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Nevertheless it was an intense and exciting read and we spent some time in Three Pines with a few of the regular characters which is always nice. It is a place of comfort, at times, and also a place of uncertainty as the world wedges itself tightly intruding along those familiar streets. Fleming knew that the discovery of Stone’s letter would lead to the hidden room being uncovered, which would in turn lead to the discovery of the mysterious painting. This part also works: Sam is clearly a malevolent force, and while we do see Fiona manipulating others, the novel sets up enough question marks that it’s unclear if Sam or Fiona is the ringleader.
This time, I was bothered by the cute, light-hearted exchanges of the characters juxtaposed by the heinousness nature of "the crime(s)". Gamache’s refuge is breeched when the villagers host a celebration for two young women who have graduated from engineering school at the University of Montreal. If anyone feared that the plotting and splendid writing might be diminished after so many books set in this small Quebec village, need not worry. It’ll bring you good luck, little one,” Auntie Myrna had assured her niece when she’d taught her the incantation. Many times over the years people have commented on reviews with the question Can this or any of the books in the series be read as stand-alones if you're a first timer?
As she so often does, Penny uses an element of actual Canadian history as a basis for part of the plot.
Taking on misogyny, patriarchy, government complicity in perpetrating same is a grand and applauded endeavor. Coincidentally (or not) Billy has recently received an odd letter dated 1862, written by his great-great-grandfather, a stonemason.The Sam and Fiona conflict also gets wrapped into this convoluted murder plan that veers into unrealistic and overwrought. She is no longer working, but the hopes she had of idyllic times with her children don’t materialise and the locals hint about a dark history to her new home.
The attention of everyone in Three Pines is soon drawn, though, to a perplexing letter forwarded to Myrna’s partner, Billy Williams. Later, he and his wife attend a memorial and graduation ceremony at the Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal and see Fiona graduate as an engineer. About Fiona’s younger brother Sam, however, Gamache has never had any doubts: His sixth sense has always told him that handsome Sam (whom everyone else finds charming) is malicious, maybe worse. This is a fascinating and complex plot with themes of misogyny, fate, demons, witches, irredeemable psychopaths, nature versus nurture, the 'bad seed' theory of born wickedness, the difficulty to forgive, friendship, family, and a supportive community.For Penny, the novel is a narrative tour de force, drawing brilliantly on some dark moments in Québec history and leading Gamache and the residents of Three Pines to a hard-won, thoroughly unsentimental recognition that forgiveness is our most powerful magic. As in most Penny's it is more about relationships and good vs evil, where good wins out against great odds. Spending time with Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and friends is a relaxing experience, despite all the dreadful crimes he has investigated.
The room contains a copy of the 17th-century painting The Paston Treasure, updated with additional objects added to it. When Fleming realized he had been deceived, he vowed revenge against Gamache, even though it initially seemed impossible that he could achieve this while confined to prison. The attention of everyone in Three Pines is soon drawn, though, to a perplexing letter forwarded to Myrna’s partner, Bil Unlike other detective fiction, Louise Penny’s books try to be serious about life, beauty, suffering, and death, even if they end up being terribly cavalier with the lives of side characters. His narration totally immersed me in the story and managed to put me right among the characters in the quaint village of Three Pines.A World of Curiosities takes us back to Three Pines where we readers find solace in the tried and true characters who have lived there throughout Louise Penny's solid novels. Actually I think Rosa was important to add some levity to the whole thing, otherwise it would have been so so heavy.
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