"It's hard to decide what provides the most pleasure in this enjoyable book: Gamache, a shrewd and kindly man constantly surprised by homicide; the village, which sounds at first like an ideal place to escape from civilization; or the clever and carefully constructed plot."
– -Chicago Tribune
"Cerebral, wise and compassionate, Gamache is destined for stardom. Don't miss this stellar debut."
– -Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Terrific. Like a virtuoso, Penny plays a complex variation on the theme of the clue hidden in plain sight."
– -Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A gem of a book."
– -Booklist (starred review)
Extraordinary Praise for STILL LIFE
"A stellar debut novel. The setting is entrancing… Well done!"
– -Deadly Pleasures
"A gem of a debut novel--clever, charming, with perceptively realized characters … and the enormously appealing Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. I can't wait for the next installment."
– -Deborah Crombie, author of Water Like a Stone
"An excellent, subtle plot full of understanding of the deeper places in human nature, and many wise observations that will enrich the reader long after the pages are closed."
– -Anne Perry, author of Long Spoon Lane
"Georges Simenon kept Maigret going for over a hundred books. It will be a delight for all of us who love detective fiction if Louise Penny can stay around long enough to do the same for Gamache."
– -Reginald Hill, author of The Stranger House
"Still Life is a masterpiece of a traditional drawing room mystery, repainted in the autumnal colors of the Canadian countryside. Louise Penny is a storytelling artist."
– -Julia Spencer-Fleming, author of To Darkness and to Death
"What a joy it is to discover a detective like Armand Gamache, strong, calm and charismatic, and at work on a good mystery in a believable setting."
– -Peter Lovesey, author of The Circle
"What a joy to read a crime novel written with such skill and integrity, strong on character and atmosphere … I couldn't put it down."
– -Margaret Yorke, author of False Pretences
"Still Life is a lovely, clever book and I hope I shall be reading a lot more by Louise Penny!"
– -Ann Granger, author of That Way Murder Lies