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 Three Pines Mystery Series by Louise Penny
Character's Personality: Inspector Armand Gimache is a Québécois (French-Canadian) in his fifties who is warm, intuitive, nurturing, well-read, and patient. He has a deep and compassionate curiosity about people. He reminds you of a softer, more nurturing version of Rostnikov from Stuart Kaminsky's Rostnikov mystery series. Other main characters include artist Clara, who is quirky, emotional, and intuitive; and her artist husband Peter, who is reserved, rational, and insecure.
Character's Occupation: Gimache is a homicide detective; Clara and Peter are artists
Character's Culture / Ethnicity: Gimache is Québécois (French Canadian) Clara and Peter are unspecified white people.
Character - Other Notable Traits:
Location and Time Period: Contemporary "Three Pines" village in Quebec, Canada
Mystery Subgenre: Cozy
Objectionable Material: Profanity and mild violence
Series Description: (brought to you by kat impatientreader.com) This is an excellent series that really breaks the mold. Its closest fit is in the cozy subgenre because the mysteries unfold in a small town within a finite group of well-known characters. Its feel is cozy, but it goes deeper in characterization and plotting than most cozy mysteries.
At the same time, it has elements of a police procedural with the addition of Inspector Gimache, a top homicide inspector with the Sûreté du Québec (the provincial police force of Quebec) who faces professional and personal challenges in coping with departmental politics, and mentoring his staff. His officers include the forthright, impatient Jean-Guy Beauvoir; the spiritual Isabelle Lacoste; and the resentful, abrasive, much-despised Yvette Nichol.
In every book, Gimache must revisit the tiny, picturesque village of Three Pines to solve a murder. This might seem to strain belief except that Three Pines is shown to be an unusual place from the beginning: it appears on no map and yet it draws worthy eccentrics from all walks of life to move there and reinvent themselves. Magical energy gathers nearby. Several of the locals have New Age and pagan beliefs. Each book features a large cast from Three Pines. It includes abrasive poet Ruth, gay couple Olivier and Gabri, and wise African-American bookstore owner Myrna.
Author Penny takes an unusual approach in that she tells the story from multiple third-person viewpoints, often switching amongst the thoughts of several different characters in the same scene, and manages to pull off this tricky maneuver with ease. The strength in the series is her willingness to create major tension between the characters – including husband Peter and wife Clara – and then to detail their complicated behavior (both admirable and despicable) towards each other. A highly recommended series.
Series List: Purple date = I've read it. Title links go to Amazon.com product pages.
- Still Life
 (2005) Dilys Award, Anthony Award. A beloved amateur artist gets murdered in Three Pines village in what looks like a bow-hunting accident. What did she have to hide? Why did she never let anyone inside her house? Meanwhile Gimache has his hands full with abrasive new officer Yvette Nichol whom the rest of his staff hates on sight. A complicated and excellent story.
- A Fatal Grace
 (2006) aka Dead Cold. Agatha Award. The newest resident in Three Pines village is CC, a narcissistic and evil woman who passes herself off as a spiritual guidance counselor, attempting to market a muddled and derivative system of belief. Everyone hates her. Therefore, when she gets murdered, almost everyone is a suspect in Inspector Gimache's investigation. A dark, complex, and excellent story.
- The Cruelest Month
 (2008) When the eccentrics at Three Pines Village hold a séance, a much-admired overachiever dies of fright. Several of the locals were either in love with the dead woman or jealous of her. Gimache shows up to investigate while coping with vicious departmental politics that culminate in a covert attempt to destroy his career. Also a strong entry into the series.
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