Still life
- 312 pages
- 11 hours of reading
In a small town in Quebec a women supposedly loved by her community is found in the woods, murdered. Chief Inspector Armand Gamache looks for the small clues which will point him to the killer.
Chief Inspector Gamache Series
The series follows Chief Inspector Armand Gamache as he solves complex crimes in a picturesque Canadian village. The stories are known for their psychological depth and intricate characters.
Recommended Reading Order
Fatal Grace
- 320 pages
- 12 hours of reading
CC de Poitiers managed to alienate everyone in the hamlet of Three Pines, right up to the moment she died. When Chief Inspector Armand Gamache begins his investigation, it seems like an impossible murder: CC was electrocuted on a frozen lake, in front of the entire town, during the annual curling tournament. With compassion and courage, Gamache digs beneath the idyllic surface of village life to find long buried secrets, while his own enemies threaten to bring something even more chilling than the bitter winter winds to Three Pines.
'No one does atmospheric like Louise Penny' ELLY GRIFFITHS There is more to solving a crime than following the clues. Welcome to Chief Inspector Gamache's world of facts and feelings. It's Easter, and on a glorious Spring day in peaceful Three Pines, someone waits for night to fall. They plan to raise the dead . . . When Chief Inspector Gamache of the Surete du Quebec arrives the next morning, he faces an unusual crime scene. A séance in an old abandoned house has gone horrifically wrong and someone has been seemingly frightened to death. In idyllic Three Pines, terrible secrets lie buried, and even Gamache has something to hide. One of his own team is about to betray him. But how far will they go to ensure Gamache's downfall? Ten million readers. Three pines. One inimitable Chief Inspector Gamache. 'The series is grand and deep and altogether extraordinary' WASHINGTON POST
Previously published as The Murder Stone 'Impossible to put down' Globe and Mail It's the height of summer, and the wealthy Finney family have gathered at the Manoir Bellechasse to pay tribute to their late father. But as the temperature rises, old secrets and bitter rivalries begin to surface. When the heat wave boils over into a mighty storm, a dead body is left in its wake. Chief Inspector Gamache, a guest at the Bellechasse, finds himself with a building full of suspects. With the hotel locked down, the murderer is trapped. But a cornered predator is always the most dangerous of all... 'A cracking storyteller, who can create fascinating characters, a twisty plot and wonderful surprise endings' Ann Cleeves
The New York Times Bestseller 'Penny . . . is at the top of her game' (Toronto Star) When Chief Inspector Gamache arrives in picturesque Three Pines, he steps into a village in chaos. A man has been found bludgeoned to death, and there is no sign of a weapon, a motive or even the dead man's name. As Gamache and his colleagues start to dig under the skin of this peaceful haven for clues, they uncover a trail of stolen treasure, mysterious codes and a shameful history that begins to shed light on the victim's identity - and points to a terrifying killer...
Bury your dead
- 480 pages
- 17 hours of reading
As Quebec City shivers in the grip of winter, its ancient stone walls cracking in the cold, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache plunges into the most unusual case of his celebrated career. A man has been brutally murdered in one of the city s oldest buildings - a library where the English citizens of Quebec safeguard their history.
A Trick of the Light
- 416 pages
- 15 hours of reading
The New York Times Bestseller 'Stellar . . . With her smart plot and fascinating, nuanced characters, Penny proves again that she is one of our finest writers' (People Magazine) In the green depths of spring, morning breaks on a woman splayed in a bed of flowers - her eyes wide, her neck broken. Her death is a mystery; so is the woman herself. But as Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his team peer into the dark corners of the victim's past, they expose a secret that rots at the very heart of their community - a secret that will implicate someone they've trusted for years. And as Gamache knows too well, in the flickering shadows of death, the truth may be just a trick of the light.
A MONASTERY Hidden deep in the wilderness are the cloisters of two dozen monks - men of prayer and music, famous the world over for their glorious voices. A MURDER But a brutal death throws the monastery doors open to the world. And through them walks the only man who can shine light upon the dark deeds within: Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. A MYSTERY Who among the brothers has become an angel of death? As the peace of the monastery crumbles around him, Gamache finds clues in the divine, the human, and the cracks in between. Ingenious, gripping, and powerful, The Beautiful Mystery is the most outstanding novel yet from international bestselling phenomenon Louise Penny.
HOW THE LIGHT GETS IN
- 432 pages
- 16 hours of reading
Struggling to maintain the Homicide group during the holiday season in the wake of interdepartmental estrangements, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache quietly investigates the disappearance of a woman who was once one of the most famous people in the world and now goes unrecognized by virtually everyone except the mad, brilliant poet Ruth Zardo
The long way home
- 440 pages
- 16 hours of reading
At first enjoying a peaceful retirement, former Quebec homicide detective Armand Gamache reluctantly agrees to help a neighbor search for her missing estranged husband and teams up with two former colleagues on a search that reveals the workings of a psychologically damaged mind.
The Nature of the beast
- 496 pages
- 18 hours of reading
Hardly a day goes by when nine year old Laurent Lepage doesn't cry wolf. From alien invasions, to walking trees, to winged beasts in the woods, to dinosaurs spotted in the village of Three Pines, his tales are so extraordinary no one can possibly believe him. Including Armand and Reine-Marie Gamache, who now live in the little Quebec village. But when the boy disappears, the villagers are faced with the possibility that one of his tall tales might have been true. And so begins a frantic search for the boy and the truth. What they uncover deep in the forest sets off a sequence of events that leads to murder, leads to an old crime, leads to an old betrayal. Leads right to the door of an old poet. And now it is now, writes Ruth Zardo. And the dark thing is here. A monster once visited Three Pines. And put down deep roots. And now, Ruth knows, it is back. Armand Gamache, the former head of homicide for the Sûreté du Québec, must face the possibility that, in not believing the boy, he himself played a terrible part in what happens next.
A Great Reckoning
- 592 pages
- 21 hours of reading
The next novel in Louise Penny's #1 New York Times bestselling series featuring Chief Inspector Armand Gamache.
Glass Houses
- 400 pages
- 14 hours of reading
'Makes most of her competitors seem like wannabes' THE TIMES There is more to solving a crime than following the clues. Welcome to Chief Inspector Gamache's world of facts and feelings. One cold November day, a mysterious figure appears on the village green in Three Pines, causing unease, alarm and confusion among everyone who sees it. Chief Superintendent, Armand Gamache knows something is seriously wrong, but all he can do is watch and wait, hoping his worst fears are not realised. But when the figure disappears and a dead body is discovered, it falls to Gamache to investigate. In the early days of the murder inquiry, and months later, as the trial for the accused begins, Gamache must face the consequences of his decisions, and his actions, from which there is no going back . . . Ten million readers. Three pines. One inimitable Chief Inspector Gamache. 'One of the greatest crime writers of our times' DENISE MINA
Kingdom of the Blind
- 400 pages
- 14 hours of reading
When a peculiar letter arrives inviting Armand Gamache to an abandoned farmhouse, the former head of the Sûreté du Québec discovers that a complete stranger has named him one of the executors of her will. Still on suspension, and frankly curious, Gamache accepts and soon learns that the other two executors are Myrna Landers, the bookseller from Three Pines, and a young builder. None of them had ever met the elderly woman. The will is so odd and includes bequests that are so wildly unlikely that Gamache and the others suspect the woman must have been delusional. But what if, Gamache begins to ask himself, she was perfectly sane? When a body is found, the terms of the bizarre will suddenly seem less peculiar and far more menacing. But it isn't the only menace Gamache is facing. The investigation into what happened six months ago -- the events that led to his suspension -- has dragged on, into the dead of winter. And while most of the opioids he allowed to slip through his hands, in order to bring down the cartels, have been retrieved, there is one devastating exception. Enough narcotic to kill thousands has disappeared into inner city Montreal. With the deadly drug about to hit the streets, Gamache races for answers. As he uses increasingly audacious, even desperate, measures to retrieve the drug, Armand Gamache begins to see his own blind spots. And the terrible things hiding there
"The air is unbearably tense as Armand Gamache returns to the Surete du Quebec for his first day of work since being demoted from its command to head of homicide. Amid blistering personal social media attacks, Gamache sets out on his first assignment. He has been tasked with finding a missing woman, but while he leads the search for Vivienne Godin, Three Pines itself is threatened when the river breaks its banks, and a province-wide emergency is declared. As the waters rise, a body is discovered - and the victim's distraught father contemplates a murder of his own. Gamache is a father himself, and is haunted by a question ... what would he do, if his child's killer might walk free?"--Publisher description.
All the Devils Are Here
- 528 pages
- 19 hours of reading
*** WINNER OF THE AGATHA AWARD FOR BEST MYSTERY NOVEL 2021*** 'Makes most of her competitors seem like wannabes' THE TIMES There is more to solving a crime than following the clues. Welcome to Chief Inspector Gamache's world of facts and feelings. On their first night in Paris, the Gamaches gather for a family dinner with Armand's godfather, the billionaire Stephen Horowitz. But the evening ends in horror when Stephen is knocked down and critically injured in what Armand is convinced is no accident, but a deliberate attempt on an elderly man's life. When a strange key is found in Stephen's possession it sends Armand on a desperate search for the truth that will take him from the top of the Tour Eiffel, to the bowels of the Paris Archives. And as Armand begins to uncover the secrets his godfather has kept hidden for decades, he finds himself ensnared in a web of lies and deceit that threatens to destroy everything - and everyone - he holds dear. For even the City of Light casts long shadows. And in that darkness devils hide . . . Ten million readers. Three pines One inimitable Chief Inspector Gamache 'The series is deep and grand and altogether extraordinary . . . Miraculous' Washington Post
The Madness of Crowds
- 400 pages
- 14 hours of reading
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache finds his holiday with his family interrupted by a simple request: to provide security for what promises to be a non-event. A visiting Professor of Statistics will be giving a lecture at the nearby university. When a murder is committed it falls to Chief Inspector, his second-in-command Jean-Guy Beauvoir, and their team to investigate the crime as well as this extraordinary popular delusion.
A World of Curiosities
- 544 pages
- 20 hours of reading
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache returns in the latest installment of Louise Penny's beloved series. As spring arrives in Three Pines, the village begins to shake off the remnants of winter. However, not everything that has been dormant should resurface. With the villagers preparing for a special celebration, Gamache and Jean-Guy Beauvoir are troubled by the unexpected return of a young man and woman linked to a tragic case from their past—the murder of their mother when they were children. The memories of that case, which initially united Gamache and Beauvoir, resurface, raising concerns about the lasting impact of the trauma on the siblings. As Gamache investigates, he uncovers a letter from a long-dead stonemason, filled with terror about sealing an attic room in the village. When the villagers decide to open it, they uncover a trove of curiosities. Yet, Gamache realizes that the room holds more than just artifacts; it contains hidden messages and puzzles that hint at impending chaos. In unsealing the room, they inadvertently release an old enemy into their midst, threatening their lives and the sanctity of Gamache's home.
The Grey Wolf
- 419 pages
- 15 hours of reading
The latest Chief Inspector Gamache novel by Louise Penny offers electrifying drama and a chilling morality tale. With complex characters and a gripping plot, it explores the nature of evil while leaving readers with a sense of warmth. Praised as one of the greatest crime writers, Penny masterfully twists the narrative, keeping readers on edge.
Somewhere out there, in the darkness, a black wolf is feeding. Several weeks ago, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec and his team uncovered and stopped a domestic terrorist attack in Montréal, arresting the person behind it. A man they called the Black Wolf. But their relief is short-lived. In a sickening turn of events, Gamache has realized that plot, as horrific as it was, was just the beginning. Perhaps even a deliberate misdirection. One he fell into. Something deeper and darker, more damaging, is planned. Did he in fact arrest the Black Wolf, or are they still out there? Armand is appalled to think his mistake has allowed their conspiracy to grow, to gather supporters. To spread lies, manufacture enemies, and feed hatred and division. Still recovering from wounds received in stopping the first attack, Armand is confined to the village of Three Pines, leading a covert investigation from there. He must be careful not to let the Black Wolf know he has recognized his mistake. In a quiet church basement, he and his senior agents Beauvoir and Lacoste, pore over what little evidence they have. Two notebooks. A few mysterious numbers on a tattered map of Québec. And a phrase repeated by the person they had called the Grey Wolf.
