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Still Life
- Chief Inspector Gamache Book 1
- Narrated by: Adam Sims
- Series: Chief Inspector Gamache, Book 1
- Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins
- Categories: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Mystery
Non-member price: $28.09
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A Fatal Grace
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Winter in Three Pines, and the sleepy village is carpeted in snow. It's a time of peace and goodwill - until a scream pierces the biting air. A spectator at the annual Boxing Day curling match has been fatally electrocuted. Despite the large crowd, there are no witnesses and - apparently - no clues. Chief Inspector Armand Gamache discovers a history of secrets and enemies in the dead woman's past.
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Thoroughly Enjoyed
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It's Easter, and on a glorious Spring day in peaceful Three Pines, someone waits for night to fall. They plan to raise the dead.... When Chief Inspector Gamache of the Surete du Quebec arrives the next morning, he faces an unusual crime scene. A séance in an old abandoned house has gone horrifically wrong and someone has been seemingly frightened to death. In indyllic Three Pines, terrible secrets lie buried, and even Gamache has something to hide. One of his own team is about to betray him. But how far will they go to ensure Gamache's downfall?
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Love Gamache series
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It's the height of summer, and the wealthy Finney family have gathered at the Manoir Bellechasse to pay tribute to their late father. But as the temperature rises, old secrets and bitter rivalries begin to surface. When the heat wave boils over into a mighty storm, a dead body is left in its wake. Chief Inspector Gamache, a guest at the Bellechasse, finds himself with a building full of suspects. With the hotel locked down, the murderer is trapped. But a cornered predator is always the most dangerous of all...
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An excellent murder mystery
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When Chief Inspector Gamache arrives in picturesque Three Pines, he steps into a village in chaos. A man has been found bludgeoned to death, and there is no sign of a weapon, a motive or even the dead man's name. As Gamache and his colleagues start to dig under the skin of this peaceful haven for clues, they uncover a trail of stolen treasure, mysterious codes and a shameful history that begins to shed light on the victim's identity - and points to a terrifying killer...
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Is this the best yet?
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As Quebec City shivers in the grip of winter, its ancient stone walls cracking in the cold, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache plunges into the strangest case of his celebrated career. A man has been brutally murdered in one of the city’s oldest buildings - a library where the English citizens of Quebec safeguard their history. And the death opens a door into the past, exposing a mystery that has lain dormant for centuries... a mystery Gamache must solve if he’s to catch a present-day killer.
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Another great read
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In the green depths of spring, morning breaks on a woman splayed in a bed of flowers - her eyes wide, her neck broken. Her death is a mystery; so is the woman herself. But as Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his team peer into the dark corners of the victim's past, they expose a secret that rots at the very heart of their community - a secret that will implicate someone they've trusted for years. And as Gamache knows too well, in the flickering shadows of death, the truth may be just a trick of the light.
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Just wonderful
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Winter in Three Pines, and the sleepy village is carpeted in snow. It's a time of peace and goodwill - until a scream pierces the biting air. A spectator at the annual Boxing Day curling match has been fatally electrocuted. Despite the large crowd, there are no witnesses and - apparently - no clues. Chief Inspector Armand Gamache discovers a history of secrets and enemies in the dead woman's past.
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Thoroughly Enjoyed
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It's Easter, and on a glorious Spring day in peaceful Three Pines, someone waits for night to fall. They plan to raise the dead.... When Chief Inspector Gamache of the Surete du Quebec arrives the next morning, he faces an unusual crime scene. A séance in an old abandoned house has gone horrifically wrong and someone has been seemingly frightened to death. In indyllic Three Pines, terrible secrets lie buried, and even Gamache has something to hide. One of his own team is about to betray him. But how far will they go to ensure Gamache's downfall?
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Love Gamache series
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An excellent murder mystery
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Is this the best yet?
- By Ozziegiraffe on 24-11-2019
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As Quebec City shivers in the grip of winter, its ancient stone walls cracking in the cold, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache plunges into the strangest case of his celebrated career. A man has been brutally murdered in one of the city’s oldest buildings - a library where the English citizens of Quebec safeguard their history. And the death opens a door into the past, exposing a mystery that has lain dormant for centuries... a mystery Gamache must solve if he’s to catch a present-day killer.
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Another great read
- By Anonymous User on 28-06-2020
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A Trick of the Light
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In the green depths of spring, morning breaks on a woman splayed in a bed of flowers - her eyes wide, her neck broken. Her death is a mystery; so is the woman herself. But as Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his team peer into the dark corners of the victim's past, they expose a secret that rots at the very heart of their community - a secret that will implicate someone they've trusted for years. And as Gamache knows too well, in the flickering shadows of death, the truth may be just a trick of the light.
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Just wonderful
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The Long Way Home
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Former Chief Inspector of Homicide, Armand Gamache, has found a peace he'd never imagined possible, away from the front line of the police and in the tranquil village of Three Pines. But when his friend Clara Morrow asks for help, he can't bring himself to refuse her, despite the old wounds it threatens to re-open. Clara's husband, Peter, is missing, having failed to come home on the first anniversary of their separation, as promised.
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Not the usual Louise Penny
- By Cate on 10-01-2015
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How the Light Gets In
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The number one New York Times bestseller. A detective. As a fierce, unrelenting winter grips Quebec, shadows are closing in on Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. Most of his best agents have left the Homicide Department and hostile forces are lining up against him. A disappearance. When Gamache receives a message about a mysterious case in Three Pines, he is compelled to investigate -- a woman who was once one of the most famous people in the world has vanished.
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Fabulous Addition to a Wonderful Series.
- By Mari on 14-11-2014
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The Nature of the Beast
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Hardly a day goes by when nine-year-old Laurent Lepage doesn't cry wolf. His boundless sense of adventure and vivid imagination mean he has a tendency to concoct stories so extraordinary and so far-fetched that no one can possibly believe him. But when Laurent disappears, former Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is faced with the possibility that one of his tall tales might have been true. So begins a frantic search for the boy and the truth.
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The Beautiful Mystery
- A Chief Inspector Gamache novel
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A MONASTERY. Hidden deep in the wilderness are the cloisters of two dozen monks - men of prayer and music, famous the world over for their glorious voices. A MURDER. But a brutal death throws the monastery doors open to the world. And through them walks the only man who can shine light upon the dark deeds within: Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. A MYSTERY. Who among the brothers has become an angel of death?
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Intriguing and beautiful
- By Rachel on 24-06-2015
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A Great Reckoning
- By: Louise Penny
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- Unabridged
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Former chief inspector Gamache has been hunting killers his entire career, and as the new commander of the Sûreté Academy, he is given the chance to combat the corruption and brutality that have been rife throughout the force. But when a former colleague and professor of the Sûreté Academy is found murdered, with a mysterious map of Three Pines in his possession, Gamache has an even tougher task ahead of him.
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Another great Penny mystery
- By J. Allsopp on 03-02-2017
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Glass Houses
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One cold November day, a mysterious figure appears on the village green in Three Pines, causing unease, alarm and confusion among everyone who sees it. Chief Superintendent Armand Gamache knows something is seriously wrong, but all he can do is watch and wait, hoping his worst fears are not realised. But when the figure disappears and a dead body is discovered, it falls to Gamache to investigate.
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Another triumph from Louise Penny
- By firedog on 24-10-2017
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Kingdom of the Blind
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When Armand Gamache receives a letter inviting him to an abandoned farmhouse outside of Three Pines, the former head of the Sûreté du Québec discovers that a complete stranger has named him as an executor of her will. Armand never knew the elderly woman, and the bequests are so wildly unlikely that he suspects the woman must have been delusional - until a body is found, and the terms of the bizarre will suddenly seem far more menacing. But it isn't the only menace Gamache is facing.
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All the Devils Are Here
- By: Louise Penny
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On their first night in Paris, the Gamaches gather for a family dinner with Armand's godfather, the billionaire Stephen Horowitz. But the evening ends in horror when Stephen is knocked down and critically injured in what Armand is convinced is no accident, but a deliberate attempt on an elderly man's life. When a strange key is found in Stephen's possession it sends Armand on a desperate search for the truth that will take him from the top of the Tour Eiffel to the bowels of the Paris Archives.
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Would rather read than listen!
- By Amazon Customer jo on 14-10-2020
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A Better Man
- By: Louise Penny
- Narrated by: Adam Sims
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- Unabridged
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The air is unbearably tense as Armand Gamache returns to the Sûreté du Québec for his first day of work since his demotion from its command to head of homicide. Amid blistering personal social media attacks, Gamache sets out on his first assignment - to find a missing woman. But as he leads the search for Vivienne Godin, Three Pines itself is threatened when the river breaks its banks, and a province-wide emergency is declared.
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Gamache has set a very high standard
- By Bronwyn R on 26-07-2020
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A Death Most Monumental
- A Scottish Detective Mystery (DCI Logan Crime Thrillers, Book 8)
- By: JD Kirk
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When the remains of a brutally murdered young woman are left hanging from the Glenfinnan Monument in the Highlands of Scotland, DCI Jack Logan and his Major Investigations team are dispatched to investigate. At first, the case appears to be fairly open and shut. But, as evidence mounts, Jack uncovers some shocking truths about the victim that risk turning the investigation into a potentially explosive international incident.
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Plots and laughs
- By Maureen Brown on 08-01-2021
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The Searcher
- By: Tana French
- Narrated by: Roger Clark
- Length: 14 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Cal Hooper thought a fixer-upper in a remote Irish village would be the perfect escape. After 25 years in the Chicago police force and a bruising divorce, he just wants to build a new life in a pretty spot with a good pub where nothing much happens. But then a local kid comes looking for his help. His brother has gone missing and no one, least of all the police, seems to care. Cal wants nothing to do with any kind of investigation, but somehow he can't make himself walk away.
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perfected craft
- By Joseph Di Stefano on 14-11-2020
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The Big Man Upstairs (A Scottish Crime Thriller)
- DCI Logan Crime Thrillers, Book 7
- By: JD Kirk
- Narrated by: Angus King
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Just when he thought he was out.... Burdened by guilt over the trauma recently inflicted on his friends and colleagues, former-Detective Chief Inspector Jack Logan has spent the past nine months living in self-imposed exile. When a mother and her young daughter are the victims of a double murder staged to look like suicide, Logan is dragged back to help hunt down and catch a brutal, calculating killer. But the world has moved on without him.
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Never Disappoints.
- By Anonymous User on 19-11-2020
Publisher's Summary
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....
Coming soon: Book 2 in the Chief Inspector Gamache series, Dead Cold. Winter in Three Pines, and the sleepy village is carpeted in snow. It's a time of peace and goodwill - until a scream pierces the biting air. A spectator at the annual Boxing Day curling match has been fatally electrocuted. Despite the large crowd, there are no witnesses and - apparently - no clues.
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What listeners say about Still Life
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Vive
- 06-06-2018
Magnificent
Enthralled from the very first chapter. Am now a fan of Gamache. Book 2 awaits, I am so excited.
4 people found this helpful
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- Rachel
- 12-04-2015
Quirky writing but keeps you thinking..
Took a bit to get into the story but once I did it was entertaining. A bit "off the wall" but I'm now looking forward to the second in the series.
3 people found this helpful
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- Carol
- 01-08-2018
Different, quirky
The plot was a pleasant departure from the norm. Though it started well, slow but steady, I felt towards the end the story got away from the author and we were left with some long winded explanations in order for the reader to believe what was happening. I’m not interested in book2.
1 person found this helpful
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- 匿名
- 10-01-2021
Travel
2020 no travel, no exploring and unearthing adventures- what to do... Loved the descriptions, the scene setting, the smells and the sounds. Being transported to this tiny village in Canada. Storyline different and compelling unlike the English mysteries I am normally drawn too.
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- 匿名
- 13-12-2020
Very enjoyable
This is a great listen. It's a lovely glimpse into a lovely part of the world, filled with a mix you interesting and real people. Easy to follow and enjoy, well written and fabulously told. Great bedtime reading.
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- Aussielee
- 16-09-2019
Will continue with this series
I’ll start this review by apologising to any Canadians out there. I always thought I knew a bit about Canada and its history and way of life and peoples but after reading Still Life, this is obviously not the case. I didn’t realise the French sections of the country were so dominant and determined to stay French, for starters. I kind of just assumed everyone spoke English with some older sections speaking French on the side. I feel dumb. I also didn’t think about the US War of Independence affecting Canada and the people that fled there during that campaign. Again, seems rather obvious now and makes me again, feel stupid. So, thanks Louise Penny for making me feel like an ignorant Antipodean. Still Life introduces us to Penny’s Chief Inspector Gamache. He’s a lovely character, despite the fact he often takes too much of a back seat in this book for my liking. Like many other mystery books I’ve read of late, Penny focuses more on the townsfolk where the murder took place. Using this small town setting successfully narrows down the suspect pool to the people who live there but perversely widens the suspect pool to everyone who lives there. Great fun. It also creates that dimension of isolation which is always an added bonus in mysteries. Unfortunately, as I said, focusing on the plethora of suspects, potential victims and witnesses means I didn’t get to know Gamache and his team as much as I would have liked. I felt like I knew nothing about JeanGuy Beauvoir, Gamache’s second in command, for example, at the end the book. In fact, the only detective Penny did focus on other than Gamache was rookie Yvette Nichol and I must admit, her part in the story made little sense apart from giving us a few clues when it came to the personality of the murderer and one of the continuing themes running through the book of the evilness of narcissism and arrogance. Some of the townsfolk were a little cliched but overall fun. I did guess the murderer but I wasn’t completely sure about the details. The method the murderer uses to kill their victim is unique and I really enjoyed the mystery regarding the actual mechanics of the murder as much as the whodunnit mystery. The title of the book is perfect. Just because a victim is heading towards the end of their life -- it’s still life. One of the main clues in the book is a painting -- a still life. The style of the painting is one which only includes people from real life -- a still life. And there are various characters thinking/in denial about their personalities and quality of life and their ability to change and go forwards with their lives; they’ve stopped or are blind/have become stationary -- a still life. I did listen to this via Audible and it took me a little while to warm to the narrator but once I did, I was hooked and found myself really enjoying the audiobook version. I have been searching for a nice long series to listen to as I commute and this might tick all the boxes. 4 out of 5
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- Ursula Murphy
- 31-08-2019
Kept me guessing until the end!
A very enjoyable story and great characters. Lots of plot twists to try and work out who did it.
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- Juliette
- 23-10-2018
Wonderful character development
The character development and beautifully eloquent descriptions made this book fabulous. So gentle, yet such powerful imagery.
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- bg
- 28-03-2016
Worried for nothing!
I love this series and author dearly. But I was afraid to buy these in audiobook format as I couldn't have stood listening to the French get all mangled up. Thankfully the narrator made me feel right at home. I am very impressed and glad to know I can safely continue to purchase this series!
4 people found this helpful
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- DIANE
- 04-06-2014
Love Louise Penny's writing
I read Still Life out of order. I had already read a number of books in the Inspector Gamache series and decided that it was a good idea to go back and start from the beginning. One of the disappointing things about this decision was hearing the rendition by Adam Sims. Had I not heard Ralph Cosham's masterful rendition in later books, I would not have had anything to compare this book to. But I have, and Mr. Cosham brings something special to Ms. Penny's books that Mr. Sims was not able to accomplish, despite a good performance overall. As usual, this was a twisted, convoluted story that left the reader wondering "who dun nit" until quite far into the story. I just love the characters... especially Ruth Zardo.
This is a fascinating group of people and I will keep reading until I have caught up. Can't wait to read the new book!!!
2 people found this helpful
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- 匿名
- 08-09-2020
Captivating Murder Mystery
This book is so well written. Captivating and entertaining. Amazing character knowledge which brought them to life.
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- 匿名
- 03-09-2020
Warm British-style mystery
As mentioned by other reviewers, this is a fun, character-driven story in the vein of the British murder-mystery canon. Smart and a good listen, if you're into that sub-genre, which I am.
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- Melissa Rose
- 27-08-2020
It was alright
After being recommended many, many times, I finally got around to reading Still Life by Louise Penny. I have mixed feelings. First, in terms of the negatives, I found that this book tended to be quite dry in its narrative; causing me to lose interest in the plot at times - needless to say, I had to press rewind on the audiobook more than a few times. Additionally, I found that the author didn't make it much of a challenge to guess who the killer was, which was a bit disappointing. As for the characters, I adored Inspector Gamache, as a detective, he seemed to be kind and fair - but was capable of sternness when needed. Agent Nichol was a total and utter cow that drove me up the wall. Finally, as a side note, I must add that I did learn a lot about bows, arrows, and hunting from this book, which was cool, it is always fun to finish a book feeling like you gained some new knowledge. Overall, while Still Life failed to capture my entire interest, I found it a decent enough novel to give the series another chance.
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- T. Trefan
- 28-07-2020
the dullest detective story I've ever heard
i can't finish this. I've only 4 hours left and the story is so dry. the characters are flat and uninteresting. The mystery is only slightly interesting but the whole story is told in such a plodding and boring fashion i just can't be bothered to find out what happened.
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- Susan Moore
- 25-07-2017
Better the second time around.
I read this book first and then decided to listen to audio version several years later. While I actually enjoyed the story more the second time around, I did not enjoy the performance. I found the english/french versions of Gamache very distracting, irritating and unnecessary. I know Penny indicates that he speaks like a British royal in english, but I found the switch too jarring.
The story is wonderful. Penny has great storytelling ability. If you enjoy cozy mysteries then this series does not disappoint.
1 person found this helpful
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- Tammy Sheedy
- 21-12-2015
Realistic and brilliant
Beautiful story of Life, and friendship. Very well written, narrator was brilliant. Slow beginning but then was sucked in, transfixed till the last word.
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- angi4262
- 27-08-2015
Loved it
So glad to find the beginning of a great series. I'll be looking up more!
1 person found this helpful
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- Lyn
- 15-06-2015
Easy Listening
Outcome not as obvious as you expect, Intrigued me enough to listen to the 2nd book and now I am hooked on the series
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- D. L. G.
- 11-07-2015
Great story spoiled by the narrator
Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
This is the first in a wonderful series of books which I would recommend wholeheartedly to anyone. The village of Three Pines is a character in itself, the villagers who live there are 3 dimensional, engaging and flawed - being believably human. Despite the village setting, however, this is not a 'cosy' crime series. It is much darker and more profound than that.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Obviously Gamache, so fascinating! Ruth Zardo is also compelling. What I love about the characters is their wholeness - no-one is completely good or nice, no-one is completely awful or spiteful. Penny's characters are fully grown, complex adults and during the course of the series one becomes very attached to them.
What didn’t you like about Adam Sims’s performance?
Sadly, Adam Sims does not appear to have read the books before narrating them and therefore has no understanding of the characters. He makes the most basic mistake in giving Inspector Gamache a French accent for the first couple of chapters, then as he reads another character describing Gamache's British accent he changes it accordingly. This only lasts for a couple of chapters, however, before he's back to a French accent again. Most disappointing. His lack of knowledge of the characters really spoils things for me, rather than portray any complexity he makes most of them sound merely bad tempered.
Did Still Life inspire you to do anything?
I was inspired to read the rest of the series!
Any additional comments?
For £15 I expect a professional recording wherein mistakes are rectified rather than just ignored. When the book clearly describes the main character's British accent and the reader has given him a French accent surely someone in the recording studio could say "Oops, better do the first two chapters again."?
24 people found this helpful
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- Anne
- 15-04-2014
Enjoyable
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.
9 people found this helpful
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- Mrs
- 18-10-2014
Keep with it - it's worth it!
I had to start this book 3 times as at first I just couldn't get into it. On one final try before I asked for a refund I understood the good reviews that I'd read. The characters really do have character, the story had enough twists and turns to keep me interested a and the narrator was really good. Will now be moving on to the second bookin the series.
8 people found this helpful
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- Cawley
- 17-01-2015
Delightful
A sneaky peek into the life of French Canadians and the English who live in Québec. A who dunnit with a difference, a Chief Inspector with a difference and an insight into people that was surprising and welcome. I look forward to listening to the series as read by Adam Sims , who is a talented voice actor.
6 people found this helpful
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- Catherine T
- 08-02-2020
Adam Sims is a joy to listen to.
This is the second Louise Penny novel I've listened to and I have loved both of them. Adam Sims brings the characters to life and is a fabulously talented narrator. Other people have commented on Sims switching between French Canadian and British accents when he is narrating for Inspector Gamache. THIS IS NOT A FLAW OF THE NARRATOR. If you read (or listened) closely, Inspector Gamache learned to speak English in England and therefore, when he speaks to English speaking characters in "English" he does so with a British accent. When he is speaking to French characters and therefore speaking "French" he is speaking with a French-Canadian accent. I loved this aspect of the novel. It's a stroke of brilliance. Thank you Louise Penny for bringing such depth to your characters. Thank you to Adam Sims for bringing them to life. This book and the rest of Louise Penny's books should go straight on your wish list.
5 people found this helpful
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- L
- 28-05-2015
Good story
I really enjoyed this book. The story is fun, the characters are quirky and the Inspector kind of reminded me of a Canadian Poirot. The narrator did a fantastic job and really bought the story and characters alive. Worth a listen.
5 people found this helpful
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- Barbara
- 01-02-2017
Brigadoon with Dead Bodies
Any additional comments?
Perhaps the best way to indicate what I thought of this book is to say that immediately after I finished it, I ordered the next book in the series.In some ways it's old fashioned: set in an Elysian village, the contemporary Canadian equivalent of St Mary Mead, so beloved of Miss Marple fans. When we were children, perhaps we yearned for ponies, or to be prima ballerinas or cowboys or astronauts: as adults, we long to live in villages like Three Pines, where bistro owners leap from their beds at dawn to dart from their kitchens and proffer freshly-baked croissants and flasks of cafe au lait; where there are archery clubs, and where famous artists and poets live; where people recite Auden at the dinner table and no-one thinks it odd; where you have to google a word before you realize that someone was swearing. The mist clears every hundred years or so, and there is Three Pines.In other respects, it's most definitely of our era. In its analysis of what moves people to act as they do in particular, it reflects contemporary psychology. Why do teenagers sometimes act like cave trolls, brutalizing the people who treat them most kindly and with the most tolerance? Why do some people gracefully accept the most appalling affronts whilst others seem unable to forgive the smallest rebuff? Even the use of the word "girl" as opposed to "woman" was subjected at one point to a surprisingly subtle analysis, which I'm still a little unsure about. Not many crime thrillers have the ability to drop passages into your head and leave them there to hatch/fester.Most importantly, it's a good yarn. After you've been led up plausible dead ends a couple of times, you realize that the author is an expert in laying a false trail and you settle back to enjoy the story.As other reviewers have commented, the narrator switches accents for the main character with hilarious results. At some points he is as English as Lord Peter Wimsey: at others, though I'm not entirely sure how a French Canadian accent differs from a French accent, he can definitely no longer be pictured in tweeds striding across a grouse moor. Once I had got used to this odd phenomenon, it became truly funny, and I found myself laughing out loud every time it happened. At first though, I was baffled, wondering if a) there were two different policemen or b) the one police officer adopted different accents according to whom he was with. A lot of us do that, don't we?
3 people found this helpful
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- kilshanny cottage
- 18-10-2020
Wow! What a ride!
I was recommended Louise Penny by my wife and sister and now I am completely hooked. From only a few pages in, I found myself accusing just about everyone of murder. The town of Three Pines would be a wonderful place to live.... until I got murdered of course. Enjoy!
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- Liz... Bristol
- 14-06-2015
Gamache has potential, but a narrator with more to offer would improve things.
A good story which doesn't overvalue it's central detective figure, but at the same time doesn't quite make the best of him either. Gamache runs a team, he isn't a Sherlock Holmes figure. An apprentice-type falls out with Gamache, again showing him as not perfect as well as patient. He has potential for Penny to develop (whether she has or nay, I don't know as I've not read/heard any).
Sadly, I'm not sure that I like Adam Sims's voice; you might. To me he sounds a bit strangulated, tending to make some characters sound rather tetchy or bad-natured. I can say that I did get used to his tones and was able to get past actually disliking them.
If this was Penny's first novel or her first with these detectives, then she managed quite well; if she is already established in other ways then she should have done better, I feel. The story itself has good characters amongst the suspects/townsfolk, who were perhaps more rounded than the investigators. I'd listen to another of her novels to see what she has done with the detectives, but I'd be hoping that someone other than Adam Sims reads it, to suit my tastes.
3 people found this helpful
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- KBG
- 05-01-2021
Spoiled by the narrator
Decent detective story but the narrator spoiled it for me. He made most characters sound bad tempered and switched character’s accent sometimes even mid paragraph. Disappointing
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