The Beautiful Mystery: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel

Louise Penny

Aug 2012 · Chief Inspector Gamache Novel Book 8 · Sold by Minotaur Books

About this ebook

The brilliant novel in the New York Times bestselling series by Louise Penny, one of the most acclaimed crime writers of our time.

No outsiders are ever admitted to the monastery of Saint-Gilbert-Entre-les-Loups, hidden deep in the wilderness of Quebec, where two dozen cloistered monks live in peace and prayer. They grow vegetables, they tend chickens, they make chocolate. And they sing. Ironically, for a community that has taken a vow of silence, the monks have become world-famous for their glorious voices, raised in ancient chants whose effect on both singer and listener is so profound it is known as "the beautiful mystery."

But when the renowned choir director is murdered, the lock on the monastery's massive wooden door is drawn back to admit Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and Jean-Guy Beauvoir of the Sûreté du Québec. There they discover disquiet beneath the silence, discord in the apparent harmony. One of the brothers, in this life of prayer and contemplation, has been contemplating murder. As the peace of the monastery crumbles, Gamache is forced to confront some of his own demons, as well as those roaming the remote corridors. Before finding the killer, before restoring peace, the Chief must first consider the divine, the human, and the cracks in between.

The Beautiful Mystery is the winner of the 2012 Agatha Award for best novel, the 2013 Anthony Award for best novel and the 2013 Macavity Award for best novel.

Ratings and reviews

I've read all of the Chief Inspector Gamache books preceding this one and have given them all 5 stars, until now. The Beautiful Mystery wasn't terrible but it definitely wasn't a page turner like the last 7 books were. I really hate to criticize books, I know how difficult it can be to get a good story written down. I will continue to read the series because I feel they are well written and I thoroughly enjoy reading them.

I have read all of the Louise Penny books in the Three Pines series. This book was a disappointment. I found it to lack the usual humor and depth of the characters. I found the subject of the monastery to be boring and contain too much spiritual description that went on and on and failed to include the usual characters from Three Pines.

Beautifully written as usual. I'm too involved with the characters to be at peace, I hope the next book brings resolution to at least one of the long standing issues. Glad I added this to my collection though.

About the author

LOUISE PENNY is the author of the #1 New York Times and Globe and Mail bestselling series of Chief Inspector Armand Gamache novels. She has won numerous awards, including a CWA Dagger and the Agatha Award (six times), and was a finalist for the Edgar Award for Best Novel. In 2017, she received the Order of Canada for her contributions to Canadian culture. Louise lives in a small village south of Montréal.