The second in the Three Pines series. Chief Inspector Armand Gamache has to discover who killed a woman, who happened to be the most disliked woman in the town. Was it her mousy husband? And why is that awful Agent who messed up the last case back on this one? Another peek into the lives of French Canadians, this time in the cold of winter. ( )

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is once again sent to Three Pines to investigate a murder. CC de Poitiers is electrocuted while in the middle of a frozen pond watching a curling match on Boxing Day. How is that possible? Inspector Gamache sets to work determining the means, motive and opportunity of such a strange and intricate murder lead to unusual discoveries as well as bringing back painful memories of his previous time in Three Pines.

The characters and setting are so beautifully detailed. Drawn within the mystery are 3 dimensional characters that are funny, true-to-life, and people that you want to take to your heart and name as your friends. The reader understands how much Armand adores his wife, feels the hesitation of the new team members, and wonder along with the inhabitants of Three Pines as they try to understand the behavior of the victim and how it was the cause of the murder,
Gamache instills loyalty and respect from his team while working to inspire all those around him.

It took me a while to get into this book because I had to think back to the first one and it took several chapters to get to the point where I felt comfortable again with the characters. We are given a glimpse into the farther reaching aspects of Gamache's life with some hints leaving the reader hanging and searching for resolution in the future. The series is entertaining with a beautiful setting and heartwarming characters. ( )

Just like the first in the series, Still Life, there's a death in Three Pines and Inspector Gamache is called in to solve it. We trek along in the snow alongside Gamache and discover clues that hopefully assist in solving the case. He has a different assistant this time around and we watch him grow as an investigator.

I had some mixed emotions about this one. There were some scenes that I thought were too reminiscent of the first and others that were a little confusing, but the atmosphere and Gamache remained alluring. While he, once again, shared his wisdom with his new assistant, he wasn't as deep as he was in Still Life, which was one aspect that I really enjoyed. I know most of that sounds negative, but the process of solving the who-dun-it was the core and that kept me intrigued and involved. (4/5)

Originally posted on: Thoughts of Joy ( )

a fatal grace is the american title, which of course gets you thinking that several characters might be the killer. This gets in the way of reading the story, a little bit. However, this is not a complex plot, and yet you find yourself reading well past the time you figure out who the killer is because the author does such a wonderful job of making you like the characters in this book. I find myself wishing that I lived in this little town with its many eccentrics.

Louise Penny has you reading her tales not for the murder mystery inside it, but for the characters. They are so well developed, and defined and real. You find yourself wanting to send them a condolance card, or add them to your Christmas card list. It is for these wonderfully flawed and loveable characters that I read these books, not the murders, though those are not to be dismissed.

A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny is a very atmospheric and moody murder mystery that takes place in a small town near Montreal, Quebec. Chief Insp. Armand Gamache, the protagonist, is an extremely likeable character. It's a good read, as are the others in this series. (Roxann) ( )