Louise Penny's latest Chief Inspector Armand Gamache mystery, set in Quebec and alternating between the the urban and countryside settings so well known to her faithful readers, is a triumph of suspense and decades long secrets. I loved how all of the pieces came together at the end and how I didn't have to remember details of her previous works to appreciate this dazzling, if slowly evolving, mystery of greed, evil, loneliness and, finally, terror. Her protagonist, the Chief Inspector, is supported by a coterie of characters living in Three Pines, the tea cosy village where Gamache is welcomed as he investigates one murder and solves a second, enormous province-wide threat that affects those he loves and those who have no idea that they are being threatened. I really enjoyed getting to know the Chief better and understanding what drives him. Penny does an excellent job of drawing you in and allowing you to watch a great, investigative mind at work. The only thing missing was the occasional wise-beyond-their-years children, but I forgive Penny this lapse because there was Rosa the Duck and who could ask for more? I highly recommend this book and can't wait to go back and reread Penny's eight other offerings. Thank you BookBrowse for bringing enjoyment to my life!

Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante is that unusual combination of psychological character study and murder mystery which does not disappoint on many levels. Foremost in quality is the format of this novel which is written through the eyes of a retired vascular surgeon, Jennifer White, who is suffering from Alzheimer's and is "a person of interest" in the murder of her best friend, Amanda O'Toole.

Amanda has been found dead in her kitchen with four of her fingers surgically removed and Jennifer either cannot or does not remember being involved in her murder. Told in an episodic internal narrative sprinkled with dialogue between Jennifer and her children, her caregiver and a personally involved police detective, this story draws the reader in with its insight into the slow deterioration caused by dementia. The novel is a quick read, which is not to say that it is not arresting or compelling in nature. I came away from reading this book with a greater empathy for the inner world of those suffering from this dreadful disease.

The murder plot was secondary, the police work minimal and the ending a not-unexpected twist. Overall I would recommend this novel to readers whose lives are touched by Alzheimer's as well as to those who are looking for a quick read on a serious medical subject.

This is my second Maisie Dobbs read and although longer in length than the first one I read (A Lesson in Secrets), I enjoyed it even more because of the inclusion of another country (France) and forays into the personal history of the heroine. In Pardonable Lies, Maisie faces personal crises while solidly investigating and solving 2-3 cases at once. The writer, Jacqueline Winspear, creates a heroine which the reader can grow to care about while admiring the calm, thoughtful manner in which she conducts her inquiries and solves her cases. In this book, Maisie must untangle the fates of two WWI British heroes and save from prosecution a teenage girl whose abusive stepfather is murdered. Overall a fine effort in a series which now has me hooked.

A Lesson in Secrets by Jacqueline Winspear is set in 1932 in England where Miss Maisie Dobbs, intrepid inquirer, is enlisted by the Secret Service and Scotland Yard to go undercover at a Cambridge college founded to promote peace after WW I. The sixth in a series by Ms. Winspear, her current offering compels the reader with an engrossing tale of secrets and lies uncovered as Maisie investigates a murder and other intrigues at the College of St. Francis. Subplots involving Maisie's co-worker and an acquaintance round out a well-told story about Pre-WW II England when Nazi influences are rising.

As a reader unacquainted with Ms. Winspear's earlier work, I found this novel to be engaging and enjoyable. It is an easy read which draws one into the plot with ease and interest. With just enough touches of English society (so much tea drinking!), the novel moves along from early scene setting to tidy finale, when all threads of the story are pulled together. I did feel that the subplots were unnecessary to the plot but did fill out the character of Maisie quite nicely. If you are a fan of English mysteries and appreciate a strong, steady female heroine, this is the novel for you. I plan to go back and ready all of the Maisie Dobbs mysteries which hopefully are as enjoyable as was A Lesson in Secrets.