Still Life

Chief Inspector Gamache/Three Pines, Book 1

By: Louise Penny

Narrated by: Adam Sims

'A cracking storyteller, who can create fascinating characters, a twisty plot and wonderful surprise endings' ANN CLEEVES

There is more to solving a crime than following the clues.
Welcome to Chief Inspector Gamache's world of facts and feelings.

The discovery of a dead body in the woods on Thanksgiving Weekend brings Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his colleagues from the Surete du Quebec to a small village in the Eastern Townships. Gamache cannot understand why anyone would want to deliberately kill well-loved artist Jane Neal, especially any of the residents of Three Pines - a place so free from crime it doesn't even have its own police force.

But Gamache knows that evil is lurking somewhere behind the white picket fences and that, if he watches closely enough, Three Pines will start to give up its dark secrets...

Ten million readers.
Three pines
One inimitable Chief Inspector Gamache

'One of the most interesting detectives in crime fiction' THE TIMES

Critic reviews

Clever, full of twists and turns . . . wonderfully satisfying

Penny's elegant style is deeply satisfying, while Gamache is contemplative even when under pressure, and remains a man you want to spend time

Louise Penny twists and turns the plot expertly tripping the reader up just at the moment you think you might have solved the mystery

Brimming with atmosphere and steeped in soul-searching . . . Penny combines clever plotting with beautifully evocative descriptions and the deep affection for her characters that keeps readers travelling back to Three Pines for more

This is a crime novel that is rich in atmosphere with a fascinating array of characters that enhance a plot of great suspense and ingenuity

Subtle, elegant and beautifully written

Warm British-style mystery

As mentioned by other reviewers, this is a fun, character-driven story in the vein of the British murder-mystery canon. Smart and a good listen, if you're into that sub-genre, which I am.

Pretty good

I really enjoyed this book, despite a few errors in police procedure and terminology/explanation of bows and how they work.

Loved it

So glad to find the beginning of a great series. I'll be looking up more!

Captivating Murder Mystery

This book is so well written. Captivating and entertaining. Amazing character knowledge which brought them to life.

Somewhat addictive despite a very annoying performance

I have a love/hate relationship with Louise Penny’s books… I find the story convoluted, the characters interesting but often annoying. But for this book, the performance is atrocious. The performer is clearly not bilingual, and is not well acquainted with the French Canadian accent. Therefore the entire performance is off, and the characters don’t sound like I expect they should. As a French Canadian, I find it almost offensive that the reader of a Louise Penny book can’t speak French…