"Very few of us are what we seem." ~ Agatha Christie

I have been an avid reader for as long as I can remember.  I like nearly every genre and I have always loved a good mystery. I've enjoyed the works of Patricia Cornwell, Tony Hillerman and most recently, Stieg Larsson, to name a very few.  I have never lost the love for Agatha Christie however, with her sleepy English villages - where we know evil lurks!  


A few years back, I came across the review of a new mystery author, Louise Penny. The more I read about her books, the more I knew that I wanted to read them. I have consumed and loved every one, and am currently well into her most recent - her 7th mystery with Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his team from the Surete du Quebec.  

Released this month.

Inspector Gamache (think Hercule Poirot) can be found most often in the small, fictitious village of Three Pines, just north of the Vermont border in Canada.  The inhabitants of Three Pines (think sleepy English village where evil lurks) are revisited in each book, unless of course, they are the victim! You come to know them, to care about them, and to wonder at what secrets they are keeping.  

Another similarity with the Christie books is the absence of blatantly grim and gory detail.  You are left to ponder the mystery itself, not to try to rid your mind of gruesome pictures. Now, I have loved the Stieg Larsson books - gruesome, grim, gory details and all, but the return to stories that are mysteries at their heart - well - I've really enjoyed it.  These books may keep you up at night because you can't put them down, but they won't keep you up because you are afraid to turn out the lights!  Louise has a wonderful website where you will find a synopsis of each of her books, her interest in promoting literacy, her book tour, etc.  She additionally has a spot where she helps you with the pronunciation and definition of the fairly frequent Quebecois words and phrases.  Enjoy!