My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I learned about this book through the “What Should I Read Next” podcast. The idea of the book intrigued me because I have always loved a good detective story, especially if the author has created a series of books involving the same detective. I cut my teeth on Nancy Drew in elementary school and spent one high school summer reading all the Agatha Christie books in my local library. I looked forward to meeting Armand Gamache and following him through his work.
Even if I did not know this book were the start of a series, I would have figured out it belonged in a series pretty quickly. Not only did it seem like Armand Gamache, the Chief Inspector and main character, would have more stories to tell, it also was clear he had a past–with a few mysteries of its own. I found myself wanting to learn more about those past work experiences that seemed to still sting him as he worked his current case.
The characters in this book proved interesting and certainly an example of the hodge podge of seemingly mismatched people who find themselves bonding in a small town. Having grown up in a “village”, I could relate.
The tension between Gamache and a rookie female inspector provided insight into Gamache’s leadership style, his personality, and foreshadowed work conflicts to come in future books.
An interesting whodunit, Still Life, revolves around the art community in a small Canadian village. A beloved, elderly community member is found dead under suspicious circumstances and it is left to Inspector Gamache to uncover the clues and find her killer.
This book moved fairly quickly for me and because of the fairly sizable collection of people who could have done it, but the constant wondering of why would they have done it, I was surprised at the end–and ready to read the next in the series, A Fatal Grace.
