Reviews with content warning for Murder - Still Life

In Still Life Inspector Gamache is sent to Three Pines, just outside Montreal, to investigate the death of Jane Neal via a hunting arrow. Was it a simple hunting accident or something more sinister? I thought the book was…fine. The plotting was good and I enjoyed picking out the clues and red herrings as they were sprinkled throughout the story. I also enjoyed the taste of Quebec - swear words in French, a hint of the tension between French and English speakers etc. It was nice to see an older gay couple fully integrated in the community as a matter of course. However, this is a cozy mystery and it seems I prefer a little more grit and complexity in my mysteries. But if cosy mysteries are your thing and you haven’t yet read anything by Louise Penny then check out this series. It has legions of fans.

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lorinew1's review against another edition

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mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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kimveach's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced

4.0

2019: Found a "new" series for me to read!

2022: Came back to this again after the reading the first nine in the series. It's just as good as the first time and so fun to see details I didn't know the first time through.

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hanxiety's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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papsti's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

There’s something really charming and stimulating about the way Louise Penny writes. I don't often find myself completely lost in fiction, but there were a few times where I’d be reading this book and I’d find myself in a kind of trance. As soon as something would shake me out of it, it would take me a few seconds to remember where I was.

I accidentally stumbled upon book 16 in this series a while ago, without realizing that it was part of a long-running series. I absolutely fell in love with Gamache and his friends/family on the spot. I’ve been waiting to get “Still Life” from the library for months, to start the series properly, from the beginning. It did not disappoint.

That said, this wasn’t a straight five stars for me because the depiction of Agent Nichols was almost cartoonishly incompetent and bullheaded. Though I did like the inclusion of this kind of character as a foil for Gamache, it was all laid on a bit too thick.

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meganpbennett's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I reread Still Life this year and it holds up. It's a very good cozy mystery set in Three Pines, Quebec, where a local woman has been murdered. On a reread, knowing who the killer was made me look for the clues about them, and it was still a surprise

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