A Rule Against Murder: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel, By Louise Penny

This fourth in the Inspector Gamache mysteries begins with Armand Gamache and his wife, Reine-Marie Gamache celebrating their wedding anniversary with a stay at the remote Manoir Bellechasse, a luxury inn located not far from the village of Three Pines.  Also there is the rich, self-important Morrow family, there for a reunion.  Of course, the idyllic setting is interrupted with a brutal murder, which puts Inspector Gamache and his team to work on an extraordinary mystery -- one that forces the Inspector to confront his innermost fears and a family history that haunts him.
336 pages

Still Life, A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel, by Louise Penny

This first of the series introduces Chief Inspector Gamache of the Surêté du Québec and his team of investigators when they are called in to the scene of a suspicious death in a rural village south of Montreal, Three Pines.  Jane Neal, a beloved retired school teacher has been found dead on a trail in the nearby woods from an arrow.  While the locals feel certain it must have been a hunting accident, Inspector Gamache isn't convinced, and he and his team skillfully investigate the cast of colorful characters and determine that it was indeed murder.  This is a popular series that I look forward to enjoying.
312 pages

The nature of the beast by Louise Penny

What a treat to have a new Inspector Gamache book to read!  I brewed myself a cup of tea and settled in to read the latest installment.  Inspector Gamache has retired to the village of Three Pines with his wife Reine-Marie. A young boy in the village goes missing not long after a play by an infamous serial killer is chosen by the local amateur theater group for its next production. Gamache is the only person who thinks the two events are linked. Gamache's former team is called in to investigate when the boy is found dead. Penny does a great job of continuing to develop her characters.  In this book for example, Gamache has to learn how not to be in charge. The author's note at the end of the book gives the historical basis for the mystery.  Read this series if you want to be reassured that goodness exists in the world,  376 pages.