“A Trick of the Light” - Louise Penny

 (C.I. Gamache book 7)

🌲I have enjoyed every novel in this series, and this one is my favorite so far. The murder had a satisfying solution that didn’t veer far off course. If I’m honest, I’m hooked on the series for the mysteries, but also for the village of Three Pines and its denizens that bring so many delicious layers to Penny’s storytelling.

🌲Since early on in this series, the relationship of Clara and Peter Morrow has given me a prickly sensation. I wondered how Clara didn’t see the selfish streak that flowed through Peter; later I thought her well aware but somehow choosing to ignore it. It’s been clear for some time that he doesn’t love her the way she loves him.

🌲In ATOL, it’s not just Peter who makes me uneasy; Olivier also gives me pause. Can they be trusted? 

🌲As ever, it’s the mystery at hand as well as the interconnected personal relationships that intrigue me. Specifically that of  Gamache + Jean-Guy, Jean-Guy + Annie, Gamache + Olivier, and Clara + Peter.

🌲Writing about parents facing life’s greatest tragedy of losing their children, Penny’s prose is evocative of so many complex emotions. She packs so much in that last sentence.

🌲I am late to the game, but I just discovered that Louise Penny shares her thoughts on selected quotes from her novels on Goodreads. How cool is this?! We get a sneak peek into her thought process in crafting story elements, character traits (she sees much of herself in Clara!), or as in the case of Gamache’s library, the very intentionality of every description. I’m sharing a few here, but do go check out her annotations on Goodreads.