One of my best discoveries this summer was the author Louise Penny, recommended by Christine, the president of our Friends of the Library. Penny's mysteries are set in rural Quebec, just over the Vermont line, so Inspector Gamache and his staff cope with lots of snow and ice as well as enjoy lovely vistas as they solve crimes in Three Pines.
A host of quirky villagers reappear, and after five novels, I know them and their village well. There's a green with the three pines, a pond with ducks, and some park benches. The bistro is flanked by a bookstore owned by a "traditionally built" black psychologist who has run away from city life. Also attached to the bistro are a bakery and general store. Poet Ruth keeps a duck, Rose, as a housepet. Clara and Peter are artists who also live on the green. It all sounds idyllic, but bad things still happen. When Gamache and his staff have to stay in the village to solve a crime, they stay at Gabri's B&B and use the firehouse as their command center. A big old house, where several deaths have occurred, looms over the village.
The characters are a mix of English and French speakers, but Penny handles this quite well, making it clear when they switch, but not annoyingly so. I love the way people of various backgrounds speak quizzically about the habits of the others. The French women are portrayed as stylish and well made up, while English ones are sometimes unconcerned about their appearance.
My favorite so far has been A Rule Against Murder, set at a neighboring inn where Gamache and his wife always spend their anniversary week. Penny's next book is coming out in October, and I can't wait to see what Ruth, Peter, Clara, et al are up to.
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