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This is a murder mystery in the category of police procedural. I like to throw in a few of these every once in a while for variety. After all, one does not wish to consider oneself effete for having dined on too rich a diet of purely literary fare, does one?

Now that we're in the star bestowal business I thought for a minute about what makes for a good book of this sort. Here’s the list I came up with along with how Still Life did with respect to it.

�     Interesting characters
�     Plausible forensics
�     Sensible structure to the story
�     Skill in the uncovering of clues
�     Details of the setting for added flavor
x     Success in avoiding an annoying, witless junior officer who thinks she knows way more than she really does and is terrible at reading people

So with the exception of the last criterion, this one does well. Chief Inspector Armand Gamache qualifies as interesting in that wise and avuncular way that inspires confidence. It’s set in Quebec in a French and English speaking town south of Montreal. The local flavor was delicieux. As far as the forensics are concerned, there were some bits involving bowhunting that were out of the ordinary. This was Penny’s first book, but she seemed very polished in the way she set the stage and kept us guessing.

As you’ve no doubt already gathered from my list, I did have a problem with one of the characters on the investigative team. She seemed almost willfully obtuse. If the goal was to create conflict to foil the naturally unflappable Inspector Gamache, there had to have been more satisfying ways to do it than through her. Even so, the book has enough charm, intrigue and local color to recommend. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.