A review by hb_bookworm
Still Life by Louise Penny

4.0

I really, really enjoyed this. I started this series by reading #8, The Beautiful Mystery, and then came back to the first. I really liked #8, and I was pleasantly surprised by how different Still Life was, and how much I enjoyed it regardless. Penny's language, imagery, and character development are all really spot on for me -- I loved how the story wrapped up and the beautiful way everything and every person is described. I loved getting to know all the characters from Three Pines -- even the goofy and somewhat stereotypical behaviors of the gay characters felt fleshed out and natural. I really felt invested in all the characters and their relationships, and I liked seeing the beginnings of Jean Guy and Gamache's relationship. Could not stand Nichol, which I know was the point, and I really hope she doesn't pop up again attempting to be a team player -- though it might be interesting to see her as a "villain" as I know from The Beautiful Mystery that Gamache is not well liked/being somewhat sabotaged as the series progresses. I'm excited to read the next one to see more of the characters from Three Pines, as well as seeing how the series develops and becomes more serious in the later books!