Mystery, crime-thriller girlies assemble! New York Times bestselling author Louise Penny is back with a new book this year, and Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of Sûreté du Québec is back on the case. The Lone Wolf is the twentieth (technically, twenty-first if we’re counting her short novella) of the Armand Gamache book series, and if you’re unfamiliar, it’s about time that you’ve caught on.
Unlike Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot, Gamache doesn’t have the big ego but is a principled and compassionate investigator with a strong moral compass. While his empathy earns him the trust of victims and suspects, it also makes him appear weak—especially in the face of corruption and ruthless ambition within his own police force. But these characteristics are what make Gamache such a compelling protagonist and endearing to any reader who decides to pick up one of Penny’s books.
I know 20 books sounds like a lot, but there’s no need to feel any pressure. What’s great about mystery book series is that, for the most part, each novel is a self-contained mystery. (Think Nancy Drew or The Hardy Boys.) Of course, it can be more rewarding to read all books in succession, just to catch up on some longer-term plot lines. In any case, it’s worth noting all of Penny’s works. So here’s a guide to all of Louise Penny’s books in order of release.
Still Life
Thorndike Press ‘Still Life’ by Louise Penny
Credit: St. Martin’s Paperbacks
In 2005, Louise Penny came out with this debut novel introducing Armand Gamache to the world. And in 2007, it won the Anthony Award for Best First Novel. The story follows Gamache and his colleagues from the Sûreté du Québec as they investigate the death of well-loved artist Jane Neal, whose body was found in the woods near the town of Three Pines on Thanksgiving weekend.
A Fatal Grace
Thorndike Press ‘A Fatal Grace’ by Louise Penny
Set once again around the holidays in the picturesque, Quebecois village of Three Pines—this time around Christmastime—Gamache finds himself with another mystery in his hands. But this is no ordinary murder. The victim, CC de Poitiers, was electrocuted in the middle of a frozen lake. And without anyone realizing or noticing it, this happened in front of the entire village during the annual curling tournament. Who was bold and disturbed enough to pull off such a killing?
The Cruelest Month
Minotaur Books ‘The Cruelest Month’ by Louise Penny
It’s springtime in Three Pines, and the villagers are hoping that this season of rebirth and reawakening will rid the town of evil and all the negative energy from the recent murders. So they decide to celebrate Easter with a séance at the Old Hadley House. However, things turn sideways when one of the villagers present seems to have died of fright. But did they really get literally scared to death? Or is there something more to this sudden passing?
A Rule Against Murder
Minotaur Books ‘A Rule Against Murder’ by Louise Penny
It’s summertime and it’s a season for lovin’, especially for our protagonist Armand Gamache who is celebrating his wedding anniversary with his wife Reine-Marie Gamache. They decide to spend it at Manoir Bellechasse, an isolated, luxurious inn not far from the village of Three Pines. But they’re not the only ones celebrating at the inn. The wealthy Finney family is having a celebration of their own. All is well, until a terrible summer storm is followed by the discovery of a dead body.
The Brutal Telling
Minotaur Books ‘The Brutal Telling’ by Louise Penny
This centers around the death of a stranger, whose body was found at the beloved Olivier’s Bistro, run by the well-liked villager Olivier Brulé. Gamache uncovers that the unknown victim was a hermit living in a hidden cabin in the woods outside of Three Pines, and collected priceless treasures and artifacts. As the Chief Inspector digs deeper into Olivier’s story about the mysterious death, he can sense that he’s not telling the whole truth. Why were his fingerprints all over the victim’s cabin outside of town?
The Hangman
Grass Roots Press ‘The Hangman’ by Louise Penny
Credit: Grass Roots Press
The Hangman is the unofficial seventh book in the Gamache mystery book series. But it isn’t officially counted (and considered book 6.5) because it is a rather short novella, as opposed to a full-blown novel. It’s a short and easy read that could definitely be finished in one sitting. A jogger runs in the woods of Three Pines and discovers a dead body hanging from a tree. Though this was made to look like a suicide, Gamache soon uncovers some truths about this outsider visiting the village, and finds connections to the past that reveal there is so much more to the story than meets the eye.
Bury Your Dead
Minotaur Books ‘Bury Your Dead’ by Louise Penny
On break from duty in Three Pines, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache heads north to celebrate the Winter Carnival, and recover from a previous investigation that went wrong. But, of course, it seems like violent death follows him even when he tries to go elsewhere. This time, it’s an academic from the Literary and Historical Society searching for answers. While away, he also receives word from back home that Olivier was recently convicted of murder—even when everyone, including Gamache, believes him to be innocent. Solving this case becomes a more urgent matter than ever.
A Trick of the Light
Thorndike Press ‘A Trick of the Light’ by Louise Penny
Lillian Dyson was a former art critic who made and broke artists’ careers. It seems that her sometimes-harsh reviews ultimately led to her demise as her body was found among the bleeding hearts and lilacs of artist Clara Morrow’s garden in Three Pines. This puts a halt to the celebrations of Clara’s big solo show at the Musée in Montréal. Gamache soon finds that dealing with people in the art world can be very tricky. And that what might seem like the gleaning truth might just be a trick of the light.
The Beautiful Mystery
Minotaur Books ‘The Beautiful Mystery’ by Louise Penny
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Credit: Minotaur Books
The two dozen cloistered monks of the monastery Saint-Gilbert-Entre-les-Loups live secluded in the wilderness of Québec, living in peace and prayer in a world of their own. And though they aren’t in touch with the outside world, the beautiful harmonizing voices of their choir have become world-famous. That’s why it becomes a huge loss, and quite a shock, when their choir director is murdered. The monks are forced to open their doors to Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, who while investigating this case must confront his own demons.
How the Light Gets In
Minotaur Books ‘How the Light Gets In’ by Louise Penny
It’s Christmastime, a magical season especially as snow falls in Québec. But Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is in a less festive mood this year, as he deals with troubles within the Homicide Department, his personal relationships with colleagues and friends, and forces working against him. So when Myrna Landers sends him a message about a longtime friend who has failed to arrive at Three Pines, he jumps at the chance to get out of the city. At first, Myrna doesn’t say who her missing friend is, only for Gamache to discover that this woman was once one of the most famous people not just in North America, but in the entire world.
The Long Way Home
Minotaur Books ‘The Long Way Home’ by Louise Penny
Armand Gamache has turned in his badge and retired as the former Chief Inspector of Homicide with the Sûreté du Québec, now living in the village of Three Pines. He thinks he has finally found peace, spending his summer mornings sitting on a bench, reading a book. But he is called to action once more when his neighbor, Clara Morrow, tells him that her artist husband Peter has failed to come home. Now working with his former second-in-command, Jean-Guy Beauvoir, and Myrna Landers, they journey deep into Québec to find Peter—a man so desperate to revive his fame that he was willing to sell his soul.
The Nature of the Beast
Minotaur Books ‘The Nature Of The Beast’ by Louise Penny
Nine-year-old Laurent Lepage is known in the village of Three Pines as the boy who constantly cries wolf. The townspeople, who now include Armand and Reine-Marie Gamache, have heard the young boy talk about everything from alien invasions to winged beasts and dinosaurs roaming the woods. Everyone doesn’t pay mind to his imaginative tales, until little Laurent Lepage disappears. Could his stories have been true?
A Great Reckoning
Minotaur Books ‘A Great Reckoning’ by Louise Penny
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Credit: Minotaur Books
Gamache officially comes out of retirement as he takes on a new job: Commander of the Sûreté Academy, the police training school. And for his first day, he is gifted an intricate old map which was found stuffed into the walls of the bistro in Three Pines. The map leads him to places, and a past, that he didn’t necessarily want to venture into—but must. He soon finds four young cadets in the Sûreté Academy, and a dead professor. With the body, a copy of the same old map he was given.
Glass Houses
Minotaur Books ‘Glass Houses’ by Louise Penny
A dark and mysterious figure appears in the village of Three Pines in November. The villagers are, at first, curious. But Armand Gamache, now Chief Superintendent of the Sûreté du Québec, decides not to act based on his suspicions. However he begins to regret this decision when the figure vanishes overnight, and a body is discovered.
Kingdom of the Blind
Minotaur Books ‘Kingdom of the Blind’ by Louise Penny
Armand Gamache receives a peculiar letter inviting him to an abandoned farmhouse, and soon learns that a stranger has named him as an executor of her will. Though he is still on suspension from his duties, he decides to follow this trail and also finds out that there are two other executors including Three Pines bookseller Myrna Landers and a young builder. None of them had known this elderly woman. And they all found the bequests in the will so outlandish that it would be easy to assume the woman must have been delusional. But after a body is found, things start to seem less bizarre and more sinister.
A Better Man
Minotaur Books ‘A Better Man’ by Louise Penny
Gamache is back as head of the Homicide Department. But, for now, he shares duties with his friend and previous second-in-command Jean-Guy Beauvoir. One of the first major crises he has to deal with is the rising flood waters across the province, and a father who comes to the department in search of his daughter. But as everything piles up, and chaos ensues, the Chief Inspector realizes that they might have to abandon the case of the missing girl. However, as a father himself, he empathizes far too much with Mr. Godin. As the situation with the rising river worsens, so too does the social media campaign against Gamache. And some regrettable mistakes are made amidst the tumultuous series of events.
All the Devils Are Here
Minotaur Books ‘All the Devils Are Here’ by Louise Penny
Armand and Reine-Marie Gamache are in Paris. And on their first night in the City of Lights and Love, they have a family gathering at a bistro with Armand’s godfather: billionaire Stephen Horowitz. After dinner, however, the mood sours when the Gamaches witness the horrific act of someone knocking down Stephen and critically injuring the elderly man. Gamache knows that this was no accident, but a deliberate attempt to take the billionaire’s life. Upon discovering a strange key in his godfather’s possession, the Gamaches and his former second-in-command at the Sûreté, Jean-Guy Beauvoir, are sent on a sweeping investigation through Paris. Along the way, Armand discovers a deep well of secrets that his godfather has kept for decades.
The Madness of Crowds
‘The Madness of Crowds’ by Louise Penny
It’s the holidays once more, and the villagers of Three Pines are having some fun with the deep snow cover allowing for some family-friendly winter activities. But Armand Gamache’s plans with his own family are disrupted by what seems like a trivial request. The Chief Inspector is asked to provide security for a statistics professor who will be giving a lecture in a nearby university. It sounds like an easy enough task, until he learns more about the controversial Professor Abigail Robinson whose ideas he finds deeply dangerous. How could he protect someone whom he finds people should be protected against? Chaos ensues as debates regarding Robinson’s ideas begin to turn violent. Then, a body turns up, and its up to Gamache and his crew to get to the bottom of things.
A World of Curiosities
‘A World of Curiosities’ by Louise Penny
It’s springtime in Three Pines, and everything is coming back to life. But there are somethings that were better left dead. Armand Gamache and Jean-Guy Beauvoir are worried when a young man and woman reappear in their lives after many years, since they first investigated the tragic murder of their troubled mother. Then there’s the dreadful 160-year-old letter Gamache discovers from a long-dead stone mason, which leads to the discovery of an attic in the village filled with curiosities, puzzles, and hidden warnings. Unsealing the room unleashes an old enemy, who finds a way into the heart of Gamache’s home.
The Grey Wolf
‘The Grey Wolf’ by Louise Penny
Armand Gamache and his wife Reine-Marie are enjoying a warm August morning when, suddenly, the Chief Inspector is bombarded with relentless phone calls. This shatters the calm of their morning, but this is only the first of a string of strange events. A missing coat from Armand’s closet, an intruder alert from his Montréal apartment, cryptic messages, all coming to a head when someone is murdered. No longer sure who they can trust, Gamache, Jean-Guy Beauvoir, his son-in-law and second in command, and Inspector Isabelle Lacoste can only rely each other while working this case.
The Black Wolf
‘The Black Wolf’ by Louise Penny
Weeks ago, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his team at the Sûreté du Québec have uncovered a sinister plot and were able to stop a big domestic terrorist attack in Montréal. But arresting a man they think to be “The Black Wolf” wasn’t enough. Gamache realizes that the initial plan might just have been a ruse, a misdirection for something darker and more horrific being planned. But he must not let his enemy know that he’s realized his mistake, and that something bigger is afoot. Gamache and his colleagues, senior agents Beauvoir and Lacoste, must conduct their investigations discreetly, in the quiet of a church basement.