Brewed for Suspense- Still Life by Louise Penny- January 7 at 6:30 at Brewer’s Kitchen & Tap Room

Join us for January’s Brewed for Suspense: The Mystery Club at Brewer’s on January 7 at 6:30 pm for a discussion of Still Life by Louise Penny, the book that launched the Chief Inspector Gamache series, now at the 19th book, The Grey Wolf.  Book are avialable at the library for checkout, or at Brewer’s Kitchen and Taproom.

Lousie shares:

The novels are set, for the most part, in the fictional Quebec village of Three Pines. I created the village as a place of refuge. A place I would choose to live. That was beautiful, and peaceful. That offered company, companionship—as well as croissants and rich café au lait. And licorice pipes.

The world, when I started writing Still Life, was suddenly a pretty scary place. 9/11 had happened the year before and more attacks seemed imminent and would almost certainly be completely unexpected. Suddenly places and activities that had seemed benign, safe, fun, were riddled with insecurity. I wanted to pull the sheets up over my head, stay in bed, and read. But, like you, I couldn’t. But what I could do was create that safe place. Oddly, perhaps, I also chose to violate it—by bringing murder into the pretty little village, and into the lives of Clara, Peter, Ruth et al. But it also brought Chief Inspector Gamache. The decent man, who made a living investigating the indecent act of homicide. Here now, in Still Life, we are introduced to Gabri and Olivier, to Ruth, the demented old poet. To Clara, who creates art from her heart, and Peter, the more successful artist in their marriage. To Ben, who never strays far from home, and Myrna, who found a home in Three Pines. And all the other villagers whose lives mix and join together. From here their stories move forward, but we also see further and further back. To what made them who they are.

These books are murder mysteries, but they’re not about murder. They’re about love and belonging, about loyalty and choices. And the courage to be good.

Come get the book and enter the world of Three Pines and join the community Louise Penny has created.  See you there!