A Fatal Grace: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel (Chief Inspector Gamache… (original 2006; udgave 2011)

Not surprisingly, I am really enjoying this Gamache series. I am planning on reading many of them this year as I am just craving this kind of mystery plus the wonderful charachter building Penny has already done in just the first two books.

I love the village regulars. I love the setting of Three Pines and the life with the cozy fireplaces - the wonderful bistro with its delicious sounding meals - and the added fun of a mystery that is easy to follow and I actually feel like I am guessing away as evidence is revealed.

The reason this fell short of 5 stars - was the reveal to me. The whole book was very well paced - and the end seemed really hurried and a bit out in left field to me. Even with that - I am looking forward to reading the next one and settling back into the world of Three Pines. ( )

histoire très complexe, dont j'aurais aimé comprendre la fin... ( )

Her books have been compared favorably to Agatha Christie, and I even did so after reading the first one. I have not changed my mind aftert the second, but would rather augment by saying that her books are a hybrid of Christie with the warmth of the Jan Karon books. There is mystery, in similar vein to Christie, but there is something about this little village of Three Pines. As Gamache says at the end of this book, "I am at peace." And that is the definite vibe that you get with Penny, no matter how much murder and mayhem, Gamache moves at a pace that still embraces life and finds the beauty and peace all around him, even in the midst of chaos. This was a great story and just when I thought I had it deduced, she stunned me! On to the next one... ( )

A Fatal Grace - Penny
4 stars
It’s a week before Christmas. A murder in Quebec, another in Three Pines. No one is mourning the second victim. There are plenty of suspects because she is universally hated. It’s a macabre murder and a satisfying mystery. (Although I got the who-done-it early on.) Like most series, this one is all about the ongoing characters and the setting. This book had the added bonus of a curling competition. ( )

Lovely, poignant, sad, thrilling. ( )