the small town of Three Pines. The retired teacher and budding artist was well-known in the area, so when she was found dead, the entire community was shocked. Being a rural town where hunting is prevalent, and the fact that she was found with an arrow in her by the woods made it a pretty much open and shut case. When investigator Armand Gamache arrives from Montreal, he sees things through different eyes. As he and his assistants delve deeper into the lives of the people in the town, they discover unexpected and sinister information that they didn't expect. The plot unravels slowly, and with each twist and turn, the truth slowly comes to light.
Still Life is the first book in Louise Penny's Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series, and has won several awards. The second book, A Fatal Grace, won the Agatha Award in 2008. To date there are 9 books in the series. Before writing, Penny worked for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for several years. She spends her time in her home south of Montreal, Canada writing, skiing, and helping others.
If you enjoy reading a story with some mystery and an unpredictable storyline, Still Life is a great choice. Being the first story in the series, you may find you can't wait to listen to the whole collection.
"Thoroughly enjoyed a mystery after not having read one for some time...the Quebec setting was also new to me and I found the characters interesting and the final chapters surprised me- love it when I can't pick the "who done it" character. Looking forward to going through more investigations with Mr. Armand and his crew- except that Yvette Nichol, didn't care for her one bit!"
— Cari (4 out of 5 stars)
“If you only listen to one mystery this year, make it this one…The cast is filled with remarkable characters, whose various accents are pitch perfect as read by Ralph Cosham…Cosham has helped create this new series hero by giving his words and thoughts a deep and penetrating voice. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
— AudioFile“A perfectly executed traditional mystery.”
— Denver Post“A stellar debut novel. The setting is entrancing.”
— Deadly Pleasures magazine“[A] clever and carefully constructed plot.”
— Chicago Tribune“Filled with unexpected insights, this winning traditional mystery sets a solid foundation for future entries in the series.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)“Cerebral, wise and compassionate, Gamache is destined for stardom. Don’t miss this stellar debut.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)“Clever, charming, with perceptively realized characters…and the enormously appealing Chief Inspector Armand Gamache.”
— Deborah Crombie, New York Times bestselling author“An excellent, subtle plot full of understanding of the deeper places in human nature.”
— Anne Perry, author of Long Spoon Lane“Still Life is a masterpiece of a traditional drawing room mystery, repainted in the autumnal colors of the Canadian countryside.”
— Julia Spencer-Fleming, author of To Darkness and to Death" My first Penny experience. I was so disappointed when I finished the Martha Grimes series, I wasn't sure where to go. Now I know. Louise Penny is the real deal. "
— christi, 6/1/2018" I'very read all Louise Penny's novels and loved them. So, I was anxious to try an audiobook. The audiobook was true to the novel, but a more animated narration would have made it wonderful. Thus, the narration was often monotone and drug at times. "
— Shari, 7/25/2017" Lovely little read. Intriguing characters. Just a fun mystery. I enjoyed it. It gets a 7 on my 10 scale. "
— Louise, 2/10/2014" After Maisie Dobbs, this is my new favorite detective series. "
— Danielle, 1/30/2014" I was so excited to begin a new mystery series. I was so hoping to adore it. It's very slow and very well written and I hated it until three quarters through it. I was just incredibly bored and looked forward to being finished so I could try again. I think it's a nice book as a novel, but complete crap as a mystery, even a cozy. "
— Nerfzilla, 1/27/2014" Lovely read, looking forward to the next one. "
— Esther, 1/22/2014" This book is a mystery my mother would enjoy, but a little too tame and predictable to get more than 2 stars from me. The head inspector guy was like able, though! The look at Canadian culture was interesting. "
— Catherine, 1/19/2014" Really enjoyed this book. Has the feel of an Agatha Christie or Ruth Rendell's Inspector Wexford stories. Looking forward to reading on in the series! "
— Jill, 1/19/2014Louise Penny is the multiaward–winning author of the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache mystery novels set in Canada that have made the bestsellers list of the New York Times, USA Today, and Toronto Globe and Mail. She is also coauthor with Hillary Rodham Clinton of the #1 New York Times bestselling thriller State of Terror. She has won numerous awards, including nine Agatha Awards and the CWA Dagger, Dilys, Lefty, Macavity, Barry, Anthony, and Nero awards. She is the recipient of both the Order of Canada and l’Ordre national du Québec.
Geoffrey Howard (a.k.a. Ralph Cosham) was a stage actor and an award-winning narrator. He recorded more than 100 audiobooks in his lifetime and won the prestigious Audio Award for Best Narration and several AudioFile Earphones Awards.