Rated of 5
by Grace W. (Corona del Mar, CA) A Trick of the Light
Thank you for introducing me to Louise Penny through your First Impression Program. A Trick of the Light is the 7th Inspector Gamache mystery and the first that I read. Like a gracious and welcoming community, the novel’s characters came to life within the book and I found myself deeply interested in their dreams, misgivings, hopes and fears. Through the storyline of a solving a murder mystery, the reader learns about the community of artists, critics and gallery owners. Running throughout the storyline are the challenges faced by addicts and recovering addicts. The story is well paced, with multiple plot twists to keep the reader thoroughly engaged. The story is entertaining and informative and the writing is exceptional. I will now hunt down Ms. Penny’s older books and anxiously await her next book. Thank you again for the introduction.
Rated of 5
by Hilary H. (Tucson, AZ) Louise Penny has done it again
The Armand Gamache series has been consistently strong - writing, characters, sense of place whether Montreal, Quebec City or Three Pines. These books have delightful people whose lives you care about. I found that I was a couple of books behind in the series so I read #5 & 6 before A Trick of the Light. Armand Gamache is a very different sort of Detective Inspector - he is and has been a strong mentor for his staff. He has a solid marriage. In the books just before this one, there was a major incident that he and his second, Beauvoir, are still trying to recover from. The incident continues to play a major role in the story while the focus is on one of Three Pines’ residents, Clara, who has finally had her solo art show and yet of course a body appears in the garden. The books do stand alone but you will miss a great deal if you don’t devour all of them in order. Bring on #8.
Rated of 5
by Susan Q. (East Williston, NY) Pleasant Read
I haven't read any books by Louise Penny, but after reading A Trick of Light I will look for more of her books. I like mysteries and this book was exactly what I was looking for. I can usually predict the outcome of a story, but was pleasantly surprised that I didn't figure the ending out until the end...the way it's supposed to be!
Rated of 5
by Margaret M. (Troy, NY) Trick of the Light
Louise Penny's books just keep getting better and better. I have read all of her books and consider Trick of the Light to be her best. It has excellent writing and realistic character development of the recurring residents of Three Pines, a town so small it does not appear on any map. One has to wonder how so many murders could happen in such a small place. I would recommend this book to my book club and to anyone who enjoys a good book. Read it! You won't regret it.
Rated of 5
by Kate G. (City Island, NY) Another great visit to Three Pines
A Trick of the Light is the seventh in the Three Pines/Armand Gamache series of mysteries and is as well written and as enjoyable as the first book in the series. After the opening of artist Clara Morrow's solo show at the Musee in Montreal the villagers from Three Pines return home for a celebration. The next morning Lillian Dyson, a former friend of Clara's is found dead in Clara's backyard. Chief Inspector Gamache and his team are quickly trying to solve the case which revolves around the art world in Montreal as well as Clara's childhood. There is also drama with Gamache's team. Fans of the series will certainly enjoy this installment, but newcomers can easily catch up with these very interesting characters.
Rated of 5
by Annie F. (Dallas, TX) A Trick of the Light by Louis Penny
I’ve read all of the Three Pines series and enjoyed them immensely. Bury Your Dead was so good, both the plotting and the characters, I felt it would be hard to top. And while A Trick of the Light does not meet that high bar, it is still a worthy addition to Penny’s oeuvre. A Trick of the Light is all about relationships, those between friends, between spouses, between mentors and mentees; even between humans and pets. While watching Gamache solve the mystery of who killed an old friend of Clara Morrow’s in Clara’s garden, we get to revisit the Three Pines folks and Gamache's team, with Clara and Peter Morrow and Jean Guy Beauvoir center-stage. The reader is also treated to an inside look at the workings of Alcoholics Anonymous, from an author who knows it well. There are some tantalizing loose ends left dangling which I am sure Penny will sew up in the next installment, and I’ll be in line to read it.
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of 5
by Grace W. (Corona del Mar, CA) 
of 5
by Susan Q. (East Williston, NY) 
