3.5 stars. Re-read. This was my first Gamache mystery, and of course it seemed very different reading it again after experiencing the first 6 books. The series is palling on me: I'm finding there is too much emphasis on the interior life of the characters and not enough on the plot for my taste. ( )

I think I’m going to take a break from this series for a while. I’ve been binging on it since I discovered it. Sadly I don’t really like the direction that she’s taking the series. I know they are her characters and her stories. I may come back to them later ( )

Crime

Book 7- Excellent story.KIRKUS REVIEWSchadenfreude descends on the Quebecois village of Three Pines.Clara Morrow?s solo exhibition at the Musee d?Art Contemporain in Montreal has been a long time coming. And although some seem pleased for her success in middle age, others, including a school friend turned vitriolic art critic, a gallery owner and even her husband Peter, an artist himself, wrestle with their envy. The day after the showing, back in Clara?s garden in Three Pines, Lillian Dyson, former critic, current A.A. participant and Clara?s vituperative ex-friend, lies dead of a broken neck. Armand Gamache, heading up the Suret??s homicide division, and his second-in-command Jean Guy Beauvoir (Bury Your Dead, 2010, etc.), are called on to investigate. They soon realize the case pits sobriety against drunkenness, appearance against reality and good changes against bad. Moreover, Gamache and Beauvoir have their own demons to exorcize, stemming from a catastrophic police raid, physical and emotional rehab and a marriage that never should have happened. With suspects and old slights vying to be uncovered, it becomes difficult indeed to find ?some measure of peace in the small village.?Penny, elevating herself to the pantheon that houses P.D. James, Ruth Rendell and Minette Walters, demonstrates an exquisite touch with characterization, plotting and artistic sensitivity. And there could be no better explanation of A.A. than you will find here.

(2011) Clara Morrow has a solo exhibition of her art that is marred by the murder of a long time aquaintance who is also an artist/art critic who tends to piss people off. Very good in the series.KIRKUS REVIEWSchadenfreude descends on the Quebecois village of Three Pines.Clara Morrow's solo exhibition at the Musee d'Art Contemporain in Montreal has been a long time coming. And although some seem pleased for her success in middle age, others, including a school friend turned vitriolic art critic, a gallery owner and even her husband Peter, an artist himself, wrestle with their envy. The day after the showing, back in Clara's garden in Three Pines, Lillian Dyson, former critic, current A.A. participant and Clara's vituperative ex-friend, lies dead of a broken neck. Armand Gamache, heading up the Suret?'s homicide division, and his second-in-command Jean Guy Beauvoir (Bury Your Dead, 2010, etc.), are called on to investigate. They soon realize the case pits sobriety against drunkenness, appearance against reality and good changes against bad. Moreover, Gamache and Beauvoir have their own demons to exorcize, stemming from a catastrophic police raid, physical and emotional rehab and a marriage that never should have happened. With suspects and old slights vying to be uncovered, it becomes difficult indeed to find ?some measure of peace in the small village.?Penny, elevating herself to the pantheon that houses P.D. James, Ruth Rendell and Minette Walters, demonstrates an exquisite touch with characterization, plotting and artistic sensitivity. And there could be no better explanation of A.A. than you will find here. Pub Date: Aug. 30th, 2011ISBN: 978-0-312-65545-7Page count: 352ppPublisher: MinotaurReview Posted Online: July 26th, 2011Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15th, 2011