I must admit that I was drawn to this mystery because of the manner in which the murder victim died – she was electrocuted while sitting in a lawn chair on a frozen lake while watching a curling tournament in a remote and frozen Canadian village. I was intrigued  …

 

The story takes place at Christmastime, in a present-day idyllic and picturesque Canadian village of Three Pines. The author does an excellent job of drawing you into this lovely, heart-warming scene with its colorful cast of characters. These congenial people were even willing to be hospitable and welcoming to CC de Poitiers, a cold, cruel and vindictive woman new to the town. Someone, however, had had enough of her frigid cruelty and decided to heat her up with jumper cables and a monster generator. Suspects abound with lots of red herrings, twists, turns and subplots to keep the reader guessing.

 

Not only is this a very well-written who-done-it in the Agatha Christie style, there is definitely a deeper, more thought-provoking layer to the plot and particularly to the protagonist, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sureté de Québec. Gamache is insightful, compassionate, clever, and loyal – a Chief Detective that Hercule Poirot would be proud to work with. This is the second book in the Three Pines series, so book number one is definitely on my “Must Read” list, as well as the third.