9.
Author(s): Louise Penny
Title: Bury Your Dead
Publication: Hardback
Pages: 371
Genre: Mystery
Acquisition:
Date Completed: January 18, 2011
Rating: 5 stars out of 5

I have always found a kind of dignity in Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache series, and Bury Your Dead is no different. The novel itself is one of introspection and personal awareness, as it forces two principal characters to exist as separate - suffering - entities. Despite a present murder, the true mysteries are those that occurred long ago, and the nearly academic nature of the primary mysteries become cathartic for Gamache and Jean-Claude as they strive to heal mentally from a terrible professional tragedy. At times, Bury Your Dead reads almost like a cozy mystery, as so much detection and consideration takes place in libraries and in the company of historical societies over more stereotypical interrogations. Gamache is shown to be fully human, though his standards reach far beyond, and Beauvoir is still as revolting as ever; as, I can only assume, he will continue to be.