Louise Penny is the best-selling Canadian author behind the famous Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series. Set in the quaint Montreal town of Three Pines, these captivating stories follow a resourceful detective hailed as a modern-day Poirot.
This prolific author has been writing crime novels since her first novel was published in 2005. There are eighteen books in the series so far, and Penny shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.
You are reading: Louise penny books in order of publication
In addition to her successful detective series, Penny recently teamed up with former US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to co-write a political thriller: State of Terror.
but in this post, we stick to the landmark series that put this incredible author on the map. Here is the complete list of all the books in the Armand Gamache Collection from Chief Inspector Lousie Penny, in the order they were published.
the complete list of louise penny’s books
here in this post, we stick to the landmark series that put this incredible author on the map. Here is the complete list of all the books in the Armand Gamache collection from Chief Inspector Lousie Penny, in the order they were published.
#1. still life (2005)
As the small town of Three Pines wakes up to the start of a new day, one house stands eerily still.
the body of local artist jane neal has been discovered in the woods, and the residents of three pines are shocked. how could something so terrible happen in their sleepy, crime-free community, a haven so safe that it doesn’t even have its own police force? And why would anyone want to kill a woman as dear as Jane?
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his colleagues are on their way to find out.
#2. a fatal grace aka dead cold (2006)
It is midwinter and three pine trees are covered in a blanket of pure white snow. Holiday cheer is in the air, and residents have gathered around the frozen lake to watch the annual Boxing Day curling match.
but tragedy strikes in the midst of the celebrations when a spectator named cc de poitiers is electrocuted and dies right there on the ice. and despite the large crowd of revelers, not a single witness comes forward to help explain what happened.
One thing is for sure: whoever the killer is, they have committed a seemingly perfect crime. but gamache is on the case, and he won’t rest until he finds out the truth.
further reading: john grisham’s best books of all time
#3. the cruelest month (2007)
Spring has sprung up in Tres Pinos and Easter celebrations are in full swing.
However, a group of residents celebrate the occasion with a rather unusual ritual; a seance at hadley’s old haunted house.
But meddling with the spirit world comes at a price, and instead of ridding the old rundown house of its ghosts, they’ve inadvertently created a new one.
#4. a rule against murder (2008)
The prosperous and respected Finney family have arrived at the beautiful lakeside retreat of Manoir Bellechasse.
They’re here to pay respects to their late father, but when the memorial service begins and his statue is unveiled, some long-buried secrets from this noble family’s past spell tragedy.
the next morning, a body is discovered and chief inspector armand gamache immediately goes to work. But the crime victim had a long list of enemies, and now they’re all suspects.
#5. the brutal narration (2009)
When a stranger’s body is found in three pine trees, shock descends on the sleeping community once again. but this time, the body is not in the forest; the murdered man is discovered inside the town’s restaurant.
See Also: The Best BJJ Books You Need to Read in 2022 | BJJ Success
Nobody knows who the man is, and the bistro’s owner, Oliver, claims he’s never seen him before in his life.
but there are too many unanswered questions, and chief inspector gamache knows he’s hiding something.
#6. bury your dead (2010)
In the frozen winter wonderland of Quebec City, Armand Gamache has been tasked with the strangest and most mysterious case of his career thus far.
Inside the historic English Library building is a grizzled crime scene. but if gamache wants to find out who did it, he must first embark on a journey into the past to discover a secret that has been buried for almost four centuries.
Further reading: 9 best murder mystery books of all time
#7. the executioner (2011)
This short novel begins on a cold November morning when a local jogger makes a harrowing discovery. there, in the middle of the forest, the body of a man hangs from a tree.
victim was a visitor from out of town, here to enjoy the peace and serenity of three pines. But his silent retreat has come to a grim end, and now Armand Gamache must find out why.
#8. a trick of the light (2011)
the body of a woman has been found among the flowers in the garden of clara morrow.
the victim’s name is lillian dyson, and armand gamache is immediately on the case.
but though the truth behind the tragedy seems to be hiding in plain sight, the chief inspector and his team soon realize that the killer has literally been leading them down the garden path.
#9. the beautiful mystery (2012)
Deep in the Canadian wilderness is a monastery, home to two dozen monks whose glorious voices and songs of praise are known the world over.
But something evil has entered these hallowed grounds, and a grizzly murder has taken place.
One of these holy men isn’t so holy after all, and it’s up to Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his team to find out who he is.
Further reading: 17 of the best mystery thrillers
#10. how the light enters (2013)
as quebec braces for a particularly harsh winter, gamache is called to three pines once again. a world-famous resident has gone missing, and it’s up to gamache to find her.
But this is no ordinary missing person case. As the investigation begins, the inspector is drawn into a sinister world of lies, corruption, and murder that could put him and his reputation in jeopardy.
#11. the long way home (2014)
When Peter Morrow goes missing, his estranged wife, Clara, enlists the help of the trusted Chief Inspector to find him.
but as gamache digs deeper into the case, he learns some shocking details about the missing man. this troubled artist would do anything to recapture the fame and glory of his early years. and unfortunately, his obsession has left a trail of bitterness, jealousy and heartbreak in his wake. Is Peter still alive? and can gamache be the one to take him home?
#12. the nature of the beast (2015)
laurent lepage, nine years old, has disappeared. This adventurous boy is known for crying wolf, and local residents have long learned not to believe tales of him. but this time, it seems that something terrible has really happened to him.
As Garcache leads the frantic search to find the missing boy, he discovers something deep in the woods that shatters the case.
See Also: Michael McGarrity – Book Series In Order
could laurent’s wild stories have been true all along?
#13. a great reckoning (2016)
armand gamache has been promoted; After years of hunting down assassins and solving mysteries, he has risen to the ranks of Commander of the Sûreté Academy.
Now, he will finally have the opportunity to address the deep-seated corruption that has long been at the heart of the force.
However, when a former colleague turns up dead, his reform plans come to a screeching halt. Now, the former inspector is suspected of murder and, if he wants to clear his name, he will have to discover a truth that the dark forces have tried to keep buried for a long time.
#14. glass houses (2017)
On a cold winter day in Three Pines, a mysterious figure appears in the town park. the residents are terrified, and even armand gamache is scared.
he watches and waits, praying his fears don’t come true. but it is not long before the figure disappears and a body is found. Now, Gamache must make some tough decisions, decisions that will come back to haunt him when he begins his subsequent murder trial.
#15. kingdom of the blind (2018)
After his recent suspension from the force, Armand Gamache is slipping under the radar. But when he gets an invitation to an old abandoned farmhouse on the outskirts of Three Pines, he gets a scare.
A complete stranger has appointed you as the executor of his will. Having no idea who she is or why he chose him, as he learns of her final legacies, he begins to think that this mysterious woman must have had a mental illness.
But when a body is discovered, the pieces of the puzzle finally begin to fall into place.
further reading: secrets of great mystery and suspense fiction
#16. a better man (2019)
finally, gamache was allowed to return to the sûreté du québec, but he is no longer a commander. Now, he’s the head of homicide, and the atmosphere on his first day on the job is tense, to say the least.
Your first mission is to locate a missing woman, Vivienne Godin. But when she sets out to solve the case, the town of Three Pines is threatened. the river has overflowed its banks, and as the waters rise rapidly, they bring with them the body of a child.
Now, the boy’s distraught father is desperate for revenge, and Gamache wonders if it’s ethical to stop him.
#17. all the demons are here (2020)
the gamache family met in paris for a dinner with armand’s billionaire godfather, stephen horowitz.
But what was supposed to be a pleasant reunion turns to terror when Horowitz is hit by a passing vehicle.
As the old man fights for his life, Armand can’t shake the feeling that this was no accident. someone was deliberately trying to kill his godfather, but who?
The discovery of a mysterious key triggers a desperate search throughout the city to uncover the truth, but Armand Gamache will not only find the truth about the would-be killer. Some dark family secrets lurk just below the Parisian streets and they’re finally coming to the surface.
Further Reading: 8 Must-Read Young Adult Mystery Thrillers
#18. the madness of the crowds (2021)
when gamache is asked to provide security at an upcoming statistics conference at the university de l’estrie de quebec, he finds himself duped by the requests. why the hell would such a mundane event require security, let alone the expertise of a homicide detective?
But this is no ordinary statistics conference. Professor Abigail Robinson’s controversial investigation veers into dangerous territory when a body turns up just days after the event. it’s clear that her theories are driving people to do the unthinkable.
conclusion
lousie penny’s chief detective armand gamache series is full of whodunits that turn the page.
its lovable, multi-dimensional main character comes face to face with some of the most tantalizing mysteries of the modern crime genre. These gripping stories are so addictive that once you’ve read one, you won’t be able to stop until you’ve read them all.
did you enjoy the series armand gamache? If so, I’d love to hear about your favorite titles. let me know in the comments below!
See Also: The Book of Magic – Alice Hoffman