Customer Reviews

Bury Your Dead

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Short review: It's an incredible book and I am very lucky that I had access to an Advanced Reader's Copy. You, gentle reader, would enjoy it most if you read the first five books in the Three Pines mystery series as they all build in terms of character and story to make the experience far more rich and rewarding.

And a longer (if you wnat to keep reading) version: My love affair with the books of Louise Penny began two years ago when I read the first of her Three Pines mysteries, "Still Life". I have read a lot of mysteries (including 120 in the last three years) and Louise Penny has become one of my favorite writers. All of the mysteries I read have their fair share of good and evil, usually a corpse or two and someone searching for the answers.

In Louise's world, her people are so complex and fascinating (beginning with the Surete's Armand Gamache) that you wish you could move into the small Canadian village of Three Pines and join them for a cup of cafe au lait and a croissant. So what if people seem to die there (of unnatural causes) at a higher per capita rate than almost anywhere else! It's a world of good friends and great food and challenging weather, of art and poetry and greed and mayhem and undercurrents. So many wonderful undercurrents. Penny does not underestimate the readers' intelligence and for that we can be grateful. This newest book, "Bury Your Dead" takes you to several locations throughout Canada, but her skill in tying it all back to Three Pines and the residents there is wonderful. I have no desire to spoil any of the storyline(s) for you, so I will just say that if you like your reading to include sly wit, heartbreaking emotions and a deep understanding of what makes us human, this is the book (and series) for you. Enjoy.

and names too remember. I would recommend this book to people who are interested in the history of Quebec and
the separatist movement.

I have read many other books by this author and thoroughly enjoyed every one. This one did not hold my interest and attention. I had to force myself to finish it. I would not recommend it to anyone.

Ms Penny improves which each new book. Discover this great city while enjoying an entertaining whodunnit! No need to read all the previous books as recurring characters are well described. Some creative liberties with historical facts which the author acknowledges in the introduction. A good read nonetheless.

The book takes place in and around Quebec City, Canada, where the dwindling Anglophone community feels it is still fighting wars 250 years in the past. One which the English had won, 'securing Quebec for the English, on paper,' but not so in actuality. Even beyond the strong separatist feelings, there is a great deal of animosity between the two cultures [Francophones being the other], down to the refusal of most of its citizens to learn the language of the other. As the Quebecois say, 'je me souviens,' I remember. We are told that 'not everything buried is actually dead. For many, the past is alive.'

The plot deals with two present-day murders, and the author teases the reader by alternating the chapters between the two investigations ' indeed, three, as there is another involving deeds, and a dead body, from over a century ago. A great deal of fascinating history is provided, regarding events of which I do not hesitate to admit that I [and I suspect many other non-Canadians] was unaware.

Inspector Gamache, 'head of the most prestigious homicide unit in Canada, the Surete du Quebec,' returns in his sixth appearance. This time around he is literally and figuratively scarred and haunted by recent events, a deadly incident involving the murder of one Surete officer and the kidnapping of another, pitting Gamache up against his superior officer who refuses to consider a scenario other than the one which he perceives to be the correct one in order to try to rescue their endangered colleague. Now on leave, and haunted by the tragic outcome of the incident, Gamache is told by a trusted mentor that everything will heal, 'avec le temps,' with time.

Gamache is described as 'a man who preferred good books and long walks to any other activity.' He also has a strong sense of justice, and feels duty bound to take another look at the case which was at the center of 'The Brutal Telling,' the prior entry in the series, the murder of a hermit in the charming village of Three Pines, despite the fact that the man he had arrested for the murder was convicted and is presently serving his sentence.

The pace of the novel is a leisurely one, and although I could not figure out why I found it so slow-moving, I must say it gave me that much greater an opportunity to enjoy the charming prose. The three prongs of the tale are all deftly and satisfyingly resolved, and Inspector Gamache is once more shown to be a clever and very human police officer. Very enjoyable, the novel is recommended.

Short review: It's an incredible book and I am very lucky that I had access to an Advanced Reader's Copy. You, gentle reader, would enjoy it most if you read the first five books in the Three Pines mystery series as they all build in terms of character and story to make the experience far more rich and rewarding.

And a longer (if you wnat to keep reading) version: My love affair with the books of Louise Penny began two years ago when I read the first of her Three Pines mysteries, "Still Life". I have read a lot of mysteries (including 120 in the last three years) and Louise Penny has become one of my favorite writers. All of the mysteries I read have their fair share of good and evil, usually a corpse or two and someone searching for the answers.

In Louise's world, her people are so complex and fascinating (beginning with the Surete's Armand Gamache) that you wish you could move into the small Canadian village of Three Pines and join them for a cup of cafe au lait and a croissant. So what if people seem to die there (of unnatural causes) at a higher per capita rate than almost anywhere else! It's a world of good friends and great food and challenging weather, of art and poetry and greed and mayhem and undercurrents. So many wonderful undercurrents. Penny does not underestimate the readers' intelligence and for that we can be grateful. This newest book, "Bury Your Dead" takes you to several locations throughout Canada, but her skill in tying it all back to Three Pines and the residents there is wonderful. I have no desire to spoil any of the storyline(s) for you, so I will just say that if you like your reading to include sly wit, heartbreaking emotions and a deep understanding of what makes us human, this is the book (and series) for you. Enjoy.

I'm in the middle of reading this book now, which means I'm caught in that awkward stage of wanting to race to the finish, and NOT wanting to see the end of it. To solve this situation, I'm more or less torturing myself by reading it in one-or-two-chapter increments. What makes this easier to do is that I've already read Penny's previous Chief Inspector Gamache novels, so am familiar with her characters right down to Rosa the duck, who may or may not return (stay tuned!).

For me, the Quebec setting and CI Gamache are the big attractions and I enjoy how well Penny depicts them. And after this book, Inspector Beauvoir is likely to become the third big attraction. At this point in the story, Beauvoir's having a late-night conversation with cantankerous elderly poet Ruth, as they trade insults and Beauvoir begins to find this outwardly unpleasant experience strangely healing. (To his credit, he suspected it would be.)

This episode encapsulates what Penny does so well--humanizes her characters and makes you enjoy being in their company. The plot can seem secondary to the people, but it's always strongly there and Penny's readers will enjoy following the thread as she leads us into the story's labyrinth of crime and evil. They'll also appreciate how she balances the dark side of her books with the basic strength, decency and goodness of Chief Inspector Gamache. He's the light at the end of the tunnel that signals to readers they're in good hands. (Even when, as in this novel, Gamache has made at least one serious mistake.)
That's all for now, as I've just talked myself into reading the next chapter!

this book before you have read the book The Brutal Telling first. This book is a complete spoiler for that book. Even though I knew the key plot elements, I think the Brutal Telling was the best of the first six Three Pines series. I imagine that I would have enjoyed Bury Your Dead even more if I'd read them in the right order.

6th book the Chief Inspector Gamache series

'Bury your Dead', won numerous awards in Canada and other countries for being the 'Best Crime Novel' in 2010 and consequently became profitable for everyone in the business. Browsing reviews from different sites before I finalized my thoughts, I discovered most readers' qualified it as extraordinary; the best in the series'.seems I am one of the few to question this assessment.'OMG did I dislike one of Louise Penny's cosy novels? What did I miss?

I agree with those saying that Louise Penny ran out of ideas in this one, after creating so much murder and suspense in Three Pines she seems to have lost focus and direction in this one. The action moves to Québec City, dead of winter, Carnival time, where we learn the loveable Inspector has suffered a traumatic event. Initially I wondered, did I miss something, where, when and how did this event happen?

This latest instalment is a rather quiet introspective story that intertwines three plots:

1) Inspector Gamache while in recovery mode decides to spend some time with his mentor in Québec City and rehash some of his memories that still haunt him and try to tie up some loose ends. While there, he stumbles upon the Lit& His Library/Museum at the time when a body is discovered in the basement. Naturally our Québec 'Columbo' takes the reins of the investigation, an investigation that brushes the delicate aspects of history between the French and Anglo communities.

2) While in flashback mode Gamache rehashes the events of a deadly police investigation that went terribly wrong. A deadly raid that always comes back to haunt him.

3) Another case that has also haunted him over time is brought to the forefront. He was never happy with the outcome and asks Jean Guy Beauvoir to revisit the case with the hope of answering some of his unanswered questions. It is a step back in time covering the events in the novel 'The Brutal Telling'

The author hopscotches her way between plots that are not linked in an awkward manner making it very hard to follow, even with a full background of the previous novels, I found it a challenge. MS. Penny passion for Québec can be overwhelming at times, French terms and expression add atmosphere to the prose but may not have full effect if not understood. Gamache wandering the cobble stone streets of the Old City munching a baguette or a croissant spells tourist rather than a native of the province in my books'.The pacing pussyfoots all through the story, the only serious action surfaces in the last pages with Gamache's step by step recount of the botched investigation.

This was a tedious read, a disappointment. I preferred when Inspector Gamache focused on one case at a time

Louise Pennys books just get better and better. The characters she creates are so well rounded and so HUMAN somehow. I have enjoyed each of her books (and have read them all twice!) Many times while reading this book I would have to put it down in awe at how she is able to "weave" the story together and make it work. She is truly a master storyteller! I can't wait until her next book comes out because each one is better than the last. I would give this one 6 stars if it were possible!