I have been working on this review for several weeks. I cannot seem to get it right,perhaps because I have been sick with pneumonia or perhaps because I have been so impressed with the authors writing and plots that I am speechless.
I have been reading mysteries since I was a small child; Missing Melinda, being my first real foray into the genre and in the ensuing years I have read thousands and thousands of mystery novels. I have read the good, the bad, the horrendous and the books that fall somewhere in between. This, in short means I most usually know "whodunit" long before the final pages. It makes for a very boring and "I knew it" finale.
Louise Penny has finally given the reader a finely crafted mystery with entrancing characters and a plethora of red herrings. It actually took me quite a long time to figure out "whodunit" and though I had guessed correctly before the final chapter it actually did not matter. Her interweaving of various disparate plot lines and her spot on knowledge of art and artists makes every page a gem of excellent writing and in-depth research.
Her protagonist is sympathetic, believable and slightly flawed (but in a good way) and the characters that inhabit Three Pines are ones you want to know.
I resisted reading Ms. Penny's novels because of the twee covers and the not very well written synopses of her books. I am so glad I overcame my reservations. I think her writing will one day be afforded the same respect as Dame Agatha Christie. High praise indeed. And earned.
