Mystery lovers, have you heard of Louise Penny yet? The Canadian author, Louise Penny is widely recognized for her mystery novels. She is the author of the famous series titled Chief Inspector Armand Gamache which follows Armand Gamache. Her novels have been published in almost twenty-three languages to date and readers all over the world enjoy her novels. What distinguishes Penny’s work from other mystery novels is her ability to provide depth to her stories. Among many other favorite things, readers are most often found talking about her series as a whole.
Author of Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, Penny has written eighteen books in the series. If you prefer, you can begin this series from the middle or anywhere. Which is most often how we end up reading a new book from a new author we hadn’t heard of before. But, like most series, it’s better to read this series in a particular order as well.
It’s because, although these books follow a new case in each book, if you begin from the first book, you’ll see the ongoing theme, the emotions, and the struggles as a whole. It’s a long ongoing series that follows Armand and the villagers living in Three Pines. You get to know the characters, the setting, and their stories and in each book, you get to meet someone from the village.
It’s almost sad and emotional for the readers who have followed the series for so long. They have read all the books and they know the journey of these characters. So, when they get to see a new case, a new criminal, a new death, or a new character, it begins a new emotional journey for them. You will understand what we are saying better once you have these books. You can read Louise Penny’s books in the following order.
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Still Life
A dead body is discovered in the woods on Thanksgiving Weekend. Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his colleagues arrive at a small village, Three Pines in the Eastern Townships. Gamache can’t fathom why Jane Neal, a well-loved artist, was killed. In a small village so free from crimes, this murder doesn’t make any sense. This village doesn’t even have its own police force, and it’s so peaceful. But the Chief Inspector knows that evil is hiding somewhere, and he won’t give up until he discovers its hiding place.
A Fatal Grace
The picturesque village of Three Pines in Quebec is preparing for Christmas. But, somewhere in the middle of them, someone is preparing for murder. Nobody ever liked CC de Poitiers. Now, she is dead, and nobody knows a thing. The woman was electrocuted in the middle of a frozen lake. And it happened in front of the entire village while she watched the annual curling tournament. Yet, no one saw a thing that was absolutely strange. So, is the killer really brave and brilliant at his job, or are the villagers hiding something? Chief Inspector Armand Gamache must investigate and find out what the truth is.
The Cruelest Month
It’s springtime in Three Pines. A time when flowers are coming back to life, but not everything is meant to return to life. On the day of Easter, some villagers celebrate at the Old Hadley House when one of them dies suddenly. But was this really a natural death, or was it planned? Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is once again called in to investigate the murder. This time, he will be forced to face his own ghosts and those hiding in the small village.
A Rule Against Murder
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his wife, Reine-Marie Gamache, are celebrating their wedding anniversary at the luxurious Manoir Bellechasse. It’s an isolated inn not very far away from Three Pines. However, this time they are not alone because the rich and respectable Finney family has also arrived for a celebration of their own. Some surprising guests also turn up at this event. At the height of the summer, a terrible storm leaves a dead body in its wake. Gamache must investigate this death which will lead him to dark corners of the world and his life.
The Brutal Telling
The talented Chief Inspector Armand Gamache has been called in to investigate a murder. This time, a stranger has been murdered in Three Pines’ bistro and antique store. Nobody knows the man, but how is it possible when he was found in one of the stores of the village? As Gamache digs deeper, secrets are revealed that lead him to Olivier, the beloved bistro owner. Questions arise about his past, his business, and his life in the village. Olivier grows frantic, and Chief Inspector travels across the continent and back to the village searching for truth.
Bury Your Dead
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache has been on leave to recover from his last case, but he can’t relax and sit still. So he is currently investigating the murder of an obsessive historian who was looking for the remains of the founder of Quebec. He wonders if the secret buried with the founder is so deadly that someone is willing to kill in order to protect it. Meanwhile, he has also been receiving letters from Olivier’s partner. She writes every day insisting that “he didn’t do it, you know,” but Gamache isn’t so sure about what’s true anymore. Both past and present collide this time, and Gamache might finally get the closure he surely needs.
A Trick Of The Light
Lillian Dyson underlines in a book, “hearts are broken, sweet relationships are dead”. And soon after, she is discovered dead, her body found in Clare Morrow’s garden in Three Pines. This disrupts the celebrations of Clara’s solo show at the Musée in Montreal. Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is called in to investigate the murder. When he starts looking, secrets are uncovered, and facts are exposed, but he and his team aren’t sure if whatever they have found is the truth or another trick.
The Beautiful Mystery
The beautiful monastery of Saint-Gilbert-Entre-Les-Loups is hidden deep in the wilderness of Quebec. In this monastery, two dozen monks live in peace, and nobody from outside is ever admitted there. Furthermore, these monks have taken a vow of silence, yet they are famous all over the world for their voices. Their voice has a profound effect on both the singer and listener; hence it is called “the beautiful mystery”. But, when their renowned choir director is murdered, the monastery opens its door for Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and Jean-Guy Beauvoir. Both of them work together to unravel the threads of this murder mystery among the monks but is the murderer really among them?
How The Light Gets In
Christmas means it’s snowfall time, with bright lights shining everywhere and people spending time with their loved ones. But the same can’t be said for Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, who finds himself almost alone. His old friend and lieutenant Jean-Guy Beauvoir hasn’t spoken to him in months, and most of Gamache’s best agents have left or been transferred. However, he receives a message from Myrna Landers quite soon. He is looking forward to getting away from the city, but when he meets Myrna, he learns about her long-time friend, and it quickly turns into an investigation. Will he find the missing woman as well as a refuge for himself and his still-loyal colleagues?
The Long Way Home
Armand Gamache, the former Chief Inspector, is happily retired now. But when has a chief inspector ever stopped working? One day, his neighbor confides in him and tells him about her artist husband, who hasn’t come home. She asks for his help, and he agrees to find him. With his former second-in-command, Jean-Guy, and Myrna Landers, Gamache travels until he reaches the great St. Lawrence River. It’s called “the land God gave to Cain” for a reason, and they will soon find it out when they discover a sin-sick soul there.
The Nature Of The Beast
Laurent Lepage is a nine-year-old boy who loves his tales. No one believes them, obviously, until the boy disappears one day. That day, the villagers wonder if one of his tales might have been true. Everybody is searching for the boy, and when they uncover a few secrets, it will lead to an old crime and betrayal. A monster is back, and nobody knows how far he will go this time.
A Great Reckoning
In the walls of the bistro in Three Pines, an intricate old map is found that intrigues the villagers. It’s given to Armand Gamache as a gift when he starts a new job. This map leads him to secrets, to an old friend, and even to an older adversary. The map takes him to places he doesn’t want to go but must go. In that place, he finds four young cadets and a dead professor. Gamache can’t seem to shake Amelia Choquet off, the guarded and angry woman who is a protégée of the dead professor. The investigation of the case soon turns its focus to Amelia and Armand, and this time, it’s their time for a great reckoning.
Glass Houses
On one cold November day, a strange figure is noticed in Three Pines. It doesn’t do anything; it stands unmoving and staring ahead until it vanishes overnight. After it disappears, a body is found. Armand Gamache, Chief Superintendent now, must find out what happened. In July, the trial for the accused begins in Montreal, yet Gamache struggles because it’s not just the man alone before the judges. His conscience is standing in judgment as well.
Kingdom Of The Blind
Gamache has been suspended when a peculiar letter arrives. It appears that a complete stranger has named him one of the executors of her will along with two more executors who also hadn’t met the elderly woman. Later, a body is discovered. Meanwhile, the investigation that led to Gamache’s suspension has dragged on. He is desperate to solve every mystery that’s wreaking havoc on his mind, but there are terrible things lurking in the darkness. Will Gamache prove himself or has he already lost this fight?
A Better Man
Gamache has returned to work to resume his role as the head of the homicide department. A father seeking help approaches him and begs for his help. The man wants Gamache to find his daughter. When crises pile up, he questions if he should abandon the search for the lost girl. But, as a father, he finds himself developing empathy for the man and is haunted by the question, “how would you feel”. He begins to search for the girl, but when a body is discovered and mistakes are made, he finds himself asking what he would do if his child’s killer walked free.
All The Devils Are Here
The Gamache’s have gathered together for a bistro dinner on their first night in Paris. They are dining with Armand Gamache’s godfather, Stephen Horowitz, who is a billionaire. But, while they are walking home, the elderly man is knocked down and injured. It looks like it was a planned and deliberate attack on him. Gamache finds a strange key in the old man’s possession that leads him to coded works of art and secrets his godfather has kept for years. But, as he digs deeper following the threads, he will realize that the secrets are more dangerous than he could have thought.
The Madness Of Crowds
Armand Gamache has been requested to provide security for a visiting professor. The Professor of Statistics, Abigail Robinson, is supposed to give a lecture at a nearby university. It seems harmless, so he doesn’t understand why he is assigned this task. Until he starts looking into the professor and discovers a repulsive agenda. He suggests the university cancel this lecture, but they refuse, calling it academic freedom. Abigail arrives, and soon fights begin, sides are declared, and madness takes hold. She promises that if they follow her, all will be well, but Gamache and his team know better. Following this, a murder is committed, and Gamache with his team must investigate this case as well. Which side will win?
A World Of Curiosities
This book is expected to publish on 29th November 2022.
A young man and woman have arrived in Three Pines. Their mother’s murder brought Gamache and Beauvoir together for the first time. As they try to uncover some answers about this sudden reappearance, a letter written by a long-dead stone mason is found. It leads them to a room that everybody decides to open up, but they don’t have a clue what horrifying truth lies ahead. Gamache will be challenged once again when his past comes back to haunt him.
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