A New York Times Notable Crime Book and Favorite Cozy for 2011 A Publishers Weekly Best Mystery/Thriller books for 2011 “Penny has been compared to Agatha Christie [but] it sells her short. Her characters are too rich, her grasp of nuance and human psychology too firm….” –Booklist (starred review) “Hearts are broken,” Lillian Dyson carefully underlined in a book. “Sweet relationships are … Lillian Dyson carefully underlined in a book. “Sweet relationships are dead.”
But now Lillian herself is dead. Found among the bleeding hearts and lilacs of Clara Morrow’s garden in Three Pines, shattering the celebrations of Clara’s solo show at the famed Musée in Montreal. Chief Inspector Gamache, the head of homicide at the Sûreté du Québec, is called to the tiny Quebec village and there he finds the art world gathered, and with it a world of shading and nuance, a world of shadow and light. Where nothing is as it seems. Behind every smile there lurks a sneer. Inside every sweet relationship there hides a broken heart. And even when facts are slowly exposed, it is no longer clear to Gamache and his team if what they’ve found is the truth, or simply a trick of the light.
more
Okay, y’all, I finished another Louise Penny book, and I’m still hooked. A Trick of Light didn’t quite enthrall me the way that Bury Your Dead did, but it was a very good read. I think my problem with this one (if it can be called a problem) was that the dead woman–a former art critic and frenemy of Clara Morrow’s–seemed so awful that I didn’t have any sense of urgency in finding her killer. In fact, I thought, “If it’s this person or that person, I’m going to hope Gamache lets them off the hook.” I do so love Gamache and his relationship with Beauvoir. There is so much there, and it deepens with every book. Since I read a book ahead out of order (Glass Houses), I know what’s going to happen with Beauvoir to a degree. But, that doesn’t lessen the interest I feel for his character and how it’s growing and changing with each novel. So, in A Trick of Light, even though the murder mystery did not exactly grip me, the character development absolutely did, as did Penny’s solid writing and witty dialogue. I look forward to reading the next in the series. Onward!
My husband and I listened to A TRICK OF THE LIGHT (book seven in the Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny) on a road trip. It held our rapt attention from Point A to Point B. In fact, when we arrived at our destination, we continued to drive around for an extra hour until we finished the book. Yes, it was that good!
Interesting book. She is delightful in introducing the characters and using the town as a central character.
A Trick Of The Light is a murder mystery, but it is more than that. It is like looking at a painting. It is about relationships, like peeling away the layers of an onion as you read.
Louise Penny has a knack for creating such real characters that we can all relate to. She exposes our fears, faults,and real life situations in a most enticing way.
I’m hooked on Louise Penny’s Three Pines novels. I’ve gotten to know the characters and the village through the series, with all of their charms and foibles. There is always a very serious mystery going on that requires Quebec’s Chief Inspector Armand Gamache’s expertise, along with his trusted staff, and at the same time we meet and enjoy the warmth and quirkiness of the Inspector’s family, friends and neighbors in the lovely village of Three Pines.
I treasure every visit to Three Pines. It’s such a treat to see the characters develop and their relationships grow and change. You must read Louise Penny, and start from the beginning to savor every moment.
What a great cast of characters.
I love this series so much. The characters are fantastic and I love the village of Three Pines. I was so happy that Clara finally got her own art show and had great reviews. I enjoyed the descriptions of each of her paintings and the play between dark and light. When the body is found and the identity is revealed, many are surprised. The mystery was intricate with many suspects and I didn’t identify the killer until it was revealed. Each time I finish a book in this series I cannot wait to start the next one. I would suggest reading the books in order.
Louise Penny is my very very favorite mystery author and I have been reading mysteries for most of my 65 years. I am a retired teacher and I am often taken by the beauty of her prose along with the mystery in each book. I can easily picture the settings and the characters.
Great. Well written. Wonderful characters.
Every book in this series is terrific. I have read them all and am reading them again.
I love anything Louise Penny writes. I’ve read every book she has written. Wonderful story. A real page turner. Love all her characters.
This one broke my heart a little….but that is what great books do; pull a wide range of emotion for the reader. I can’t wait to see where Penny is going with this! The characters always surprise me, and the village soothes. Oh how I wish we could visit there.
A very good read with many plots and sub-plots, which keep the story going at a good pace. As usual, Penny mixed lots of clever repartee to lighten the mood of the book. With each successive book, we got a better feel for our cast of characters.
As with all Louise Penny’s novels, the prose is beautiful, the characters well-developed, the story interesting and engaging.
I highly recommend this book and any book by Louise Penny. The plots are always well developed and I find it easy to respect Inspector Gamache and to fall in love with the people of the small Quebec village of Three Pines.
Louise Penny’s writing is some of the best out there. And she uses it to update readers on the latest in the lives of characters we feel we know as well as we do our real acquaintances. Start at the beginning of this series to read fabulous writing, interesting characters and well-crafted police mysteries.
Love love loved the whole series. If you missed these books by Louise Penney you need to start at book 1 an go right through to book 13 ASAP. I wish she had written 100 inspector Gamache novels. By far my favorite!!!
I love all of Louise Penny’s novels and “A Trick of the Light” is one of her very best. I’ve developed emotional attachments to her characters and worry about them like they are my close friends. My favorite character, Jean-Guy Beauvoir, is funny, stubborn, loyal, and flawed, and rather unique compared to most of the characters you’d expect to find in a mystery/suspense novel. Also, despite the cold, I imagine most of Penny’s readers dream of living in Three Pines and having Clara and Myrna as their neighbors.