Louise Penny is the best-selling Canadian author behind the famous Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series. Set in the quaint Montreal village of Three Pines, these captivating stories follow a quick-witted detective hailed as a modern-day Poirot.
This prolific author has been writing crime fiction since her first novel was published in 2005. There are eighteen books in the series so far, and Penny is showing no signs of stopping any time soon.
Apart from her smash hit detective series, Penny recently joined forces with former US secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton to co-write a political thriller novel – State of Terror.
But in this post, we’re sticking to the landmark series that put this incredible author on the map. Here’s the full list of every book in Lousie Penny’s Chief Inspector Armand Gamache collection, in the order they were published.
The Complete List of Louise Penny Books
Here, in this post, we’re sticking to the landmark series that put this incredible author on the map. Here’s the full list of every book in Lousie Penny’s Chief Inspector Armand Gamache collection, in the order they were published.
| IMAGE | BOOK NAME | FEATURES | PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Still Life (2005) | • Publication date: July 5, 2012 • Print length: 481 pages • Author: Louise Penny | Check Price |
 | A Fatal Grace aka Dead Cold (2006) | • Publication date: August 1, 2012 • Print length: 585 pages • Author: Louise Penny | Check Price |
 | The Cruelest Month (2007) | • Publication date: June 1, 2008 • Print length: 615 pages • Author: Louise Penny | Check Price |
 | A Rule Against Murder (2008) | • Publication date: March 15, 2011 • Print length: 336 pages • Author: Louise Penny | Check Price |
 | The Brutal Telling (2009) | • Publication date: March 3, 2010 • Print length: 672 pages • Author: Louise Penny | Check Price |
 | Bury Your Dead (2010) | • Publication date: October 1, 2010 • Print length: 667 pages • Author: Louise Penny | Check Price |
 | The Hangman (2011) | • Publication date: April 8, 2020 • Print length: 98 pages • Author: Louise Penny | Check Price |
 | A Trick of the Light (2011) | • Publication date: August 30, 2011 • Print length: 352 pages • Author: Louise Penny | Check Price |
 | The Beautiful Mystery (2012) | • Publication date: September 5, 2012 • Print length: 667 pages • Author: Louise Penny | Check Price |
 | How The Light Gets In (2013) | • Publication date: September 1, 2013 • Print length: 405 pages • Author: Louise Penny | Check Price |
 | The Long Way Home (2014) | • Publication date: August 26, 2014 • Print length: 373 pages • Author: Louise Penny | Check Price |
 | The Nature of the Beast (2015) | • Publication date: August 25, 2015 • Print length:385 pages • Author: Louise Penny | Check Price |
 | A Great Reckoning (2016) | • Publication date: August 30, 2016 • Print length: 400 pages • Author: Louise Penny | Check Price |
 | Glass Houses (2017) | • Publication date: August 29, 2017 • Print length:376 pages • Author: Louise Penny | Check Price |
 | Kingdom of the Blind (2018) | • Publication date: November 27, 2018 • Print length: 400 pages • Author: Louise Penny | Check Price |
 | A Better Man (2019) | • Publication date: August 27, 2019 • Print length:417 pages • Author: Louise Penny | Check Price |
 | All the Devils Are Here (2020) | • Publication date: September 1, 2020 • Print length: 448 pages • Author: Louise Penny | Check Price |
 | The Madness of Crowds (2021) | • Publication date: May 24, 2022 • Print length: 448 pages • Author: Louise Penny | Check Price |
1. Still Life (2005)
As the small village of Three Pines wakes to the start of a brand new day, one house remains eerily still.
Local artist Jane Neal’s body has been discovered in the woods, and the residents of Three Pines are reeling in shock. How could such a terrible thing happen in their sleepy, crime-free community, such a safe haven that it doesn’t even have its own police force? And why would anyone want to kill such a well-loved woman like Jane?
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his colleagues are on their way to find out.
2. A Fatal Grace aka Dead Cold (2006)
It’s the middle of winter, and Three Pines is covered in a blanket of pure white snow. Festive cheer is in the air, and the 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 killed 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’ve pulled off a seemingly perfect crime. But Gamache is on the case, and he won’t rest until he uncovers the truth.
Bonus Read: Best John Grisham Books of All Time
3. The Cruelest Month (2007)
Spring has sprung in Three Pines, and Easter celebrations are in full swing.
Yet one group of residents are marking the occasion with a rather unusual ritual; a séance at the haunted Old Hadley House.
But meddling in the spirit world comes at a price, and rather than ridding the crumbling old house of its ghosts, they’ve inadvertently created a new one.
4. A Rule Against Murder (2008)
The affluent and well-respected Finney family have arrived at the beautiful lakeside haven of Manoir Bellechasse.
They’re here to pay tribute to their late father, but as the memorial service begins and his statue is unveiled, some long-buried secrets from this noble family’s past secrets spell tragedy.
The very next morning, a body is discovered, and Chief Inspector Armand Gamache immediately sets to work. But the victim of the crime had a long list of enemies, and now, everyone is a suspect.
5. The Brutal Telling (2009)
When a stranger’s body is found in Three Pines, shock descends on the sleepy community once again. But this time, the body isn’t in the woods; the murdered man is discovered inside the village bistro.
No one knows who the man is, and bistro 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 so far.
Inside the historic English Library’s building is a grizzly murder scene. But if Gamache wants to find out who did it, he must first take a journey into the past to uncover a secret that has remained buried for almost four centuries.
Bonus Read: 9 Best Murder Mystery Books of All Time
7. The Hangman (2011)
This short novella begins on a cold morning in November when a local jogger makes a harrowing discovery. There in the middle of the woods, the body of a man hangs from a tree.
The victim was a visitor from out of town, here to enjoy the peace and serenity of Three Pines. But his quiet retreat has come to a grizzly end, and now, Armand Gamache must find out why.
8. A Trick of the Light (2011)
A woman’s body has been found amongst the flowers in Clara Morrow’s garden.
The victim’s name is Lillian Dyson, and Armand Gamache is immediately on the case.
But while the truth behind the tragedy seems to be hiding in plain sight, the chief inspector and his team soon realize that the killer has, quite 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 sacred grounds, and a grizzly murder has taken place.
One of these holy men isn’t quite so holy after all, and it’s up to Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his team to find out who.
Bonus Read: 17 of the Best Mystery Books and Thrillers
10. How The Light Gets In (2013)
As Quebec braces itself for a particularly harsh winter, Gamache is called to Three Pines once again. A world-famous resident has gone missing, and it’s down 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 both him and his reputation on the line.
11. The Long Way Home (2014)
When Peter Morrow goes missing, his estranged wife, Clara, calls upon the help of the trusty Chief Inspector to find him.
But as Gamache delves 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 its wake. Is Peter still alive? And can Gamache be the one to bring him home?
12. The Nature of the Beast (2015)
Nine-year-old Laurent Lepage has disappeared. This adventurous boy is notorious for crying wolf, and the local residents have long learned not to believe his tall tales. But this time, it seems that something terrible really has happened to him.
As Garcache leads the frantic search to find the missing child, he discovers something deep inside the forest that tears the case apart.
Could Laurent’s far-fetched stories have been true all along?
13. A Great Reckoning (2016)
Armand Gamache has been promoted; after years of hunting killers and solving mysteries, he’s risen to the ranks of Commander of the Sûreté Academy.
Now, he’ll finally have the chance to tackle the deep-seated corruption that has long been at the heart of the force.
Yet when a former colleague turns up dead, his plans of reform come to a sudden halt. Now, the former inspector is a murder suspect himself, and if he’s going to clear his name, he’ll have to uncover a truth that dark forces have long tried to keep buried.
14. Glass Houses (2017)
On a cold winter’s day in Three Pines, a mysterious figure appears on the village green. The residents are terrified, and even Armand Gamache is spooked.
He watches and waits, praying that his fears won’t come true. But it’s 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 the subsequent murder trial begins.
15. Kingdom of the Blind (2018)
After his recent suspension from the force, Armand Gamache is lying low. But when he receives an invite to an old abandoned farmhouse on the outskirts of Three Pines, he’s in for a shock.
A complete stranger has appointed him as the executor of her will. With no idea who she is or why she chose him, as he learns of her final bequests, he begins to think this mystery woman must have been mentally ill.
But when a body is discovered, the pieces of the puzzle finally begin to fall into place.
Bonus Read: Secrets of Great Mystery and Suspense Fiction
16. A Better Man (2019)
Gamache has finally been allowed to return to the Sûreté du Québec, but he’s no longer commander. Now, he’s head of homicide, and the atmosphere on his first day on the job is tense, to say the least.
His first assignment is to locate a missing woman, Vivienne Godin. But as he sets out to solve the case, the town of Three Pines comes under threat. The river has burst its banks, and as the waters rapidly rise, they bring with them the body of a child.
Now, the child’s distraught father is desperate for revenge, and Gamache wonders if it’s ethical to stop him.
17. All the Devils Are Here (2020)
The Gamache family have gathered in Paris to attend a dinner with Armand’s billionaire godfather, Stephen Horowitz.
But what was supposed to be a pleasant reunion turns into terror when Horowitz is knocked down by a passing vehicle.
As the elderly 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 sparks a desperate city-wide search to uncover the truth, but it’s not just the truth about the would-be assassin that Armand Gamache will find. Some dark family secrets are hiding just below the Parisian streets, and they’re finally rising to the surface.
Bonus Read: 8 Must-Read Young Adult Mystery Books and Thrillers
18. The Madness of Crowds (2021)
When Gamache is asked to provide security at an upcoming lecture on statistics at Quebec’s Université de l’Estrie, he’s bamboozled by requests. Why on earth would such a mundane event require security, let alone the expertise of a homicide detective?
But this is no ordinary statistics lecture. Professor Abigail Robinson’s controversial research delves 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 Inspector Armand Gamache series is packed with page-turning whodunits.
Her loveable and multidimensional lead character comes head-to-head 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 Armand Gamache series? If so, I’d love to hear about your favorite titles. Let me know in the comments below!