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What did you think of A Fatal Grace and why?
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AFG takes place during Christmas-New Year’s which is usually thought of as a happy, joyous time. But underneath the whiteness of the snow and the brightness of the season, there is darkness evident in power struggles, warped and twisted love, loneliness and unhappiness and cruelty. At one time or another, practically every character is a suspect in the murder of CC de Poitiers. It is slow paced with much character development, but the world view is typical LP: the power and goodness of community triumph over evil. Yes, I enjoyed it, but not as much as I might have if there had been more time between my last reading and this one. With more time between readings, I forget some aspects of the story and can be surprised by them all over again.
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Confession – this is my first time reading A Fatal Grace. I had read A Still Life and then went onto The Cruelest Month but I skipped this book for some reason. Life has gotten in the way and I just never got around to it. So this discussion group was a great reason (*cough excuse) to stop postponing it. Reading the book was a real treat for me.
When I compare it to Still Life and the rest of the series I’d say AFG sees Three Pines really starting to take shape, far more so than in A Still Life. The story comes together with LP’s blend of an unusual murder and interesting characters that I want to know more about. There’s more Gamache. There are also the sharp, prickly unlikeable characters I “love to hate” and think about like CC – she’s definitely now one of my top picks of villain in the Three Pines series. The murky agents in the Surete also start to appear, but their motives are still foggy, of course. I very much enjoyed that there were so many suspects in CC’s murder, although I found the murder itself highly improbable – curling rinks, aluminum chairs, etc. crazy stuff. But it’s a great excuse to explore the village in the winter.
I totally agree with you Nancy about the power struggles, the twisted love, and loneliness – it permeates the story. The book sure has a lot to say about the influence we have on each other – positive and negative – and I’m still thinking about the ways that all the characters interacted with each other. I’m looking forward to digging into the book and hearing everyone’s thoughts.
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Definitely enjoyed it. It includes all of the elements of an amazing story. Great plot that develops over time with clues I recognize on later reading; like Gamache, my chief suspect was Richard Lyon. A setting that one can’t escape; I was shivering reading about the weather. And the continued development of the characters I most enjoy, both Jean Guy and Armand and the continued development of their personal and professional relationship. It becomes both more trusting and more candid in each story.
What struck me most on this read, at least the 4th, is the way LP sets up subsequent conflicts and characters and blurs their future roles. Lemieux comes across as the eager and faithful team player but even before we learn about his phone conversation with Brebeuf, LP provides hints that he is there with an agenda. Nichol is similarly confusing to me, sent by Francoeur and yet wanting to work with the team even though she struggles with her personal inadequacies.
Like other stories in the series, I wonder if LP has a story arc she is following and weaving into each book or whether she creates interesting characters and finds a place for them in a future story.
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