By Dennis Fischman

Back in 2005, when Louise Penny published her first mystery featuring Inspector Gamache and the village of Three Pines, Still Life, an artist and a painting were central to the story. So, it’s amusing that in the eighteenth book of the series a different artist and a different painting are the focus.

Very different, and in a sinister way.

In Three Pines, a letter written by a long-dead stonemason is discovered. In it, the man describes his terror when bricking up an attic room somewhere in the village. When the room is found, the villagers decide to open it up, and there is a wall covered with a painting that includes clues to a murder.

“A World of Curiosities” by Louise Penny.
Minotaur Books, 2022.

What’s more, the proverbial stranger has come to town. Two, in fact: A young man and woman have reappeared in the lives of Gamache, his second in command and son-in-law Beauvoir, and their team from the Sûreté du Québec after many years. The two were young children when their troubled mother was murdered, leaving them damaged.

So, why have they come to Three Pines, and is it just coincidence that the artwork has been revealed at the same time? And what does it reveal?

Loyal fans of Three Pines will enjoy learning the backstories of some of their favorite characters (how Gamache became a policeman in the first place, how he met Beauvoir and saw his potential) and listening to all the characters make in-jokes with one another. (Warning to the longtime reader, though: this is a serial killer murder mystery involving at least one psychopath, so if you prefer the cozier books in the series, you’re out of luck this time.)

Sadly, if you’re a first-time reader, you may find yourself wondering who these people are and why you should care about them. Yes, Penny does character sketches of her regulars, but they are so one-dimensional, their traits seem more like tics. Hearing about what they’ve been through is no substitute for having gone through it with them for the previous seventeen books.

One other thought, which should have occurred to me before: these books are very Catholic. I don’t mean preachy or proselytizing, but the whole worldview is about evil and good, sin and forgiveness, betrayal and redemption. The person who first recommended them to me, in fact, was a former Catholic nun turned Episcopal minister. I do enjoy the series, but as a Jew, I’m realizing that it’s foreign to me, and not just because it’s set in Canada.

Please do read Louise Penny, and please do NOT start with this one! Start at the beginning of the series, knowing that you have many thoughtful mysteries to look forward to reading.