Book Beginnings: A Fatal Grace

A Fatal Grace, by Louise Penny (first published 2006)

Second book in the Chief Inspector Gamache mystery series

Opening Lines

Had CC de Poitiers known she was going to be murdered she might have bought her husband, Richard, a Christmas gift.

About the Book

The falling snow brings a hush to Three Pines – until a scream pierces the air. A spectator at the annual Boxing Day curling match has been fatally electrocuted. Heading the investigation, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache unravels the dead woman's past and discovers a history of secrets and enemies. But Gamache has enemies of his own. As a bitter wind blows into the village, something even more chilling is sneaking up behind him. (GoodReads)

Initial Thoughts

Hmmm?  So now I'm wondering why she didn't buy the poor guy a Christmas gift. Even though she didn't know about her impending demise.

I just finished the first book in this series (Still Life, 2005) last week, and liked it so much that I just had to go ahead and read the second book right away. Actually, that doesn't happen very often for me – I usually allow some time between books in a series. But Chief Inspector Gamache is such an attractive character, I felt like I wanted to spend a little more time with him. From the reviews of this one, it seems to be just as good as the first book (it won the Agatha Award for Best Novel), so I have (as usual) high hopes.

Have a good weekend, everyone.
Stay safe. Stay calm. And happy reading!

Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings on Friday.  As she says, the idea is to post the first sentence (or so) of the book you're currently reading, along with any first impressions or thoughts you have about the book, the author, etc.  It's a wonderful way of adding new books to your must-read list, and a chance to connect with other readers and bloggers.

Book Beginnings: The King's Justice

The King's Justice, by Susan Elia MacNeal (Bantam, February 2020).

Ninth book in the Maggie Hope series of historical mystery novels.

Opening Lines

Prologue

March 1, 1943

Each incoming tide of the Thames brought another layer of debris, and, when the waters receded, mysteries could be found buried in the silt.

About the Book

Maggie Hope started out as Winston Churchill's secretary, but now she's a secret agent–and the only one who can figure out how a missing violin ties into a series of horrifying murders. 

Traumatized by her past, Maggie finds herself living dangerously–taking huge risks, smoking, drinking, and speeding through the city streets on a motorbike. The last thing she wants is to get entangled in another crime. But when she's called upon to look into the theft of a Stradivarius, one of the finest violins ever made, Maggie can't resist.  

Meanwhile, there's a serial killer on the loose in London, targeting conscientious objectors. Little does she know that investigating this dangerous predator will pit her against a new evil–and old enemies.

Initial Thoughts

This will be a new series for me, and as usual I'm jumping in at the end without having read any of the earlier books. But the premise is intriguing, and I'm always interested in that World War II period as a setting. So I have high hopes for this one.

I'm actually still reading the same book I've been reading for a couple of weeks now (Still Life, by Louise Penny), but I'm expecting to start this new one in a day or two...if I don't get distracted by one of those other books in one of those many piles of TBR books around here.

Have a good weekend, everyone.
Stay safe. Stay calm. And happy reading!

Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings on Friday.  As she says, the idea is to post the first sentence (or so) of the book you're currently reading, along with any first impressions or thoughts you have about the book, the author, etc.  It's a wonderful way of adding new books to your must-read list, and a chance to connect with other readers and bloggers.

Book Beginnings: Still Life, by Louise Penny

Still Life, by Louise Penny (first published 2005).

First book in her series of Chief Inspector Gamache mysteries.

Opening Lines

Miss Jane Neal met her maker in the early morning mist of Thanksgiving Sunday. It was pretty much a surprise all round.

About the Book

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Surêté du Québec and his team of investigators are called in to the scene of a suspicious death in a rural village south of Montreal. Jane Neal, a local fixture in the tiny hamlet of Three Pines, just north of the U.S. border, has been found dead in the woods. The locals are certain it’s a tragic hunting accident and nothing more, but Gamache smells something foul in these remote woods, and is soon certain that Jane Neal died at the hands of someone much more sinister than a careless bowhunter. 

Still Life introduces not only an engaging series hero in Inspector Gamache, who commands his forces—and this series—with integrity and quiet courage, but also a winning and talented new writer of traditional mysteries in the person of Louise Penny. (—GoodReads)

Initial Thoughts

This is a series I've been meaning to sample for years now. My husband recommended it, which is a little odd since he doesn't read many mystery novels. And I'm doing something that's quite unusual for me, too — starting with the very first book! Instead of starting near the end of the series and working my way back. It's definitely a new experience — but so far, a happy one.

Have a good weekend, everyone.
Stay safe. Stay calm. And happy reading!

Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings on Friday.  As she says, the idea is to post the first sentence (or so) of the book you're currently reading, along with any first impressions or thoughts you have about the book, the author, etc.  It's a wonderful way of adding new books to your must-read list, and a chance to connect with other readers and bloggers.

Book Beginnings: Miss Austen

Miss Austen, by Gill Hornby (Flatiron Books, April 2020). 

Opening lines

"Let us take that path." 

He closed the garden door behind her and gestured toward the Elm Walk. She pulled her shawl close and drank a deep draft of the new, green air. The year was 1795, and the day seemed to assume itself to be the first of that spring. Birds high in the oak tree sang out their relief; a new stickiness shone from the twigs. Together they walked up the slope at the back of the rectory, through the gap in the hedgerow and there — out of sight of her family — he stopped and took her hand.

About the Book

England, 1840. For the two decades following the death of her beloved sister, Jane, Cassandra Austen has lived alone, spending her days visiting friends and relations and quietly, purposefully working to preserve her sister’s reputation. Now in her sixties and increasingly frail, Cassandra goes to stay with the Fowles of Kintbury, family of her long-dead fiancé, in search of a trove of Jane’s letters. Dodging her hostess and a meddlesome housemaid, Cassandra eventually hunts down the letters and confronts the secrets they hold, secrets not only about Jane but about Cassandra herself. Will Cassandra bare the most private details of her life to the world, or commit her sister’s legacy to the flames? (Publisher's description)

Initial Thoughts

There seem to be several books out right now with Jane Austen as a character or theme. I'm usually a bit wary of that sort of historical fiction, but this one sounds more interesting than most. Got my copy from GoodReads in one of their giveaways, and I really should have read it by now. Running slow (as usual), but I'm eager to get started on it.

Have a good weekend, everyone.
Stay safe. Stay calm. And happy reading!

Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings on Friday.  As she says, the idea is to post the first sentence (or so) of the book you're currently reading, along with any first impressions or thoughts you have about the book, the author, etc.  It's a wonderful way of adding new books to your must-read list, and a chance to connect with other readers and bloggers.