The Inspector Armand Gamache mysteries, written by Canadian author Louise Penny, offer an amazing glimpse into the internal workings of Quebec's official police force, the Surete Du Quebec.

A thread of conspiracy and intrique is building slowly throughout the series, forcing the characters to choose whom they will stand beside when the final confrontation occurs. Penny also has added a more human (and humorous) element to her books by splitting the action between Montreal and an idyllic rural community where the residents seem to have a penchant for murder. 

What do you get when you cross influential, determined biologists, well-to-do, radical animal lovers, eccentric-yet-lovable retirees, wild animals, attractive rollicking seas and the beautiful California central coast region? Another one of T. C. Boyle's tales with a purpose.

In When the Killing's Done, alternating chapters are narrated by the level-headed protagonist Alma Boyd Takesue, a National Park Service biologist, and by her foil, the hot-tempered antagonist Dave LaJoy. Dave is a local businessman who, in fierce opposition to the schedeled "elimination" of invasive animals, will go to great lengths to sabotage the aims of the park service and the work of Takesue.

What both of these determined characters forget, though, is the impartiality of nature and its powerful ability to upend the most carefully laid plans of man. These three forces at odd lead to some riveting scenes that involve several fascinating people, wild and breath-taking scenery and intricately woven events. In classic Boyle style, controversial topics are examined in a very personal way through the eyes of complex characters with competing interests.

With the 100th anniversary of the Titanic disaster on April 15th, 2012, there has been renewed interest in the ship and its untimely end. Inspiring countless movies and books, the Titanic sinking is the worst maritime disaster in history, with 1,514 passengers and crew members losing their lives.
If you are interested in reading more about the disaster, we’ve compiled a list of just a few of the fiction and non-fiction titles available at the library. Some of the books, such as Titanic: An Illustrated History, reveal details about every aspect of the ship, while others, like Voyagers of the Titanic, focus on stories of the passengers themselves. Many fictional accounts have also been written about the disaster, such as The Dressmaker, a recently-released historical novel about a seamstress who survives the voyage only to be caught up in rumors and scandal when back on land. Click here for the full list of Titanic selections.

What makes us classify a book as historical fiction? Well, it needs to be set in the past, at least fifty years past the event, and actual historical research is the key element in the writing. Authors employee two different styles - one that uses a real person set within an invented story while the other invents the character and sets him or her in a historical context. Many readers, drawn to a particular era, find a historical novel appealing not only for the setting but because a really good historical author will have done the homework and gotten the details just right.