BOOK REVIEW: Still Life
Book written by author Louise Penny
Well, here we go again, fellow readers. It seems that every book I pick up lately turns out to be a winner, thanks to suggestions from the
Abbott Memorial Library's Liz Breault, who has learned over the years what kinds of books appeal to me. I do not hesitate to write a negative review if it is warranted, but I just haven't been able to find fault with any lately, including this one.

Almost any book jacket will tell you that the author's characters are wonderfully drawn and the plot is intricate and unique, and this is certainly true of Still Life. What caught my attention early on, however, was that Ms. Penny's pen, or more accurately computer, has the ability to dig deep below the façade and dredge out the inner beings of all of the personalities of those who people her book. An example of this is the following quote, from Page 173, in which she reveals the inner workings of a man who, along with his teen aged son, is suspected of murder:

"Matthew leaned closer to his plate and fine-tuned the ravioli road. Each tiny ridge on the outside of the squares needed to fit into the opposing indentations. Or else? Or else the universe would explode in fire and their flesh would bubble and sear off, and he would see his whole family die in front of him, milliseconds before his own horrible death. There was a lot riding on Chef Boyardee."

This single paragraph opens the reader to the understanding of the torment in which Matthew is suffering, and his compulsion with the arrangement of his food on his plate clearly identifies his mental condition, his attempt to find something that he can control, to make up for the disorder in his life through the ravioli patterns on his plate. The reference to "Chef Boyardee" softens the mood a little, adding a second level to the character's identification. It is with this light touch of humor in a sad or desperate passage that Ms. Penny writes throughout this most excellent mystery novel. I hesitate to call it a mystery novel, in fact, because it is much more than that. It is a delving into the very souls of her fictional people and how they interact in their relationships and attitudes, encompassing all the greed, jealousy, love, humor, and humanity of life in a small Canadian village.

For the reader who loves the perfect use of language, this is the right book. I highly recommend it.
Review by Litera Scripta