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cathepsut's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
My first Gamache, but the 13th of the series, so I am most likely missing some context.
Gamache, the chief of police of the province of Quebec, is in the witness stand of a murder trial. The chief prosecutor is pretty hostile towards his main witness. Through the questioning we are told the story of the murder that happened in the village of Three Pines. So much for the beginning. There is more to it, with a pretty modern problem.
Slow. A lot of talking and reminiscing. Set-up for the community that lives in Three Pines and its guests. More talking. Little doing. The murder only happens a third into the book. And the accused sitting on that bench during the trial is never named, which in my opinion is a pretty lame gimmick to create suspense. Of which there was little to none. The last 30% are a bit more speedy, but the wrap-up is quite repetitive.
Some of the characters stay one-dimensional, I struggled to keep them apart until the end. The woman with the duck was just a silly caricature.
Many of my reading buddies love Gamache, but this was way too cozy for me. And the plot was a little silly. It is very unlikely that I will pick up another one of the series or by this author, unless I come by it very cheaply. Maybe #14…
2.5 pine cones, rounded up to 3 for the tears-inducing ending.
PS:
– Initially bought for my mum, who did not finish it. I should have listened to her reasons.
– I don‘t read many straight mysteries anymore and never in German, so this was a bit of an an uphill struggle.
– Reading a novel in German again wasn‘t as much work as I had feared.
– The first book of the series, Still Life, was made into a movie and I would watch it.
– The English original is called Glass Houses: A Novel, which is more meaningful for the book than the German title „Behind the Three Pines“.
– Initially bought for my mum, who did not finish it. I should have listened to her reasons.
– I don‘t read many straight mysteries anymore and never in German, so this was a bit of an an uphill struggle.
– Reading a novel in German again wasn‘t as much work as I had feared.
– The first book of the series, Still Life, was made into a movie and I would watch it.
– The English original is called Glass Houses: A Novel, which is more meaningful for the book than the German title „Behind the Three Pines“.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Drug abuse
luveloise3's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, and Murder
Moderate: Addiction and Suicide
Minor: Abortion
cpachet's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This is my first time reading a Louise Penny, recommended by a colleague of my sister’s. She and I randomly chose this book and halfway through I was like “I probably should’ve started with the first Gamache instead of the 13th”. So many characters to keep track of (some that brought little/nothing to the story). The plot was surprisingly thin/simple despite being drawn out for 400 pages. Penny relies heavily on talking around a subject (specifically the identity of the suspect, even though the book starts with the trial) and while the trope can be an effective one to hook a reader, the reveal took a very long time and wasn’t that surprising or exciting. Would I try reading another Louise Penny? Probably not.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse and Gun violence
maplegreen's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, and Murder
maddireads13's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Murder
Moderate: Drug abuse
Minor: Suicide