How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny

Louise Penny is one my favourite authors and one of the things I like the most about her is that there is not a very long wait in between books.    Another thing that I like about her is that not only the characters continue in her novels about so does the story line.  How the Light Gets in is the culmination a story line that began 4 books back.  Penny says that when she began telling this story In the Brutal Telling she knew how it would end. Each book has revealed a bit of the plot and this book was definitely worth the wait

All the regular characters are back and we see the result that the ending of The Beautiful Mystery has had on Gamache.  While dealing with the decimation of his department he is desperately trying to find out who has been behind all that’s been happening.    As he becomes more isolated and unsure of who he can trust he must rely on his instincts and the help of his friends in the Village of Three Pines that he has come to know so well.

But like all of her novels, this isn’t the only storyline.  She weaves an interesting tale of quintuplets, murder and political espionage that keeps the pages turning and the ending shrouded in mystery. 

I’m not certain if this is the end of the Gamache series or not.  I am certain that she will continue to write great books.  Each of the villagers in Three Pines could merit their own novel so perhaps she will go that route; or else something totally different.  All I know is that whatever she writes I will read.

Still Life by Louise Penny

Still Life is Louise Penny’s debut novel, published in 2005.  Since then she’s written 7 more  novels each of them featuring Armand Gamache a Quebec detective with a literary bent and an eclectic collection of quotes and sayings sprinkled through his conversations.

Still Life introduces us to the village of Three Pines in Quebec.  This quiet village has been plunged into a murder investigation with the murder of one of its elderly citizens.   The investigation opens old wounds, exposes hidden character flaws and forever changes life in Three Pines.

Penny’s characters are richly drawn and even in this first book there is a suggestion that there is much depth in the main characters who will continue to be featured throughout her books.

I read this book when it first came out and was hooked.  Since then I’ve read all her books and am eagerly waiting for the 9^th one to be published later this year.     Still Life is being made into a movie and so I re-read the book again this Christmas.  It was fun to go back to the beginning and see how much her characters have grown through the next 7 books.    I highly recommend this series if you’re looking for an entertaining, intelligent mystery that will leave you wanting more.

Bury your Dead by Louise Penny

In most jobs you can make a mistake and nobody dies. But in some jobs; air traffic controllers, fire fighters, and police detectives mistakes can be deadly. These jobs have a built in terror factor; the terror that if you fail people may die.

It’s this terror that Louise Penny uses to create suspense and plot development in her latest book, Bury your Dead. Once again we meet Inspector Gamache. He’s in Quebec city recovering from a deadly mistake. While there he becomes involved in a murder mystery and a historical mystery. And if that wasn’t enough mystery, the fact that he may have made a mistake in the Three Pines case (The Brutal Telling) begins to haunt him.

While he is going about the city looking for clues to the murder, we are given access to his thoughts as he plays back his most recent mistake; the one that resulted in a leave of absence from his job. If this hadn’t been handled properly it could have become very confusing for the reader but instead the transitions between real time and his thoughts are smoothly done and the reader is caught up in the story playing in Gamache’s head as much as the one playing out around him. Gamache’s side-kick, Inspector Beauvior reopens the Three Pines case, giving us yet another narrative to follow in this complex but entertaining novel.

This is also a book about history, specifically Quebec’s history. In fact it’s possible to think of Quebec, it’s history, it’s present and it’s politics as another character in the novel. Penny’s love for the province she lives in is very evident throughout all her novels. But the descriptions of the places and people in this one made me want to book my next vacation there.

You could read this book as a stand alone; there’s enough information about the people of Three Pines and the previous murder case to go on. However, the real pleasure in reading Louise Penny’s books is getting to know the characters and their surroundings. She was a journalist before writing fiction and has the journalistic eye for detail and commentary.

Bury Your Dead is a compelling, complex book that examines history and portrays the present through excellent story telling and interesting characters. Buy the book, read the series, you will be glad you did.

A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny

Louise Penny is a Canadian author and fast becoming one of my favourites of all times. I’ve read all the books so far in her village series and each is better than the last.

In A Rule against Murder we meet once again the main characters from the previous novels. This time the Chief Detective and his wife are on vacation at a luxurious Inn outside the village of Three Pines (the scene of her previous novels). Unfortunately some of the other guests are members of an obnoxious family that are attending a family reunion. Immediately we encounter the layers of story that Penny excels at. There are secrets within secrets and in no time at all, a murder is committed.

Even though this is a murder mystery, the murder is almost a secondary plot line. The story is developed around each character and their secrets. Her writing is poetic. In fact the Detective is often quoting poetry and using it to help solve his crime.

If you haven’t read any of her books before start with the first one, Still Life and continue on. While the stories aren’t continuous the characters are and it’s like getting to know some new friends if you start at the beginning.

I can’t recommend her books highly enough. If you enjoy mysteries and good writing you will like A Rule Against Murder as much as I did.