My first introduction to one of today’s most popular mystery writers.  Penny has a distinctive place (Three Pines, Ontario near the Vermont border), a distinctive cast of characters (Armand Gamache, the former head of the provincial police, now retired and Ruth Zardo, an old and grumpy poet), and a good story line (boy who cries wolf is murdered when nobody believes his story about a giant gun in the forest), but it just didn’t add up to me.  Good writing, but slightly silly story.  Doubt if I’ll return to her again.