Penny describes the town so well that I figured she must live in a similar place in real life, and I was not at all surprised to find that she does, indeed, live in a small village south of Montreal. The setting, the fictional town of Three Pines in Quebec, is a character in and of itself. The poetry is penned by Canadian writers, including one of my all-time favorites: Margaret Atwood. When I looked up the real author of Zardo’s prose, I found another delight. My very favorite big personality is the crotchety drunk Ruth Zardo whose poetry, sprinkled throughout the novel, is achingly good. These are the best scenes because, even though the airspace is crowded, the personalities – and they are big personalities – shine through. I had to read some of the group scenes a few times as Penny deftly handles complex conversations with as many as eight characters chiming in. It is in the dialogue between characters where Penny pinpoints hilarity. It’s Gamache’s understanding of human motivation and desire where Penny finds depth – even as she writes of life and death. The main character is Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, a father-like figure who dresses smartly and strips truth from lies with his uncanny intuition and an unmatched ability to listen.
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