Bury Your Dead
The latest entry in Louise Penny's Three Pines mystery series finds Inspector Gamache in Quebec City recovering from serious injuries. I found this to be a highly compelling story. Previously Gamache has been like Poirot--a man who notices everything and uses his mind to puzzle out the truth in each situation. This time he doubts himself. He is more vulnerable and so much more human.
He works alone trying to forget the recent past by delving into the long ago past. His research brings him in contact with the staff of the English Literary and Historical Society. They soon ask for his help in uncovering the truth about the death of a man found buried in a shallow grave in their basement.
The story is set in the depth of the brutal Canadian winter. The backdrop for the story is the conflict between the English minority hanging on to a life style that is slowly being eroded and the separatists in this French province.
Inspector Jean Guy Beauvoir is recovering in Three Pines. Gamache has him quietly looking into the results of their last case in the isolated village. The inspector soon learns what his chief has known all along. Three Pines is no ordinary place. Here he too, finds peace of mind and a sense of belonging sorely missing in his life.
I highly recommend Bury Your Dead to mystery fans. The series is well written and has engaging characters. I would not choose this for my book club because I don't see a lot to discuss. Read it and enjoy!
Rated of 5
by Annie F.(Dallas, TX)
Bury Your Dead
I think this is the best of Penny's Gamache series. Her trump card all along has been Armand Gamache and his humane philosophy toward colleagues, victims, and most of all, the perpetrators of the crimes he solves. Fear, in Gamache's opinion, is the basis for murder, and once that is understood, the criminal becomes human, not evil. When Gamache solves a case, it's as much a cause for sadness as triumph because the murderer has become someone we understand and feel for.
In this book Penny has added the element of self-doubt—Gamache's realization that he is fallible and that this fallibility can have dire consequences. It's heartbreaking to see this good, kindly, competent man suffer so for being human. We know he will recover but we also know it will take time. And finally, the City of Quebec surely owes Penny a free round-trip indefinite stay in their city. This book is so full of Quebecois history, events, places to visit and eat, and she makes it all sound so lovely, I cannot doubt that readers will start planning vacations there. I know I am!
Rated of 5
by Marta T. (Lafayette, CA)
Mystery set in Quebec City in winter
Fans of a good mystery that keeps the reader engaged without resorting to gratuitous bloodshed will appreciate this story of a local historian's murder. The story is rich in characterization and setting, bringing to life tension between French and English interests in Quebec, the pain of an investigator dealing with loss of comrades, and the stark beauty of winter.
Rated of 5
by Sandra H. (St. Cloud, Minnesota)
Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny
Louise Penny’s Three Pines novels just keep getting better. "Bury the Dead" takes readers into a darker world than any of the five earlier novels in this series while keeping many of the same quirky characters and adding some delightful new ones. But this is Chief Inspector Gamache’s novel. Gamache must come to terms with making a wrong decision that costs the life of one of his agents. Set in Quebec City during a cold Canadian winter that mirrors the coldness Gamache feels in his soul, Penny goes beyond a well-written cozy mystery to a novel that deals with how we must face the reality of our weaknesses and learn to accept them along with our successes and our strengths.
Penny’s Gamache will remind readers of Donna Leon’s Commissario Guido Brunetti. Like Leon’s novels, Penny’s depend on well-crafted characters and intricate plots rather than on violence and tough macho detectives. For such readers, "Bury Your Dead" will prove a most satisfying read.
Rated of 5
by Carol G. (Little Egg Harbor, NJ)
Bury Your Dead
This is the first time I have ever read Louise Penny and since reading this book, I have reserved the first book in this series from my local library; loved this book! I love mystery and this book did not disappoint. One of the favorite things I like is getting involved in characters and these characters are unforgettable. There are several story lines and they are terrific. One of them refers to the previous book which I will have to read. I have told all my mystery buff friends about Louise Penny and look forward to reading her prior books in this series as well as future books. What a gem. I will definitely recommend it to my Book Club.
Rated of 5
by Katherine S. (seaford, VA)
Nesting Dolls
Quite good and as involved as Nesting Dolls...3 mysteries within a mystery, just like walled Quebec City itself...as is mentioned in the book. Good pacing & character development and very atmospheric. Recommend this to all readers...mystery lovers, travelers, and history buffs alike because you feel like you are in snowy Quebec for Carnival and learn much of its compelling history. Loved the "brave" loyal dog, Henri.
Rated of 5
by Elaine B. (franklin, MA)
Three Pines AND Quebec City
Does it get any better than this? I don't think so. We get to see a more personal side of Gamache and visit some old friends and some new. A touching and interesting story. Louise Penney just gets better! Please keep writing Louise. I was totally involved from beginning to end and I hadn't read the previous book! I highly recommend this book and Quebec City and Three Pines and the whole series!
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by Linda W. (Walnut Creek, CA)
