A World of Curiosities: A Chief Inspector Gamache Mystery, NOW A MAJOR TV SERIES CALLED THREE PINES

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it begins in the past, with recollections of the murder of a prostitute and drug addict whose two children were discovered to be victims of sexual abuse. The case has haunted Gamache and his second in command Jean Guy Beauvoir for many years. From her basket of recurring themes, Penny choses in A World of Curiosities to focus on the sometimes unintended impact of art and literature on emotions and actions, and the potential for good and evil to exist in any individual, no matter how well one or the other may be hidden. As with many of the series' books that are set in the tiny village of Three Pines, this one includes a blend of the all-too-real-world with what seems to be a vaguely magical-realism-world. Despite my best intentions to slowly enjoy this book, I devoured it in one huge gulp. Oh well, it just means I have to wait longer for my next Gamache novel. holding on to resentments only binds you to the person you hate. You need to let go of it. For your own sake . . . Not anyone else's. For yourself.”

I enjoyed the novel, my major criticism being too much talk about evil people 'getting into' Gamache's head and doing damage, which seemed like psychobabble. Still, this is a good book, recommended to fans of the series. This novel explores misogyny, nature vs. nurture, art history, and the long lasting effects of abuse. Penny has a way of taking fascinating historical facts and making them a part of the story, so that readers don't necessarily know they are learning something profound until one thinks things through in the end. And above all, this is a tale of family, friendship, and community. It's about finding the humanity in others and revealing yourself to them in return. Isn't that what most of us want in the end? I’m not alone in loving Louise Penny’s Armand Gamache books. I’ve loved all but one (and that one I liked), so the bar was understandably high here. The thing is that this book didn’t just meet the bar. It blew the bar out of the water. The 2022 crime mystery book follows the investigation into a series of murders in Quebec, and briefly references the real life 1989 École Polytechnique massacre.Virtuoso… blends nuanced characterization with nail-biting suspense…This tale of forgiveness and redemption will resonate with many. ” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) In her 18th book in the Inspector Gamache series, A World of Curiosities, Louise Penny gives us a look into Armand and Jean-Guy's "origin stories." In 1989 a young Armand Gamache was present at the real-life incident of a man killing 14 woman engineering students at Montreal's Ecole Polytechnique, propelling him into a career in homicide. Ten years later Gamache recruits an angry, undisciplined officer, Jean-Guy Beauvior to help solve a murder. Both of these events have reverberations in the current timeline and bearing upon 3 more murders. The painting’s discovery will unleash a bloody retribution that Gamache never expected, and that threatens not just his life but everything dear to him. Cozy it’s not, but “A World of Curiosities” is an irresistible read. Now streaming On first sight this appears to be a copy of The Paston Treasure, a priceless work known also as A World of Curiosities that dates from the 1600s. But on closer inspection the painting reveals some oddities — among the objects depicting life in the seventeenth century are modern day items like digital watches and model aeroplanes.

Time passes and Gamache and his wife, Reine-Marie, have looked out for Fiona. She is graduating now with a degree in engineering. But Sam has always made Gamache uncomfortable. His cold stares reach into the inner workings of Gamache. Not much unsettles Gamache in life, but this young man does. In addition to an excellent mystery, Penny explores sexual abuse of children, misogyny, and gun crimes while holding me in the safety and comfort of Three Pines and the familiar cast of characters. The brilliant novel in the New York Times bestselling series by Louise Penny, one of the most acclaimed crime writers of our time. Feels like Penny is taking the first steps into woman activism. Taking on misogyny, patriarchy, government complicity in perpetrating same is a grand and applauded endeavor. But it feels scattershot and ineffective in such a complicated story. And our beloved Three Pines women aren't the firebrand women rights champions we need for a story that covers that mission. I think that's why we see so many new women characters. Gamache isn't up to carrying that mission alone. Myrna had the best opportunity to lead this arc, but she is...in love. Feels as though that makes her less effective in the plot. The writing was typical Penny, lots of lyrical sections, poems, dialogue, cliffhangers. But the flow in this one was up and down. It started off very strong and then it just started to drag, especially towards the end.I enjoyed seeing the darker sides of Gamache. No human is a saint, we're all sinners. And not in any religious sense, we are by nature petty, jealous and vengeful - it's just that we contain this in different measures and some have so many more virtuous traits that their darker streaks rarely show. But they are there. Three Pines is indeed a cozy haven. But Gamache knows monsters lurk beyond it, and sometimes come right in.

I love reading novels where a specific painting, either real or invented, features – especially when we’re given a detailed description of it. I suppose it’s part and parcel of my needing a sense of space in my fiction, whether an imaginary environment like Gormenghast or that of Piranesi’s carceri, or descriptions of real geography in fiction. On the real world side of the ledger, I found her depiction of one psychopath completely unnerving. So many books labeled as "psychological thrillers" these days are, IMNSHO, duds, leaving me with the feeling that the victims (typically women) are simplistic idiots. Not so here! In a few scenes scattered throughout the book, the menace bubbling below the surface of this character made my hair stand on end.

Despite the ravioli and eclairs, this is no cozy mystery. More nuanced with every development, riding a theme of forgiveness, past and present colliding, it’s a full symphony piece with choir—think Beethoven’s ninth. I was happy to see the return of Amelia. I really hated how she got jettisoned like 6 books ago, she was a welcome addition (IMHO) to the series. Well I enjoyed this one too, but.... it just contained too much. I think the editor should have suggested leaving out the two children and just going for the super crazy yet incredibly smart killer. Or vice versa. Either would do. Both was overkill. (pun - sorry). In a separate plot thread, Gamache is called upon to solve the mystery of a secret room discovered in the attic of the village bookstore. Inside, the villagers discover a long lost copy of a “grimoire” an old book thought to have been used by witches to summon demons. Nearby is a huge painting.

In unsealing that room, an old enemy is released into their world. Into their lives. And into the very heart of Armand Gamache’s home. The objects were collected by Sir Robert and Sir William who made acquisitions on a long journey travelling through Europe and on to Cairo and Jerusalem. The collection consisted of over 200 objects and included many natural curiosities made into decorative art objects, such as mounted seashells and ostrich eggs. The painting was unknown for centuries, and before it was donated to the Norwich Castle Museum in 1947, its last owner warned that it was "very faded, of no artistic value, only curious from an archaeological point of view." [4] It is now on display, with the strombus shell in an enamelled mount, as part of the Norwich Castle Museum Collection. This is my 17th Louise Penny. It should be my 18th but I did miss one when I first discovered this series and raced through many of the early books and now I can't quite figure out which one I missed or skipped when I could not get it in a timely manner from the library. Most have been on audio.For Penny, the novel is a narrative tour de force, drawing brilliantly on some dark moments in Québec history and leading Gamache and the residents of Three Pines to a hard-won, thoroughly unsentimental recognition that forgiveness is our most powerful magic.”— Booklist (starred review) Culley, Joanne (2023-03-11). "Otonabee Ward: Books can help us get through the last days of a Peterborough winter". The Peterborough Examiner . Retrieved 2023-03-26.