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Louise Penny: Still Life (A Three Pines Mystery) (2007, St. Martin's Paperbacks) 3 stars

Review of 'Still Life (A Three Pines Mystery)' on 'Goodreads'

1 star

My wife and I read this together, taking turns reading aloud. If not for our mutual shock and awe at how not-for-us the book was, I wouldn't have been able to finish it. We laughed at the writing, and snuck in (what should have been) ridiculous embellishments to see if the other would catch it ("Wait, does it really say that?!") This made it all the better (or worse) when the answer was, "Yes, it's really in the book. Look!" (For those who might take pause, I assure you after a beat any unnoticed embellishments were revealed by the current reader before proceeding.)

Neither of us reads modern "cozy" murder mysteries, so maybe we're lacking the experience or context required to appreciate a book like this. I'm told the series gets better, but so far the first third of the next book (we're trying to give the first three a chance due to receiving them as a gift) doubles down on the worst aspects of the first book.

Cheers to all of those who enjoy the series. And hugs to all of those as traumatized by this book as we were.