Still Life cover art

Still Life

Chief Inspector Gamache/Three Pines, Book 1

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Still Life

By: Louise Penny
Narrated by: Adam Sims
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About this listen

 'A cracking storyteller, who can create fascinating characters, a twisty plot and wonderful surprise endings' ANN CLEEVES

There is more to solving a crime than following the clues.
Welcome to Chief Inspector Gamache's world of facts and feelings.

The discovery of a dead body in the woods on Thanksgiving Weekend brings Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his colleagues from the Surete du Quebec to a small village in the Eastern Townships. Gamache cannot understand why anyone would want to deliberately kill well-loved artist Jane Neal, especially any of the residents of Three Pines - a place so free from crime it doesn't even have its own police force.

But Gamache knows that evil is lurking somewhere behind the white picket fences and that, if he watches closely enough, Three Pines will start to give up its dark secrets...

Ten million readers.
Three pines
One inimitable Chief Inspector Gamache

'One of the most interesting detectives in crime fiction' THE TIMES Crime Thrillers Mystery Police Procedural Thriller & Suspense Fiction Village Crime

Critic reviews

Clever, full of twists and turns . . . wonderfully satisfying
Penny's elegant style is deeply satisfying, while Gamache is contemplative even when under pressure, and remains a man you want to spend time
Louise Penny twists and turns the plot expertly tripping the reader up just at the moment you think you might have solved the mystery
Brimming with atmosphere and steeped in soul-searching . . . Penny combines clever plotting with beautifully evocative descriptions and the deep affection for her characters that keeps readers travelling back to Three Pines for more
This is a crime novel that is rich in atmosphere with a fascinating array of characters that enhance a plot of great suspense and ingenuity
Subtle, elegant and beautifully written
All stars
Most relevant

Would you listen to Still Life again? Why?

Yes. I like the setting, characters & philosophical musings.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

The investigator in this series isn't a troubled man. He loves his wife and his colleagues and doesn't have too many issues with authority. Canada is beautifully evoked through landscape & characters. These are gentle, thoughtful books.

Enjoyable

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not needed the foul language but otherwise nice story. . .loved the inspector! Brill ☺

fairly engaging

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Louise Penny has the sort of writing talent you can only dream about. I had not heard of her until a relative recommended her and glad I was to discover a whole string of books just waiting like a pack of your favourite doughnuts to be digested one by one! She is just the sort of detective writer I love the most, more concerned with character and setting than plot, but the plot is still there and the wrongdoer to be unmasked at the end. She describes a small town community in French-speaking Quebec with loving and masterly detail, until you know them intimately. And Inspector Gamache has all the qualities of a modern Hercule Poirot - far more reflective, observant and deductive than those obsessed with forensic detail. It is, after all, people who commit crimes, not blood stains or carpet hairs! If you want an excellent novel with a mystery thrown in, this is for you.

I had not heard Adam Sims before either and he does a great job of the reading, fluently passing from the French to the Canadian English and back again with hardly a pause for breath. Highly recommended.

Still life very much alive

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I loved the easy feel of this book, the characters were wonderfully real and the plot kept my interest and gave just enough clues to keep me interested. The book was so much more engaging and interesting than I had anticipated that I will continue reading this entire series.

Beautifully written

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The first book in this series featuring Chief Inspector Gamache and I shall definitely read others in this series as it was an engaging story which also serves as a great introduction to the characters that will feature in future books. The narration was good and the accents believable which always helps.

Enjoyable listen

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