By Louise Penny
Read by Ralph Cosham (Books 1-10) and Robert Bathurst (Books 11-17)
First book in the series was published in 2005. Book 18 is due for publication at the end of 2022
Audible Summary
A man of deep intellect, quiet courage, and integrity, Québec Inspector Armand Gamache defies the stereotype of a macho cop - brilliantly!
Chief Inspector of the Surêté du Québec, Armand Gamache leads a team of investigators in the Three Pines, a rural village south of Montreal rich in natural beauty and eccentric residents. In this idyllic setting, Gamache is continually challenged with baffling murders that demand the full force of his deductive erudition, and insight into the individuals involved. Whether taking place in a monastery, an art gallery, or the forest, each mystery reveals more layers to the people of Three Pines, as well as Inspector Gamache, his deputy Jean-Guy Beauvoir, and other series regulars.
Author Louise Penny chose two brilliant narrators to match her thoughtful detective. Ralph Cosham offers a deep reading of Inspector Gamache, opening the hero’s mind, heart, and soul for listeners to experience on a visceral level. As one avid listener declares: “I don’t think I would ever be able to read Louise Penny’s books as long as I can listen to the wonder Ralph Cosham narrate, since he IS Inspector Gamache!” Robert Bathurst, Cosham’s successor after his death, captures the complex personality of the perceptive Chief Inspector, emphasizing his humanity, compassion, and wit along with his erudition. Both narrators excel at character studies of the various players in each case, from an elderly Anglo librarian to a spirited nine-year-old boy.
"I don't know." "I need help." "I'm sorry." "I was wrong."
When I started reading this series (April, 2020), I was not in a rush to finish the series or even to read the books in order. I did start with book #1 and I fell in love with the book, the writing, the characters and the village of Three Pines. I slowly started acquiring other entries in the series. Audible has them all but I was hoping to get as many as possible on sale, so it would be a slow, slow process. It became a lot easier when I rejoined the Boston Public Library. But, I was not in a rush because I so enjoyed the books that I had already read.
Suddenly, this April, I decided that this was one series that really had to be read in order. The series has an over-arching storyline that is some ways is more important than the individual murders. So I went back not quite to the beginning and I read them all in order, one after another -- like a bag of M&Ms. And it had to be a binge so that I could keep the storyline fresh in my mind. By the time I reached Book 17, The Madness of Crowds, I decided that I was tired of the hell that the author was putting her MC through. She used the same "Mighty Mouse" plot intrigue over and over again -- you know, "Here I am to save the day" -- to the point where it just no longer was plausible. Mighty Mouse should have exited the scene with book 10 and after that, she needed to take the Gamache arc in an entirely different direction (just don't ask what it should have been, because if I had that answer, I would spend my time writing books, not reading them).
I kept reading right through to the end of the series, for a couple of reasons. I like the author's writing style. The whole idea of this Brigadoon-like village and refuge for injured souls is intriguing. But, mostly, I think it is the secondary characters that keep me coming back, especially the quirky villagers. These are people I enjoy spending time with, even if we are in the middle of solving yet another murder that somehow or another involves one or more of these people.
All that said, book 18 is due out in November. Still no title and no hint as to who will be narrating but I will be on the library wait-list just as soon as I find out it is taking names.
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