Cozy...but a Good Mystery..in spite of itself

Still Life by Louise Penny


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
"Still", indeed..but more like "still waters" It took about 120 pages before this book "kicked in"...I was focusing on the townspeople of Three Pines, and not enjoying their company very much...too many neuroses in the air. Somewhere around page 117, however, something 'clicked" and i began to focus on the investigative team, headed by Inspector Gamache..plenty of neuroses there, but at least those people had a job to do..a plan

i don't usually like COZY mysteries...too often they are heavy on the 'cozy" angle..and the "mystery" gets short shrift...but Ms Penny is very good at pacing her story...and dealing out the Clues in a timely, if tame, fashion. I figured out the Perp's identity early on, which did not detract from reading the actual End-of-Story..

Flawed characters trying to live decent lives, often in spite of themselves...and the Police who step in to clean up the messes when things go terribly awry

I have the second book in the series...waiting in the wings....maybe i'll actually read it

3 Stars