Thanks so much to Lynn Spitzer for hosting in her beautiful home! It is the epitome of casual elegance that is so comfortable and warm. If you haven't seen it, try to wangle an invitation, it is worth the trip.
Many of us felt the same way about Three Pines, the village described in Louise Penney's Still Life, the first in her Inspector Armand Gamache mysteries. There are two great strengths in this book, and those that follow in this series. The first is the way she creates a sense of place that is tangible and just feels like home. Three Pines is lovingly described, with a charming history and a killer bistro and book store. Who needs more?
Well, how about compelling characters with interesting relationships? Each major character has his or her own back story and the interactions among them are not only part of the plot line, but also part, a big part, of the atmosphere that makes up the village of Three Pines. This is the Canadian version of Brigadoon in some ways, not found on the map, peopled by those who sought out refuge and visited by those who only want to stay.
Too bad there is also something else - a murder. The plot rolls along, the people get even more interesting, details get richer and more interconnected and it all has a satisfying conclusion. This book is such a delight to read, and we all loved it.
Of course we got distracted talking about the follow on books, those that worked, those that didn't work as well, etc, and somehow got onto great series. The Outlander series had a huge following and so we decided to read the first in that series, called Outlander as our July book. The author (for those like me who are not in the know) is Diana Gabaldon and she is evidently a phenom.
Our next meeting is July 18 and I know someone volunteered to host and I did not make a note of it - anyone remember?
Look forward to seeing you all then!
