This “cozy” is set in Three Pines which, after I read this somewhere, is NOT supposed to be a real or realistic place. It’s a fantasy place for a certain group of people/readers.  And with this book, A World of Curiosities,  it’s needed.  

A World of Curiosities
by Louise Penny
2023/
Read by Robert Bathurst 13h 15m
Rating: B+ / / Crime-horror

I don’t know why I keep reading these books.  I finish them, but that’s a barely finished.  I get them from the library because next time I just might not finish.  But so many people enjoy them and rave, from my friends to Book Group members and even my sister.  This one was better except for the horrendous subject-matter.  How in the world did Louise Penny get labeled “cozy” or am I imagining that? Or has she changed? 

Ten years ago now-retired Detective Armond Ganache faced a case of a murdered woman and her abused children.  Now those two children are grown and back in town with all their psychological baggage. Gamach is convinced the boy is a psychopath The novel mostly takes place in that distant past but the conclusion of the story is in today’s world and that has a lot of tangents as well.  And the book took off at about 40%.   

In spite of the graphic horrors, for the most part I enjoyed this addition to Penny’s series more than any of her prior novels. I think it was because of the “then and now” structure, the complexities of the characters and the twisty and twisted  plot itself.  I think over the years I’ve read about 7 or 8 of them.  I’ll not even bother going back to the Ralph Cosham books – there were 10 of them.  Now with Robert Bathurst there have been 9 more of which I’ve read 3 and I might, with time, read some more. We’ll see.  I might stick with reading as they come out. 

 The regular characters of Three Pines include (I don’t think they’re all in this book)
• Armand Gamache, top cop in the the provincial police forcez
• Reine-Marie,  his wife, a museum curator 
• Olivier, who owns the Bistro, and 
• Gabri, Olivie’s partner,who’s in charge of the B&B.
• Myrna, who runs the bookstore.
• Clara, an artist, and her husband, 
• Peter, Clara’s husband 
• Ruth, an elderly poet.

Many readers didn’t like this book so much because the subject matter is horrific and imo, Penny might be playing with the “horror” genre. It added a lot to the suspense, I will say that.  And the idyllic Three Pines was needed even more as a respite. 

The Paston Treasure –   
https://en.wikipedia.org/wikicThe_Paston_Treasure

Myrna, the Mammy: Louise Penny’s American Dream?
 https://gykendall1.medium.com/myrna-the-mammy-louise-pennys-american-dream-b12d8cee41d2

I’ll be reading more.