A Trick of the Light (Three Pines #7) by Louise Penny

Another cracker in this series by Louise Penny, set in the mysterious Quebec village of Three Pines: it may not be on any map, but a lot of people seem to die here!

This series is less about the crimes committed, and more about the development of the characters and their ongoing stories. They are why I come back to this series.

This instalment takes us into the ‘art world’. It may look all genteel and high-brow from the outside, but scratch the surface and it’s rife with greed and cut-throat behaviour. Clara’s art has been discovered and she is celebrating after her first solo show at the famed Musee in Montreal. When a woman’s body is discovered in Clara & Peter’s garden the following morning, Chief Inspector Armande Gamache, together with Jean Guy Beauvoir and Isabelle Lacoste return to Three Pines to investigate her brutal murder.

They uncover a world of lies, secrets and concealed emotions. Armande and Jean Guy are still recovering from injuries incurred several books ago. Jean Guy in particular is struggling, his marriage is in tatters and he has fallen for someone who would appear to be unattainable. When you have read all the series up to this point, you are invested in these characters, and at this point, I am very worried for our young Jean Guy.

This instalment is ultimately about hope; hope for redemption, hope for forgiveness and, in Ruth’s case, hope for the return of a lost companion.

Time spent with Amanda Gamache is always time well spent.

Reviewed by Gaby Meares
Murder on a Monday Reading Group