| Title | : | A Trick of the Light (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #7) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0312655452 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780312655457 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 339 |
| Publication | : | First published August 30, 2011 |
| Awards | : | Macavity Award Best Mystery Novel (2012), Anthony Award Best Novel (2012), Dilys Award (2012), Agatha Award Best Novel (2011), Goodreads Choice Award Mystery & Thriller (2011) |
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.
A Trick of the Light (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #7) Reviews
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A Trick of the Light (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #7)
by Louise Penny, Ralph Cosham (Narrator)
I feel like such a kid when the characters are talking about art...my eyes glaze over. There is a painting of Ruth, the foul mouthed, old, crazy woman and people are discussing with such awe, the dot in one of her eyes. I don't get it at all but then at the end of the book, all the sudden I do get it and I loved what I understood.
That's the thing about the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series. It's the people that I care about, with all their warts and failings, but also their hope and kindness. The books are so interconnected that I wouldn't have wanted to miss one so far and don't want to miss the books I haven't read yet. Right now I'm concerned about Jean Guy Beauvoir, Gamache's second in command. Several months ago, they were involved in a deadly battle with kidnapper/murderers and Gamache and Beauvoir were gravely injured and four officers were killed. Although both Gamache and Beauvoir are back at work, Beauvoir is not doing well. He's in great physical pain but he's also in great emotional pain.
Their latest case is the murder of a woman at Clara and Peter's home. Clara has had her first solo art show and the after party is at her home. The morning after the party, a woman's body is found in their garden. The deeper Gamache digs into this dead woman's life, the murkier the picture becomes. Clara and Peter's relationship has already been rocky and it is barely holding together. Jean Guy is separated from his wife and realizes his heart has always been elsewhere. Ruth is waiting for something that may never come. As always, when I finish each book, I can't wait to get to the next one in the series.
Pub August 30, 2011 -
I have no idea why I want to grab the next book in this series the minute I am closing the current one. Let's face it, the series has become quite formulaic and the characters are all the same. Yet, after every book I still want to pack my bags and move to the murder capital of Canada, namely Three Pines. For such a small town, it is really riddled with violent deaths. The only reason why it is known is for its murders. The town was never surveyed; it is no where to be found on any GPS or sat nav system. Not many people know where it is.
Clara Morrow finally gets her solo exhibition. Not just any exhibition it is. No, it is one to die for! Who would have thought that greed and jealousy would become the main features of this event. It was supposed to be the highlight of her career. Until a body is found in her garden after the big night.
It was suppose to be Clara's final emergence into the world where she was not treated any longer as the person who could be interrupted, or ignored. The wallflower of her family and community. For so many years she did her own paintings, behind closed doors, and allowed her husband to excel in the art world with her being his most dedicated supporter. But when her artwork is discovered and she becomes the star, everything around her turns nasty. The thin line between light and dark is shattered for so many people.
One can argue that the plot is multi-leveled and textured. But in effect it is actually the characters as well as the relationships that form the backbone of this novel." This murder is about contrasts, " said Gamache, his voice low, soft. "About sober an drunk. About appearance and reality. About change for the better, or for the worse. The play of light and dark."
Chief Inspector Gamache, Inspector Jean-Guy Beauvoir and Agent Isabelle Lacoste from the Sûreté du Quebec are back. The core personalities of Three Pines are back as well. Ruth is still Ruth with her sharp potty mouth comments about people and life's mysteries. Peter and Clara's relationship is coming to a head with the way he is reacting to her success. Myrna still sells books and still has an ear for everybody's problems, including Clara's. Olivier and Gabri are still running the restaurant with the delicious food.
To solve the murder it will be necessary to follow the facts as well as the feelings. It is after all feelings that fuels human activities - well, most of the time. And isn't it true that artists are an emotional, passionate group of people, driven by their egos and fears? And then the gallery owners are acting as the bridge between money and talent. Gallery owners such as Francois Marois, André Castonguay, Denis Fortin.
The glittery art world is often backed up by back alleys - squalid places with used condoms and empty needles littering the ground. The glorious front hid what is foul. Which is the real side? And where exactly did Lilian Dyson fit into this cut-throat world of art?"She sat forward, curious to see how Clara would handle this attack. Because that was what it was. Civil and subtle and said with a smile. A sort of social neutron bomb. Meant to keep the structure of polite conversation standing, while slaying the person."
..."Myrna almost gagged. If she heard the word "stunning" once more she really would vomit. She wonders what it was code for. Crappy? Hideous? So far Normand had described Clara's works, which he clearly didn't like, as stunning. Paulette had said Normand was planning some powerful pieces which, she assured them, they'd find stunning. And, of course, they were simply stunned by Clara's success. But then, they'd admitted to being stunned by Lilian's murder."
This book is about Clara; about Gamache and Beauvoir's friendship being tested after the incident in which both almost lost their lives; it's about the inner workings of the art world. Chiaroscuro - contrast between light and dark. Juxtaposition.
The story is really so multi-faceted, it will take a reread to really absorb it all. A very good experience in the series.
Although there are the overly well-known elements in the book, adding the slightly, predictable and tedious touch to the exercise, there are also the different new themes bringing in more depth and mystery into the lives of Three Pines and it's people.
One aspect I did not like, was the multiple paragraphs of preachy, speechy monologues worked into the dialogue. It was not even interesting. Just plain boring. In retrospect it became irrelevant though and for other readers, perhaps younger and still a long way to go in life, it might be highly interesting information. Well, as the AA calls their speeches 'SHARES', these monologue-shares were perhaps for another audience. I therefore accept it as such.
Once again, I cherish this read. Pleasant and good. That's the bottom line, and therefore recommended.
I am still very much in love with Three Pines.
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Inspector Gamache is my favourite mystery/crime series and the only one in the genre that I got so far. It is a mixture of cosy crime story, psychology, wonderful characters and darkness, more than you would expect from this genre.
As I wrote before, I highly recommend starting from the beginning with this series as the personal life of characters has an important role in the development of the plot.
On the evening of Clarra Morrow’s first art vernissage, someone is killed during the after party in her garden. Someone from her past. Inspector Beauvoir and Gamache are still recovering mentally from the dark event that disturbed their lives in the previous novel. They are called to investigate and from there we are taken for a ride through the world of art, glamorous from the outside and rotten from the inside.
I enjoyed how the author made a bit of fun about killing off so many people in one small village: „Olivier confirmed. Murdered. There was a long pause after the word. ‘Must be something in the water,’ muttered Ruth, who paused neither for life nor death.”
It is a novel who crossed into the uncomfortable territory of abuse and addictions. The author said it was the novel she always wanted to write and it was very hard for her. I do not know the reason but it is obvious the addiction theme meant a lot to her.
‘I saw it with my clients who’d been abused either physically or emotionally. The relationship never starts with a fist to the face, or an insult. If it did there’d be no second date. It always starts gently. Kindly. The other person draws you in. To trust them. To need them. And then they slowly turn. Little by little, increasing the heat. Until you’re trapped.’ -
Without a doubt, this is the best book I've read so far in this series (they must be read in order, but don't worry the whole series is lovely). What can I say about this book? After the last book took us outside of the town of Three Pines, I was happy to return to it and all it's murderous wonder. Truly the town does have a murder problem, but if you ignore that inconvenient fact I would absolutely live in this completely fictional place. It's all about the townspeople, I mean characters. This book truly brings them all to life and I was happy to be back with my old 'friends'. I especially enjoyed how this book touched further on the relationships between Jean Guy Beauvoir/Chief Inspector Gamache and Clara Morrow/Peter Morrow.
If you aren't reading this series, you ARE MISSING OUT (and I think I say that in every review for this series, but I'm serious). -
The Hook - I almost feel guilty about the review I am going to write about A Trick of Light. I feel guilty because Louise Penny’s Armand Gamache Novels are winning awards all over the board for best mystery writing and yet, the mystery is secondary to me. It is hard to determine what is most important in this series, the humor, the people, the locale or references to art, food, nature or in this case, the exploration of light and dark and all its connotations. My pleasure comes not from the solving of the murder that is always a part of A Three Pines (or environs) mystery but in the day-to-day life of this close-knit village. Perhaps I should feel some sympathy for the departed person(s) and gratification for justice done when the Chief solves the murder but I get much more from just spending time in this place Penny has imagined.
The Line - ”Who is it, exactly all these years you have needed to forgive?”
The Sinker - A basic definition of sinker - A weight of lead or other metals designed to sink a hooked bait or lure.
Living in a small town myself I can appreciate the traits of its residents, the gossip, the cliques, the politics, the feuds, the history. These characteristics are what make Three Pines special. Just like where I live I don’t like all the characters but respect the skill that it takes for Penny to portray a personality I don’t like.
A Trick of Light weaves a tale of art, friendship, marriage and more in the brilliance of light and the brooding of its lack.
I have grown quite fond of Ralph Colsham, the narrator of the first ten in this series. I enjoy his accent and ease in switching characters and scenes. His French pronunciation is a plus in listening rather than reading. He is just plain easy on my ears, a quiet, subtle approach to both the good and the bad that happen in the stories. After his death in 2014, Robert Bathurst narrates. I hear these are good but I can’t help wonder if I’ll make the transition without sorrow or difficulty.
Louise Penny has written another winner in this award winning series. -
4.5★
“But there was more to Three Pines than magic. Something monstrous had roamed the village green, had eaten the food and danced among them. Something dark had joined the party that night.
And produced not magic but murder.”
I just left the bitter cold and stink of Henry VIII’s turbulent England to take respite in Three Pines. I was looking forward to some drinks by the fire and some special bistro meals, but of course, each time Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, the head of homicide at the Sûreté du Québec, is there, it is because there is a homicide (of course) to investigate.
This time, a body is found in Peter and Clara Morrow’s garden right after a party they held to celebrate her new-found success as an artist. Both Peter and Clara are artists, He is more mainstream, commercial, while she is quirky and original, as is her personality. She is always a bit rumpled, with crumbs on her blouse and hair unkempt, while he adores her but can’t seem to help putting her down so that he is the alpha painter in the household.
She has just had a spectacular showing.
“Only the select were invited to a vernissage, especially at the famous Musée in Montréal. The monied, the influential, the artist’s friends and family. And the artist. In that order. Very little was expected of an artist at the vernissage. If they were clothed and sober most curators considered themselves fortunate.”
I put some background about “vernissage” in a spoiler disgression.
So, a showing, a party, a body, and cue M. Gamache and Jean-Guy Beauvoir, his second-in-command. Both are still recovering from their wounds, physical and psychological, from their previous adventure, mostly not in Three Pines, and both are pretty strung out. But they are fond of the residents of Three Pines and hope that the culprit isn’t one of them.
I mentioned that Peter has his own way of quietly playing on Clara’s insecurities. They love each other and have had a happy life together, maintaining separate studios and pursuing their own art. Peter sells work, Clara mostly doesn’t. She has always struggled.
“Where eyes slid over and past her and through her. To someone else. Someone prettier. More interesting. Where people butted in as though she was invisible, and interrupted her as though she hadn’t just spoken.”
At one point she speaks about her time in high school.
“‘Teachers and parents think those classrooms and hallways are filled with students but they’re not. They’re filled with feelings. Bumping into each other. Hurting each other. It’s horrible.’”
We see some of Gamache’s struggles with recovery, remembering agents who died whom he thinks he should have been able to save. But we see more of young Beauvoir this time, and I enjoyed rounding him out as a character and learning what makes him tick. They are quite different men, but worried about and protective of each other.
“The Chief believed if you sift through evil, at the very bottom you’ll find good. He believed that evil has its limits. Beauvoir didn’t. He believed that if you sift through good, you’ll find evil. Without borders, without brakes, without limit.
And every day it frightened him that Gamache couldn’t see that. That he was blind to it. Because out of blind spots terrible things appeared.”
Gamache is a big, quiet man – a favourite of readers, including me. He has a commanding presence without ever commanding.
“It always fascinated Clara to see how easily Gamache took command, and how naturally people took his orders. Never barked, never shouted, never harsh. Always put in the most calm, even courteous manner. His orders were couched almost as requests. And yet not a person mistook them for that.”
Of course, Gabri and Olivier are there, the gay couple who own the B&B and bistro.
“Gabri’s bed and breakfast sat peacefully, cheerfully, a little shabbily in the valley. Like Grandma’s house, if Grandma had been a large gay man.”
Olivier and Gamache are still prickly with each other due to past history, so there is an uncomfortable undercurrent there.
Nothing prickly about Myrna, the stout, colourful bookshop owner and retired psychologist. She’s a good support for Clara. But Ruth Zardo, the famous poet, is prickly in the extreme - a crotchety, expletive-spouting old crone, sitting for hours on the park bench “pelting the birds with bread.”. But she does sit for Clara and is the subject of some of her best portraits.
All in all, a satisfying mystery with a fair bit of art, which I enjoyed, but it’s the characters and Penny’s writing that keep me returning to Three Pines. Yes, there’s always a murder, and many worrying, tense moments, but we are spared the worst violence. Can’t say the same for all the people.
You don’t have to be a mystery lover to enjoy this series, but I do recommend reading it from the beginning. -
After a great deal of self-exploration in the past novel, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is back in another police procedural penned by the fabulous Louise Penny. After a long career as an artist, Three Pines resident Clara Morrow has secured a solo exhibition of her work at a high-end gallery in Montreal. Many of the big names in the local and international art scene have flocked to see what is going on, including Gamache and his second in command, Jean Guy Beauvoir. Eager to see the reviews the following morning, Clara heads out to collect the newspaper, but comes face to face with a body in her garden; someone she knew well from her past. After summoning Gamache and the rest of the Homicide squad of the Sûreté du Québec, all eyes turn to the guests at an exclusive party after the gallery showing. Top of the list would have to be Clara, when it is revealed that the victim, Lillian Dyson, was best friends with the local artist until a falling out decades before. No one can be entirely sure how Lillian made it to the party, or how she might have gone unnoticed. Gamache begins digging into the victim’s background, seeking to discover her ties to both Clara and the art community. However, it is a piece of evidence found near the body that proves most useful in the investigation, taking things on a winding tour into a world that Gamache could not have expected. There, Gamache encounters those he knows, but admits this is a side to them he could not have fathomed. All the while, Inspector Beauvoir comes to his superior with an admission, tied to that bloody shootout months before and how he’s had an epiphany. This revelation could shock not only the Homicide squad, but Gamache to the core. With a killer out there, Gamache must try to focus, without letting Beuavoir’s news derail him at the most inopportune time. Penny does so well to pull the reader in with fresh ideas and new angles to murder, without letting things go stale or rogue. Recommended to series fans who have a great handle on the characters and writing style. At this point, I would strongly suggest new readers begin where the series began and progress accordingly.
Louise Penny has never rested on her laurels when writing novels in this series, as she seeks to find new and exciting ways to entertain her readers. She also has a wonderful way of not only coaxing out the changing seasons as a strong backdrop, but also hones the attention on a Three Pines resident and crafting a mystery around their life. Clara Morrow has never been a wallflower, though pushing the attention squarely on her works well in this novel, as the art world receives much of the attention throughout. From creation of art, distilling what works, and how reviews can make or break a budding artist, Penny pushes Clara to the centre of the spotlight and asks that she guide the reader through her own experiences. Morrow does well to explore her backstory as a young artist without getting too bogged down, though also showing how she and husband, Peter, have had to fight for recognition as individuals and a team. Gamache receives some wonderful attention here, though steps back to allow others their limelight. What is interesting is the ongoing exploration by the series protagonist to tap into who might be trying to bring him down—again—and how he can keep his Sûreté team in tact. Penny has Gamache wrestle with some personal issues throughout, though it does not distract from the story at any point, adding more flavour to the series progression, in my opinion. The handful of other characters continue to impress, adding some of their own nuances, including the somewhat stoic and statuesque Jean Guy Beauvoir. Series fans will likely enjoy what he brings to the table and how his revelations enrich an already complex character interaction. The story was well designed to provide the reader a look not only into the art world, but that of other areas where anonymity is crucial. Once the reader pushes through that barrier, they will discover something that Penny treats with much respect, though she injects humour at times, using Gamache as the test subject. With strong themes throughout and a narrative that keeps the story moving forward, Penny successfully tackles yet another mystery with much detail. I am pleased to have found this series and continue to feel pleased with my choice to binge through the novels until I am caught up with many who have been praising this collection for a long time.
Kudos, Madam Penny, for another stellar piece. I cannot believe I waited this long to join the other fans, but cannot say enough about these pieces.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge:
https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/... -
Both my wife and I started reading this series after her sister gave us book 1 in the series,
Still Life We both rate this book 4 bright stars. They are best read in order and here is my review of book 1 if that helps you
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
There are developments that progress throughout the series, in the personal and professional lives of Armand Gamache and his second in command, Jean Guy Beauvoir.
This book has Armand Gamache, the Chief of the Surete du Quebec Homicide team, bringing his team again to the isolated fictional village of Three Pines, near the Quebec, Canada-Vermont, US border.
They have been there before, joking that murder is a cottage industry in Three Pines. This time a woman is found murdered in Clara Morrow's garden, on the morning after a party at her house.
All of the guests are suspects. Gamache and his team do solve the murder, but the murderer is not revealed until the end, although I suspected about 2/3rds of the way through.
One quote: Description of a painting by Clara: "Clara had painted her as the forgotten and belligerent Virgin Mary. Worn down by age and rage, by resentments and real and manufactured. By friendships soured. By entitlements denied and love withheld. But there was something else. A vague suggestion in those weary eyes. Not even seen really. More a promise. A rumor in the distance.
Amid all the brush strokes, all the elements, all the color and nuance in the portrait, it came down to one tiny detail. A single white dot.
In her eyes.
Clara Morrow had painted the moment despair became hope."
This was a library book. -
Flavia’s followers will know that I’m a huge fan of Louise Penny, who has now won – among many other awards – an astonishing four consecutive Agatha Awards for her Armand Gamache series.
A new book from Louise is like Christmas in summer – a treat to be eked out and made to last. Interested?
Well, fetch the fireworks! Send up the skyrockets! – today is publication day for “A Trick of the Light”, the seventh in the series, and I, for one, can’t wait to get my hands on it.
Since Louise is, in many ways, the Godmother of the Flavia books, it’s always a special treat to return again in her company to the Quebec village of Three Pines, whose characters live and breathe as you and I.
If you haven’t already discovered these marvelous mysteries, there’s no better time to begin.
I’m sure you’re going to be hearing much, much more about “A Trick of the Light”. Grab a copy today!
Louise’s website (one of my favourites) is at:
http://www.louisepenny.com/
See you there!
Alan -
This is definitely a series which is improved by reading the books in order. By this stage, book 7, the reader and the characters have become friends and Three Pines a place to look forward to visiting.
I really enjoyed
A Trick of the Light and read it in one evening though I must admit I stayed up very late indeed to finish it! I was well rewarded though by that last little bit about Ruth. I do hope it really is what she has been waiting for!
The theme of this book is probably forgiveness and there are a number of relationships undergoing stress and change. The mystery is intriguing and takes our gallant Chief Inspector to some unusual places, including a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous, but for me it took second place to the lives of the familiar main characters of the series.
And now I am already looking forward to the next book and to finding out where the various loose ends lead us next! -
3.5 stars
In this 7th book in the 'Chief Inspector Armand Gamache' series, the detective investigates a murder at a barbeque. The book can be read as a standalone, but knowing the background of the characters is beneficial.
*****
There's excitement in the tiny Quebec town of Three Pines when long-time resident, artist Clara Morrow, is scheduled to have her first vernissage at the prestigious Musée D'art Contemporain de Montreal.
Clara has been painting away, unheralded, for years - and now her genius will finally be acknowledged.
One person who isn't happy about Clara's success is her husband, fellow artist Peter Morrow, who's jealous and resentful.....but trying to hide it.
The vernissage, a private showing with food and drink, attracts a wide variety of guests, including struggling (or failed) artists who come for the free refreshments.
There's a great deal of rivalry in the art world, and some unsuccessful artists - even ones who become art critics, or art gallery owners, or art dealers - engage in backstabbing, pettiness, and denigration of people more talented than themselves. This theme runs throughout the story, leading to scenes that are both humorous, cringeworthy, and infuriating. 😫
Clara's vernissage is followed by a barbecue at the Morrow home in Three Pines, to allow friends, neighbors, and art aficionados to continue celebrating Clara's success. One of the guests at both the vernissage and the barbeque is Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec, a good friend of the Morrows.
The mystery part of the book kicks in when Clara's triumph is marred by the discovery of a woman's body in the Morrows' backyard.
The woman, clad in a bright red dress, turns out to be Lillian Dyson - Clara's best friend from childhood. Clara and Lillian had been like sisters all the way through art school, when they had a huge falling out. It's now been decades since Clara clapped eyes on her former friend.
Everyone at the party - and all the people in Three Pines - are suspects, and Gamache gathers his team to investigate. This includes Inspector Jean-Guy Beauvoir and Agent Isabelle Lacoste, who proceed to examine the crime scene, analyze evidence, interview people, and so on.
I won't say any more about the inquiry because of spoilers.
The suspense part of the novel is accompanied by a deep dive into the private lives of the main characters, some of whom have life-changing experiences in this story. In fact, this book marks a turning point in the series (IMO). Readers familiar with the books will understand this best, but enough information is supplied for new readers to catch on.
For instance, both Gamache and Beauvoir were almost killed in a police action in a previous book, and Beauvoir now has a painkiller problem. Moreover, some miscreant put a video of the disastrous police action on the internet, for everyone to see.
Police supervisors think the culprit who uploaded the video was an unknown hacker, but Gamache and Beauvoir believe it was an inside job....and that something is rotten in the Sûreté. In fact Gamache thinks someone is trying to push him out of the police service.
In addition to the video brouhaha, the story highlights some romantic tumult; old resentments that continue to simmer; a situation involving Rosa the duck; Peter Morrow's guilty secrets; Clara Morrow's new insights; and more.
The recurring characters in Penny's books are highlights of the novels. In this story, we once again visit with Ruth - the grumpy, potty-mouthed poet;
Gabri and Olivier - the gay couple who run the local inn;
Marge - the former psychologist who now owns a bookstore;
Reine-Marie - Gamache's solicitous wife; and others.
I enjoyed the book, which has a well-wrought mystery and clues that are interesting to ponder. I had a suspect in mind from early on.....but I was wrong. 😏
I'd recommend the book to mystery lovers, especially fans of Armand Gamache.
You can follow my reviews at
https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.... -
In
Bury Your Dead Clara Morrow's one woman art show appeared to be dead but then she met someone who set in motion and even better art show at a Montreal Art Museum which is where this story opens. The art show is followed by a party back at Three Pines for invited guests. The next morning Clara discovers the body of a dead woman in her garden. She is wearing a bright red dress and at first no one recognizes her or remembers seeing her at the party. When she is identified it turns out that she is Lillian Dyson, a childhood friend of Clara's. Someone who Clara had a falling out with. A very unpleasant falling out. The obvious suspect would appear to be Clara. But Lillian had managed to make more enemies than friends and there was no shortage of Lillian's enemies at Clara's party.
There are a couple of different themes throughout the story. One is chiaroscuro, the interplay of light and dark, which distinguishes Clara's artwork and also seems to apply to friendships in this story. Marriages that are ending or on the verge of ending. Another theme that appears throughout the story is that of addiction. The reader is given a glimpse into Alcoholics Anonymous and how the alcoholic strives for recovery with support from fellow alcoholics and the steps. While some are working towards recovery another is sinking deeper into his addiction.
Louise Penny's characters are very realistic and complex. Sometimes heartbreaking so. They are characters you wish you knew. Someone you would like to sit down with at the bistro, in front of a fire, share a meal and a drink with, some conversation. -
4 1/2 Three Pines is a village in Canada that can not be found n any map, yet reading her mysteries is like coming home and revisiting friends you have not seen for a while. Penny mixes regular people and their human failings with humor, love and insight. Her story lines explore the mystery needing to be solved with psychological insights into their motives and personalities. Just love her writing.
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“Do you mean the emotional vampire in the frying pan?”
Clara Morrow, a perennial favourite resident of Quebec’s Three Pines, might well have been right. That was almost certainly a sentence that had never been said by another human. But in the context of Louise Penny’s brilliant story-telling through intriguing yet perfectly realistic, credible dialogue and a compelling murder mystery that is driven almost exclusively by complex personalities with complicated motivations underpinned by the ideas, twists, foibles and quirks of an intriguing set of characters, a sentence like that made perfect sense.
Chief Inspector Gamache finds himself once again called to investigate a murder in (you guessed it!) Three Pines. (A Louise Penny fan might be forgiven for thinking that, despite its isolation and idyllic appearance, Three Pines is a rather dangerous place to live or visit). Lillian Dyson is a one-time failed ex-artist who turned her skill and knowledge into a career as an acerbic, heavy-handed art critic. Despite that past failure, she has turned her hand back to painting with a new avant garde love-it-or-hate-it style that seems fresh and challenging to some gallery owners and derivative, crude and indecipherable to others. Poised on the razor edge between new-found fame and oblivion, Lillian is found brutally murdered with her neck broken in Clara Morrow’s garden as Clara was hosting a vernissage after-party at her home to celebrate what she desperately hoped would be favourable reviews of her solo exhibition held the previous day in a top end Montreal gallery.
The mystery facing Chief Inspector Gamache, of course, is WHO dunnit! But the charm and beauty of Louise Penny’s seventh novel in her world famous series rests with her treating the WHY as the prime mover of events. Although I found the final, mandatory reveal to be somewhat anti-climactic and a little lacking in the same luster that had led up to it, A TRICK OF THE LIGHT was thoroughly enjoyable. Up next and definitely a top contender for reading honours in the very near future, THE BEAUTIFUL MYSTERY.
Paul Weiss -
Rating: 4.875* of five
The Book Report: At the end of Bury Your Dead, Clara Morrow learned some news that sets in motion the plot of this latest Gamache-in-Three-Pines book. It is the kind of news that leads a person to plan a big, exciting party in her back garden, inviting tout le monde to share food and drink. The party was a smashing success, that is, until the next morning: Peter and Olivier are returning from a very important errand when their return is interrupted by the discovery of a body in the garden. Ye gods and little fishes! Murder is, as Inspector Jean-Guy Beauvoir says, "a cottage industry" in Three Pines. It's a woman, dressed to thrill in a neon-red dress...and it's a woman well-known to Clara and Peter, a horrible memory buried in their shared past. Lillian Dyson, the victim, is a terrible, terrible person, a tornado in the lives of others, a destroyer without a creative bone, or so she was when Clara and Peter knew her. She found her way to obscure little Three Pines, and Clara, by means unknown and for motives unclear.
What Gamache does is, as always, slow and patient and meticulous: He talks, asks, and listens carefully to everyone he can find. (His discoveries about the dead bitch...I mean, the victim...are such that I, for one, was damned good and glad she was dead.) He thinks his fast-moving thoughts. He worries about those he loves more in this book than in any previous one (and for good reason). He makes his discoveries with a sense of triumphant gloom, a species of miserable rightness that is Penny's most enduring gift to the mystery genre. He isn't defeated by his sadness over human nature, but he is weighed down by his knowledge of what hearts can contain and what eyes can conceal.
When, in the end, the devil of a killer is caught, I was SO HAPPY I CHEERED (to the dismay of my previously sleeping housemates), and was also reminded yet again that no one is safe in the Pennyverse. Another example of this truth is the union of Clara and Peter, which ends this installment of the series in very serious peril; the cracks and fissures in the characters of each spouse are, at last and under the pressure of extreme events, forced to the surface. The end of this book is, naturellement, the set-up for the next. However fast La Penny writes, it's torturously slow from the PoV of the Three-Pinesians like me.
My Review: Joyously returning to Three Pines. It's like going to my oldest friend's house for a Scotch. Much chat, no sense of hurry or rush, but the ever-mounting urgency of sharing the news and hearing the news and expressing the passing thought and sometimes, unexpectedly, sharing a memory that makes us go quiet and pensive, makes time zip past and the minutes seem unending.
Just marvelous. I want more. -
The party at Clara Morrow's home in the evening, after her solo show at the Musée in Montreal was a big success. Invitation only, the celebration was all about Clara and her art – at last it was out there. She’d been nervous and excited. But the following morning she was just waiting for Peter to bring the newspapers back so she could see the reviews. Her nervousness had increased tenfold. But the arrival home of Peter with his hands clutched around the papers was immediately overshadowed by what he saw in the garden of their home.
Chief Inspector Gamache and Inspector Beauvoir were quickly on the scene of yet another murder in the sleepy village of Three Pines. And their job was to find the murderer of the woman in the flower bed; discover who she was and who she’d been. But was it possible? The secrets in the world of art meant nothing was as it seemed. And they had plenty of suspects in among the villagers and guests…
A Trick of the Light is the 7th in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series by Louise Penny and as usual, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Wit and dry humour, Gamache’s gentle yet strong nature and Beauvoir’s struggles, all blend well to make A Trick of the Light a pleasure to read. On to #8 next. Highly recommended. -
4 art opening stars
I can hardly believe that this one is #7 in the series, there continues to be great character development and I really like the continuing story. These characters are fully formed with flaws and good qualities.
Clara has her long-awaited art show at the main museum in Montreal and her husband Peter is green with jealousy. At the after-party back in Three Pines, a woman turns up dead in Clara and Peter's garden. Turns out the woman was not well-liked and had quite a few enemies.
Gamache and his team are called to the investigation and start to dig into the clues. Gamache and his second-in-command Jean-Guy are still recovering from the shooting incident in the last book. I think Jean-Guy has quite a bit of work to do to return to form.
I am still enjoying this series and it's fun to buddy read them with Marilyn. I would recommend reading this in order to get the most out of the series. This series is quite popular as I have to wait for a copy from my local library most of the time. -
I dabble in reading mysteries - I enjoy them, but I don't generally seek them out.
Louise Penny is an exception to this rule. These days, she's the one mystery author I will actively seek out, often borrowing copies of her books we've given to my mother or mother-in-law. Her books are always a pleasure to read, combining well-crafted mysteries with wonderful characters.
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision
here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at
Smorgasbook -
This mystery was a slow, beautiful burn. Sure there was a crime, a ton of potential murderers and the comfort of Three Pines Village— but it isn’t like some of the other Gamache mysteries.
Despite being set in the art world after Clara finally gets her successful break, it wasn’t as much about art as it was about human nature. Hence the slow burn as the reader is treated to a variety of characters and their fires of anger, doubt or revenge smoldering underneath.
It’s much more of a character study than a murder investigation— in this book, at times the mystery is second best. And so very guessable. Oddly, that didn’t bother me a bit. Not even with the ending paying homage to Agatha Christie’s favorite drawing room style of enlightenment.
As always the writing and characters are lovely and layered. This is a reckoning for some while a turning point for others. And yes, with the light in just the right angle, a degree of hope is left for the reader. -
This is another well-written and suspenseful installment in this wonderful series. I never tire of Louse Penny's stories. It's been rewarding to follow and keep up with Gamache and his newest endeavors, and Three Pines is a welcome place. I love the humor and warmth in Louise Penny's writing. I'm ready to read number 8! Thanks to Goodreads, the author, and the publisher, I received a complimentary copy of this book.
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An Intriguing Whodunit.
The author has won several awards for her novels, and after reading A Trick of the Light, my first crime novel purchased in several years, I can appreciate why. I enjoyed this book very much as the story had an intriguing murder mystery to solve along with several interesting characters each with their own sorrows and tales to divulge. Move over Detective Poirot, Chief Inspector Gamache is indeed a force to be reckoned with. -
Louise Penny is thought-provoking and memorable. I only admire Ruth for loving animals and was sad to read of her duck migrating south, simultaneous to our missing cat. We know the pain of praying daily, for a beloved family member to get home for three years. I did not expect “A Trick Of The Light” to earn five stars. We wonder through most of it, if a victim was malicious or contrite. She was Clara’s backstabbing school chum, the impetus for Peter’s first jealous act towards Clara’s talent. This ugly side comes to a head at the opening of her first art show but I am pleased to be rid of him, at least unless he reforms.
Jean-Guy has amicably separated from an unsuited marriage and knows where his heart is. I am not his fan either but he is slowly gaining ground for lightening up and befriending the Three Pines circle. This novel was too heavy to enjoy, ironically, except elements pertaining to Ruth and Jean-Guy. Some murder cases are tempered by levity. This one exposes tough issues like ex-friends, anguished parents, stagnated partners, and alcoholic recovery stories. I appreciated a look at AA meetings, now encountering addiction in my family.
Suspicion was broad. Lillian was unpopular but had unrevealed artistic mastery. She might have been killed for old or new ills. Gallery owners vying for a contract with Clara cast a dirty atmosphere too. I thought the collaborative investigation, mixed with various personal stories merited four stars, until I read the end.... The last paragraph hinted that waiting for a lost pet will come true! Oh, hinting that Ruth’s duck will return, gave me a happy cry that I hope to experience with my own boy very shortly!
Ruth has only waited six months through a few series volumes but I grant that a migrating wild bird is trickier, than a tattooed family cat. Like her, my wait is constant and determined. I check the internet, keep the word abroad, and watch my own windows and doors for the sights and sounds that will give me relief. Louise, thank you for this happy ending for a lovingly mothered animal. It is the miracle that we believe in, too. -
4 stars
Louise Penny just won't quit with this series of all-star reads. My friends and family are tired of hearing about her, and my bookshelf is groaning under the weight of all the books I'm collecting at top speed. I just can't encapsulate with words how much joy, hope, and happiness I get from reading these books.
A Trick of the Light is #7 in the series featuring Canadian detective Armand Gamache and the cast of characters in the small village of Three Pines, located south of Montreal. In this one, Three Pines resident Clara Morrow is experiencing her first wave of colossal success for her art—the novel opens on her and the rest of Three Pines celebrating her solo exhibition.
But, as always, this is not just a pleasant gathering. The next morning, a dead body is found in Clara Morrow's flower bed.
And it gets worse—the body is Clara's former toxic school friend, Lillian Dyson. The friend who grew up to be a vitriolic art critic, with a passion for taking down artistic talent.
Things are not looking good for Clara Morrow and her artist husband, Peter.
With characteristic Penny flair, this quiet story of death and buried wounds unfolds gracefully, sucking you in from chapter to chapter with the perfect amount of soft cliffhangers, as each character's perspective shifts to others at key moments in the plot.
Personally, this novel was a 4 star because I found I really disagreed with Penny's choice of villain(s). I can't explain any of my feelings without a spoiler, but to me I thought she picked a second choice, and the narrative arc suffered for it. However, I was really pleased by the internal character arcs for our motley crew. In particular, I'm interested to see where she takes Jean Guy Beavoir and Peter Morrow... -
Oh no, no, no, Louise Penny. (Before you Louise Penny fans kill me, I must explain.) I have loved this series since it first came out and preordered a hardbound copy of this back in May. Louise is exceptional in her ability to bring the reader into the scene. You can taste the food, see the location, and smell the environment. She still has that ability in this novel and I was transported to Three Pines once again. BUT where is she going with her characters? I am so unhappy with the direction she is taking the main characters that I'm not sure I have a desire to buy her next book. Felt like we were ending up a soap opera . . . will little Billy kick his drug habit or sabotage his mentor in the process, will Jane take Dick back, will Dick want to come back, did Spot come home - is that spot there? I think she was trying to create a cliff-hanging ending that would draw us back; but, to me, all she did was trivialize her characters. Feels to me like Ms. Penny is moving toward "Jumping the Shark."
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Me encanta esta saga. Me encanta la personalidad del inspector Gamache. Me encanta el pintoresco pueblito canadiense de Three Pines y cada uno de sus excéntricos habitantes (Sí Ruth, usted también, vieja zorra). Dicen que no existe ni uno ni los otros, pero yo tengo mis serias dudas. Y es que cada libro de Louise Penny es, ante todo, un reencuentro con viejos amigos, un anhelado redescubrimiento de colores, paisajes y aromas conocidos y, siempre, una pequeña lección acerca del alma humana. ¡Ah! y suele haber un misterio también. En este caso involucra a Clara Morrow, artista paciente de éxito tardío. El mismísimo día de sus soñado vernissage, Clara se reencuentra con una vieja amistad trunca. Casi puntúa para uno de esos grandes momentos de la vida...si no fuera porque la ex amiga yace muerta en el jardín de Clara.
Un historia sobre las dolorosas amarras del rencor y la lucha por hallar entre tanto claroscuro, la pequeñísima luz de la redención. -
I enjoyed this one the most so far in this series. They keep getting better and better. I do warn it must be read in order though, due to ongoing events from prior novels.
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I have mixed feelings about this book, and it almost tries to delve into too many issues which distracts from a really fascinating murder and character development regarding Clara and Pete Morrow. While better than Book 6 of the series, this book strays into a lot of psychology as to the mental health and well-being of both Gamache and his assistant Beauvoiur who are both recovering from massive injuries suffered in the prior book. Then we add about 1/3 of the book being about Alcoholics Anonymous, brought up due to the plot of the book, and you find the world of art and the murder almost becoming secondary to these other issues. The plot is good, Clara Morrow has a successful opening of her art show and afterwards hosts a party back at Three Pines. The next morning a former friend and art critic is found dead outside where the party was held. Good stuff and for me it just got pushed behind other issues that were being plugged by the author. I still think she is a wonderful writer and while better than Book 6, it just does not do a lot for me. I rate it a 3.5*** star and will reluctantly round it up to a 4, but I may wait a bit before I begin her next book.
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A Trick of the Light is absolutely brilliant. There are several themes that run throughout the novel. Honesty (or not keeping secrets) is one. This plays out in several ways across several characters, including several confessions (to self and others) in the story.
It is not only about keeping secrets, but the lies people tell themselves to justify keeping the secret. Addiction (and the thinking/mindset of an addict) plays an important part in this story. The reader gets a very real and authentic view into Alcoholics Anonymous. But there are several other types of addiction that are explored.
Part of AA is hitting rock bottom. The nursery rhyme Humpty Dumpty was threaded throughout the story. It was perfect as many (if not all) of the characters have had a fall, or were shattered, and are trying to put their lives back together. There are specific examples in the (shattered) lives of the detectives that survived a shoot out in a previous book. There is SO MUCH I want to write about this, but don't want to spoil the reading experience for anyone.
Two great quotes that capture the essence of the book are: "Most of us are brought down by a bunch of tiny transgressions. Little things add up until we collapse under them. It is fairly easy to avoid doing big, bad things, but it's the hundred mean, little things that'll get you eventually." and "Secrets buried deep claw their way back up. By then something tiny has turned into something almost unrecognizable. Something big and stinky. Then we have a choice. We can look the truth square in the face, or we can bury it again. Or at least try."
Faith and forgiveness are two additional themes. Faith plays a prominent role in the story: Ruth's faith that her duck, Rosa, will return, Clara's natural faith that comes easy, Peter's lack of faith that is a struggle to even approach, Faith (and hope) in the eyes of the portrait of Virgin Mary, faith in fellow officers, and faith in forgiveness of friends.
"Who is it, exactly, you have needed to forgive all these years." is also threaded throughout the mystery. Again, you don't need to read previous books because previous events have been explained, but there are several characters that are estranged/have strained relationships. The mystery has quite the cast of characters and will keep you guessing. We are lead to believe so many different characters were the murderer with great twists, turns, and misdirection. The mystery is wrapped up neatly, but so many characters are left with open storylines that will leave you racing to the next book. I cannot rave enough about how much I love this series and character development.
Finally, finding peace has its part as well. The characters, like us readers, are searching for some semblance of peace during trying times. Reading is one thing that quiets my mind and brings peace to my heart and soul. You would never guess that an author of a murder mystery series would be that source, but Louise Penny is for me. She has a special gift for juxtaposing the light against the dark, which is one of many reasons why Three Pines is beloved by millions of readers. -
I can’t even justify why I’m tearing through these books one after the other anymore. So many flaws. Such overblown language. My god the overuse of cliffhangers and the copy and paste jokes/descriptions from previous novels. But I just cannot get interested in picking up any other fiction. I’m sure this is about COVID and finally being on summer vacation so I don’t have the distraction of teaching my classes anymore to obsess on. I’m sure it’s also about the corruption, systemic racism and death that I gulp down by the mouthful in the news all day long. And no, I am not totally sticking my head in the sand here- I am donating to anti-racist groups, bail funds and civil rights activists. I am signing the petitions and sharing those. I am participating with other educators in workshops to think about how to apply anti-racist work in our classrooms next year. I just finished Saad’s Me & White Supremacy and I’m working my way through the audiobook of So You Want to Talk About Race now.
But although I have several books on my nightstand that I know will be objectively better than this, have been reviewed better, are sequels to things I liked, I just cannot tear myself away from Three Pines and Gamache. Even though in some scenes I’m honestly skipping the description and just reading the dialogue- it goes faster! You roll your eyes less! We stay on topic more!- I still keep ordering the next book. And I’m glad I did read this one. I’m gonna take a moment to happy squee for Clara growing a backbone! I’m gonna do a half hip-hooray that Beauvoir is on the very long road back, though still before the part where things get better. Ruth continues to get to me in the most unexpected ways. I love the way she’s been used the last two books- not involved in anything, but there, not out of it either. There having her own life that goes on in spite of the investigation. I still love picturing what it would be like inside of that bistro or the bookstore.
It’s not really enough to justify this phase I’m having but again.... see above. I’ll work it out. But for now it’s what I need. I’ve written before about using books as medicine. These aren’t the big guns of Possession or Jonathan Strange, but I sort of count it a victory that I didn’t bring those out for anything short of a major crisis. My brain is learning to differentiate between the size of problems and the dosage required. My dosage is this book series right now. I’m gonna keep going with it until my brain tells me we’re ok without it again. -
I am a big fan of the Chief Inspector Gamache series and of Louise Penny's beautiful writing, but this book disappointed me for a few reasons. First of all, the author didn't play fair with the reader, which is a pet peeve of mine when I find it in mystery novels. I hate it when the reader is privy to all of the sleuth's thoughts and discoveries until a vital clue is found, then all of a sudden that isn't shared with the reader, so the reader is prevented from being able to solve the puzzle on her own. And the vital clue could have so easily been slipped in with all the others, some of which were red herrings, and masked to look like a red herring.
Also, every single character in the book was damaged and hurting and needing to be forgiven by some other character. It was a real downer to read. While the writing was beautiful as always, I found myself slogging through the book trying to finish it so I could stop being depressed. I think the continuing subplot of the police characters recovering from a traumatic event that happened to them outside of the series is getting old and gets in the way of the main mystery plot in this book. I will continue to read the series, hoping for a more uplifting tale next time.
