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Still Life

Still Life

CrimeMystery
Pages
416
Published
2011
Language
English

Synopsis

When a local woman is found dead in the woods of Three Pines, the villagers are quick to dismiss it as a hunting accident. But Chief Inspector Armand Gamache isn't convinced; the quiet village holds a dark secret, and he's determined to find the truth. This is the first case for Gamache in the charming, yet deceptive, village of Three Pines.

Prose complexity
7/10

Vibe

MysteriousDarkCozyAtmospheric
Fish Out of Water

Genres

Crime Mystery Suspense Contemporary Literature Police Procedural

About the author

L
Louise Penny

Louise Penny is a Canadian crime novelist, born in Toronto in 1958. She spent eighteen years as a radio host and journalist with the CBC before leaving in 1996 to write fiction. Her debut, Still Life, introduced Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec and won the Arthur Ellis, Anthony, Barry and Dilys awards for best first novel. The Gamache books are set largely in Three Pines, a fictional Quebec village, and have since won multiple Agatha and Anthony awards. In 2021 she co-wrote...

Characters

Armand GamacheProtagonist
Jane NealSupporting
Jean-Guy BeauvoirSupporting

Gamache's second-in-command on the Sûreté du Québec homicide team.

Clara MorrowSupporting

An artist in Three Pines and one of Jane Neal's closest friends.

Peter MorrowSupporting

Clara Morrow's husband, a successful artist and old friend of the victim in Three Pines.

All characters in Still Life

Frequently asked questions

  • Do I need to read the books in this series in a specific order?

    While the central mystery of each book is generally self-contained, the series features a deep, continuous arc of character development and evolving personal relationships that are best experienced by reading in publication order starting with this title.

  • Is there a film or television adaptation of this book?

    A made-for-television film titled Still Life: A Three Pines Mystery was released in 2013, and the broader series also inspired the 2022 streaming series titled Three Pines.

  • What kind of recognition did this debut novel receive?

    This book earned significant critical acclaim upon its release, winning the Anthony Award for Best First Novel as well as the Crime Writers Association New Blood Dagger, the Arthur Ellis Award, the Barry Award, and the Dilys Award.

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