Chris, I could not agree with you more. This series is a treasure on so many levels. My wife and I have read them all and look forward to the next one. To describe these simply as murder mysteries is a grave disservice. Thank you Louise Penny!
I agree! This is one of the most enjoyable mystery series out there - well written, interesting plots, human and humane characters you grow to love as series progresses. Be sure to read them in order. And Ruth rules!
As someone from Quebec (I live in the suburbs of montreal!) Its always nice when we talk about us!
Have you ever had the chance to visit Quebec? Its really beautiful and you definitly should if not!
If ever you do remember, you have a subscriber here that d be happy to show you around and help you with the french!
Allthough if you stay in the montreal area you will be just fine with english only. But if you leave outside of montreal it will be way harder if you dont speak french!
Thank you for the nice text and I might just start reading those books !
The fictional town of Three Pines is based on the real town of Knowlton, Quebec, where I used to work in the summers teaching swimming. Louise Penny lives there and a few years ago, she hosted the Clintons and did a tour of the town and showed them what she based her books on. Always fun to see Quebec mentioned!
Thank you for this. Im a librarian, and I’ve watched people fall in love with this series so many times. Books are wonderful for being able to transport you to a different time and place. I think I’ll spend some time with Gamache this weekend.
Well, if you're still interested in mystery series with many books, I can recommend one that's as different from Three Pine as it gets, thought it involves a group of people everyone would want to be friends with. that's James Benn's "Billy Boyle World War II Mysteries." As a real World War II historian, I can testify that the history in the books is dead-on; as a lover of mysteries, they're great. Billy Boyle is Irish from South Boston, recently promoted a junior homicide detective just before Pearl Harbor. His Irish elders didn't want him fighting Britain's war, so they turned a distant family connection to Mamie Doud Eisenhower into a job for Billy on Eisenhower's staff in Washington. Of course, then "Uncle Ike" goes to Europe to run the war he planned. He likes having a cop on the staff with a personal connection; Billy heads up the SHAEF Office of Special Investigations, dealing with "low crimes in high places" that can't be made public in the name of Allied Unity. Our Irish lad is head over heels with Lady Diana, a British Special Operations Executive agent he was introduced to by his "Watson," Lieutenant Baron Kaz Kazimierz of the Polish Army. Personally I can't wait till September when #20 comes out - particularly since Jim (I liked the books so well I tracked him down and we became friends as fellow authors) found something in my book "Clean Sweep" that he's using as a MacGuffin in "The Lost Patrol" (and he won't tell me what it is!).
It's the best mystery series I've found; even better than Tony Hillerman. Billy often interacts with Real People of the Time. In "The Rest is Silence" he meets Lady Malawan (Agatha Christie) who gives him advice on what he's figuring out. We discover we are in a Poirot novel, complete with the denouement in the living room with all the suspects gathered, for Billy to explain and identify the bad guy.
You have to read the books in order, because later books reference people and events from earlier books.
And everyone's comments here about the Three Pines series had me go to Amazon and get the boxed set of books 1-5.
Chris, Amen to every word you wrote in this column. I've read most of Ms Penny's books and am never ready to reach the end. She has captured the true meaning of community in her depiction of Three Pines, and we all need to be part of a community. I'm so glad you have savored them, and glad that they were there for you during a dark time. BTW, the series on Amazon Prime is pretty good, too!
Such a coincidence to read this today. I just started the fourth after a break of a number of months. She does capture the dark side of some of the characters rather well, too.
60 years ago (in what seems now like a galaxy far, far away), my parents, sister, and I stayed in a B&B in Matapedia, Quebec. I believe the B&B is called Chez Casimir today. Matapedia is a tiny village on the Gaspé peninsula on the border with New Brunswick. The latter has a large population of Scottish descent.
There was lots of fog as we were packing up the car very early in the morning. I will never forget what happened while I was helping my father: the sound of someone playing the bagpipes came out of the hills behind the B&B. I looked up towards the hills, cloaked in swirling mists and trees of dark green. I stood there transfixed as the sound floated out towards the sea. It was an ethereal experience.
I just finished the first and was actually enjoying a cup of tea and reading the second one when I received this email. Thank you for mentioning these in the past, that was the first I had heard of them.
I love her books! I had read a couple, over the years, but last summer I decided to read them in order. What a fantastic experience! I don’t like the cold and snow but I would go live in Three Pines. My favorite, so far, is A Beautiful Mystery. Not giving anything away, I downloaded some chants. They are beautiful, and soothing. I’m glad you found these books.
I have read all the books in the series and I subscribe to Louise Penney‘s newsletter, you should check it out. In her latest newsletter, she has a link to her 668 square-foot Paris apartment, which is she is selling for €1,195,000!
Chris, I could not agree with you more. This series is a treasure on so many levels. My wife and I have read them all and look forward to the next one. To describe these simply as murder mysteries is a grave disservice. Thank you Louise Penny!
I agree! This is one of the most enjoyable mystery series out there - well written, interesting plots, human and humane characters you grow to love as series progresses. Be sure to read them in order. And Ruth rules!
As someone from Quebec (I live in the suburbs of montreal!) Its always nice when we talk about us!
Have you ever had the chance to visit Quebec? Its really beautiful and you definitly should if not!
If ever you do remember, you have a subscriber here that d be happy to show you around and help you with the french!
Allthough if you stay in the montreal area you will be just fine with english only. But if you leave outside of montreal it will be way harder if you dont speak french!
Thank you for the nice text and I might just start reading those books !
The fictional town of Three Pines is based on the real town of Knowlton, Quebec, where I used to work in the summers teaching swimming. Louise Penny lives there and a few years ago, she hosted the Clintons and did a tour of the town and showed them what she based her books on. Always fun to see Quebec mentioned!
After existing on the planet Mars-a-Lago for the last 3+ years it must be nice to be hanging out in a tranquil town like Three Pines.
Thank you for this. Im a librarian, and I’ve watched people fall in love with this series so many times. Books are wonderful for being able to transport you to a different time and place. I think I’ll spend some time with Gamache this weekend.
Well, if you're still interested in mystery series with many books, I can recommend one that's as different from Three Pine as it gets, thought it involves a group of people everyone would want to be friends with. that's James Benn's "Billy Boyle World War II Mysteries." As a real World War II historian, I can testify that the history in the books is dead-on; as a lover of mysteries, they're great. Billy Boyle is Irish from South Boston, recently promoted a junior homicide detective just before Pearl Harbor. His Irish elders didn't want him fighting Britain's war, so they turned a distant family connection to Mamie Doud Eisenhower into a job for Billy on Eisenhower's staff in Washington. Of course, then "Uncle Ike" goes to Europe to run the war he planned. He likes having a cop on the staff with a personal connection; Billy heads up the SHAEF Office of Special Investigations, dealing with "low crimes in high places" that can't be made public in the name of Allied Unity. Our Irish lad is head over heels with Lady Diana, a British Special Operations Executive agent he was introduced to by his "Watson," Lieutenant Baron Kaz Kazimierz of the Polish Army. Personally I can't wait till September when #20 comes out - particularly since Jim (I liked the books so well I tracked him down and we became friends as fellow authors) found something in my book "Clean Sweep" that he's using as a MacGuffin in "The Lost Patrol" (and he won't tell me what it is!).
It's the best mystery series I've found; even better than Tony Hillerman. Billy often interacts with Real People of the Time. In "The Rest is Silence" he meets Lady Malawan (Agatha Christie) who gives him advice on what he's figuring out. We discover we are in a Poirot novel, complete with the denouement in the living room with all the suspects gathered, for Billy to explain and identify the bad guy.
You have to read the books in order, because later books reference people and events from earlier books.
And everyone's comments here about the Three Pines series had me go to Amazon and get the boxed set of books 1-5.
Thank you for this! I just bought book 1 in Kindle format. Looking forward to it!
Chris, Amen to every word you wrote in this column. I've read most of Ms Penny's books and am never ready to reach the end. She has captured the true meaning of community in her depiction of Three Pines, and we all need to be part of a community. I'm so glad you have savored them, and glad that they were there for you during a dark time. BTW, the series on Amazon Prime is pretty good, too!
Such a coincidence to read this today. I just started the fourth after a break of a number of months. She does capture the dark side of some of the characters rather well, too.
60 years ago (in what seems now like a galaxy far, far away), my parents, sister, and I stayed in a B&B in Matapedia, Quebec. I believe the B&B is called Chez Casimir today. Matapedia is a tiny village on the Gaspé peninsula on the border with New Brunswick. The latter has a large population of Scottish descent.
There was lots of fog as we were packing up the car very early in the morning. I will never forget what happened while I was helping my father: the sound of someone playing the bagpipes came out of the hills behind the B&B. I looked up towards the hills, cloaked in swirling mists and trees of dark green. I stood there transfixed as the sound floated out towards the sea. It was an ethereal experience.
P.S. Nous pourrions parler français. 😊
This former Montrealer appreciates the nod to my home province!
I just finished the first and was actually enjoying a cup of tea and reading the second one when I received this email. Thank you for mentioning these in the past, that was the first I had heard of them.
I love her books! I had read a couple, over the years, but last summer I decided to read them in order. What a fantastic experience! I don’t like the cold and snow but I would go live in Three Pines. My favorite, so far, is A Beautiful Mystery. Not giving anything away, I downloaded some chants. They are beautiful, and soothing. I’m glad you found these books.
My favorites,too. Just love the beautiful writing and exquisite characters
Thank you for this story, In my view, you have lived up to your commitment to all of us.
I have read all the books in the series and I subscribe to Louise Penney‘s newsletter, you should check it out. In her latest newsletter, she has a link to her 668 square-foot Paris apartment, which is she is selling for €1,195,000!