The subtle scents of the casserole he’d made for them-garlic, onions, herbs, slight musky mushrooms and beef-mixed with the fragrance of the maple logs on the fire.
Louise Penny’s writing style took some adjustment for me. Her use of clipped statements had their own rhythm, and once I became accustomed to “hearing” her words I really enjoyed the storytelling:
Where everyone else had gone home, gone to sleep, the figure in the dark cloak had not. He’d stayed behind. Stayed there. And was still there. Standing on the village green in his wool robes. And hood. Staring.
And there you have it-the appearance of an unknown, silent, hooded individual on the village square who remained vigilant and watching, for hours, days. Why? Watching who? How does this affect the residents of Three Pines?
{Clue: everyone has secrets. Second Clue: some are Not Who They Appear to Be. Other Fact: there is a War going on.}
When I first began this book, I was a bit blasé about it (see Letter 34). Now, I think that bingeing on Penny’s novels about Inspector Gamache will do me good, and I should start immediately. I can’t stop thinking about him. I respect the man and am keenly interested in knowing more about his life, and the stories leading up to this novel.
It can certainly stand on its own just fine, if you, like me, are picking up a Louise Penny book for the first time. It’s an intriguing mystery that digs deep into human character and the question of the court of conscience. However, it probably would have resonated with me more, from the very beginning, had I started with the earlier novels and had more “scope for the imagination.”
There is a higher court than courts of justice and that is the court of conscience. It supersedes all other courts. -Mahatma Gandhi
Curious? Read it and let me know what you think! The book image above links to the (new) Amazon paperback, however, at the time of this writing it’s cheaper from Target! Either way, you can pre-order and have it arrive on the May 1 release date. Or, you can pick it up from the Library like moi. 😉
To note: this is an adult (or mature teen) novel; contains some language
This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase after clicking through one of my links, I may receive a {very small} commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting this blog! It means the world and a novel I can’t put down to me.
Photo by Gustav Gullstrand on Unsplash
