Books For The Road -- The Armand Gamache Series by Louise Penny

Read the first book and you will be hooked. Louise Penny has created not only a major character with as much depth as I've ever seen but she has surrounded him with group of supporting characters that are each unique and intriguing in their own right. Armand Gamache is a detective with the Surete, the police force for Quebec. His position in the Surete changes as the series goes on but he is always solving crimes and mysteries. He is quite a gentleman, an intellectual, with a kind heart and a quick wit. There is great strength and depth in him.

The books are set in Quebec and the little town that many of the stories center on is called Three Pines. As Penny is from that area, she brings scene descriptions to life. When it snows, you feel the cold and the snow and you see the beauty as well as when the sun shines and the flowers begin to bloom.

When you join the characters at the Bistro or a dinner at home, you can almost smell the food. Don't read if you're hungry. You will be salivating.

Mystery and detective work are made even more interesting with the characters applying quotes and lines of poetry to philosophical approaches as they arrive at solutions and answers.

Of course there is the most colorful character who is a bit crude and has a duck for a pet, but I'll let you discover her.

There are thirteen books in the series right now and number fourteen will be out in a couple of weeks. Start with Still Life though and try to read them in order. It will help you to understand the history of the characters and you can see them develop that way.

Enjoy the reading trip!