A Trick of the Light

The Inspector Gamache series (aka Three Pines) is a much beloved Canadian mystery series that is a great pick for readers who like a small-town feel, a unique gaggle of characters and a solid whodunnit mystery.

This seventh book in the series (which I strongly recommend reading in order) is a slower paced read and, unfortunately, not my favourite in the series. The story dragged with its focus on the art world (not my cuppa tea) and Peter and Clara Morrow - the two dullest people in the small town. The mystery felt second place to the villagers and their inordinate number of personal issues. When Ruth Zardo is the happiest of the bunch, you know you have problems! These emotional tangents overshadowed the mystery and the lack of Quebec history this time out influenced my enjoyment too.

Note: I also found it odd that it was mentioned a few times about how hard it is to find the village of Three Pines. It's not on maps and is impossible to find unless you're guided there, like it's some kind of mystical Quebec Hogwarts. Not sure why this is such an important point that it must be mentioned repeatedly.

The ending leaves readers with a cliff-hanger of sorts and while I plan to continue with this series, it didn't entice me enough to pick up the next book in the series anytime soon.

 

My Rating: 3 stars

Author: Louise Penny

Genre: Mystery, Canadian

Type and Source: Hardcover from public library

Series: #7 in the Inspector Gamache (3 Pines) series

Publisher: Minotaur Books

First Published: August 2011

Opening Lines: Oh, no, no, no, thought Clara Morrow as 

she walked toward the closed doors.

Book Description from GoodReads: "Hearts are broken," Lillian Dyson carefully underlined in a book. "Sweet relationships are dead."

But now Lillian herself is dead. Found among the bleeding hearts and lilacs of Clara Morrow's garden in Three Pines, shattering the celebrations of Clara's solo show at the famed Musée in Montréal. Chief Inspector Gamache, the head of homicide at the Sûreté du Québec, is called to the tiny Québec village and there he finds the art world gathered, and with it a world of shading and nuance, a world of shadow and light. Where nothing is as it seems. Behind every smile there lurks a sneer. Inside every sweet relationship there hides a broken heart. And even when facts are slowly exposed, it is no longer clear to Gamache and his team if what they've found is the truth, or simply a trick of the light.