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Book Overview
Winner of the 2007 Agatha Award for Best Novel!
From the Dagger award winning author Louise Penny comes the second Armand Gamache mystery set in the stunning countryside of Quebec. Welcome to winter in Three Pines, a picturesque village in Quebec, where the villagers are preparing for a traditional country Christmas, and someone is preparing for murder. No one liked CC de Poitiers. Not her quiet husband, not her spineless lover, not her pathetic daughter--and certainly none of the residents of Three Pines. CC de Poitiers managed to alienate everyone, right up until the moment of her death. When Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, of the S?ret? du Quebec, is called to investigate, he quickly realizes he's dealing with someone quite extraordinary. CC de Poitiers was electrocuted in the middle of a frozen lake, in front of the entire village, as she watched the annual curling tournament. And yet no one saw anything. Who could have been insane enough to try such a macabre method of murder--or brilliant enough to succeed? With his trademark compassion and courage, Gamache digs beneath the idyllic surface of village life to find the dangerous secrets long buried there. For a Quebec winter is not only staggeringly beautiful but deadly, and the people of Three Pines know better than to reveal too much of themselves. But other dangers are becoming clear to Gamache. As a bitter wind blows into the village, something even more chilling is coming for Gamache himself.Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0312541163
ISBN13:9780312541163
Release Date:February 2011
Publisher:Minotaur Books
Length:320 Pages
Weight:0.67 lbs.
Dimensions:1.0" x 6.0" x 8.2"
Customer Reviews
5 ratings
Three pines..i will read them all
Published by PennyC , 7 months ago
Love the characters, the small town, the unexpected and that i cant quite figure out what is odd about the comminity. Writing is rich and dense. Love it
Good Book
Published by PHD Chemist , 5 years ago
Good mystery
Come to Quebec
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
As a mystery enthusiast and recent visitor to Quebec I highly recommend this series. Penny puts us physically in the setting. We can almost feel the cold, and Three Pines is a community we would want to visit. Her characters are interesting and unique and her dialogue is engaging. The French aspect only contributes to the singular atmosphere and location of this mystery. The twists and turns of the plot will keep you guessing until the end. Read "Still Life", the first in the series, and "A Fatal Grace" and you will enthusiastically await Penny's next installment in the series.
Cautionary Tale
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
I read and enjoyed both of Louise Penny's previous books and was really looking forward to this "new" one. Imagine my surprise when, I discovered that it is actually Dead Cold under a different title. Apparently, the title was changed when it was published in the United States.
Excellent traditional mystery, but more
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 18 years ago
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his officers have been called back to the town of Three Pines. CC de Poitiers, an extremely unpleasant woman, has been murdered in public at the height of a curling match. Figuring out how she was killed is as much a mystery as uncovering who killed her. Penny's books are deceptive. On one hand, they seem a simple traditional mystery, set in a small town with lots of interesting, quirky characters, lots of suspects from which to choose and good twists and turns along the way. Penny does do dialogue well and her sense of place is evocative. But then there a second layer, hard to describe, but one I find makes me occasionally stop and think while reading and stays with me long after I've closed the book. Penny is one of those I can be being on my very short list of authors to re-read. Highly recommended.
A Fatal Grace (Dead Cold) Mentions in Our Blog
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Get to Know the Charming World of Chief Inspector Armand Gamache
Published by Ashly Moore Sheldon • August 24, 2021
Louise Penny's rich writing and the charming cast of characters in her fictional Canadian town of Three Pines have generated an ardent following. With the release of her latest book, released on August 24, we decided to spotlight the author and her award-winning Inspector Gamache series .
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