still life

I discovered Still Life (Three Pines Mysteries) by Louise Penny on Library Thing I think. I borrowed it from the library and it is wonderful. She writes so well and the story is good, the mystery intriguing and the characters fascinating.

Jane is a wonderful, kind, and loving person. But she’s dead and probably not by accident.

Clara is kind and smart, Myrna knows people, Ruth is mean and bitter, Olivier and Gabri are glib, Peter loves Clara, Ben is in need of some guidance. Then officer Nichol who needs a wallop up side the head.

“He wondered whether Clara would have been like this had he died. And he realised that, had he died in the woods, Clara would have had Jane to comfort her. And Jane would have known what to do. In that instant a door opened for Peter. For the first time in his life he asked what someone else would do. What would Jane do if she was here and he was dead? And he had his answer.”

There is a wonderful view of a town with many people moving at a slower pace but still growing and changing and becoming more, while others are living “still” lives, waiting for someone to save them. I like inspector Gamanche and will read more of the books in this series. I’d like to spend more time in Three Pines.