As an enthusiast of Louise Penny's writing since her first book, Still Life, I love her continuing story of characters I have grown to know and love like they are my own family. As in real life, these books are not neatly tied up by the last page. One person's story may be woven into a narrative and then not be spoken of until two or three books later. I can see how this would frustrate some readers, but I love the world and the characters Penny has created so much that I am willing to follow wherever she leads. I have come to consider this series as a thousand-page (plus) novel with each book as a chapter. Seen in that light, it is easy to see why I recommend anyone who wants to read these books to read them in order. Read out of sequence, too much context and texture is lost. Would you read a book by choosing chapters at random?

The mystery concerning Myrna's missing friend is a highlight of the book, and I enjoyed how Penny wove a very important part of Canadian history into that story line. However, as much as I love How the Light Gets In, I did feel that there were a couple of holes in the plot. The logistics of setting up highly sophisticated computer terminals in Three Pines didn't quite ring true, and the plot Gamache uncovers concerning some highly placed government officials had my suspension bridge of disbelief strained almost to the point of collapse. Fortunately, I don't read these books for their unwavering technical exactitude. I read them for the luminous quality of Penny's writing, of the multi-faceted characters she has created, and for all the emotions her stories and her characters evoke within me.

If you're the type of reader who does not believe that-- deep down in the very heart of things-- good exists in the world and within the hearts of humankind, you may not enjoy these books. (There's absolutely nothing wrong with feeling that way because there certainly seems to be more proof to the contrary.) How the Light Gets In-- and every other book in this marvelous series-- is about a very eclectic group of people who are at one and the same time the very worst and the very best that they can be. Throughout this series, readers get to watch as each character works at conquering his demons, and it is a process which is both wonderful to read and ultimately life affirming. I eagerly await Louise Penny's next book.

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This is a substantial entry in the Gamache series. In addition to solving a murder, Gamache has to face the culmination of years of efforts by known and unknown forces to undermine Gamache's work and proceed with nefarious plans. What plans, Gamache is not sure, but he knows they are dastardly.

The case: Constance Pineault disappears. She was expected to spend Christmas with friends in Three Pines but she never got there. What happened to her? Her friend and former therapist, Myrna, calls on Chief Inspector Gamache for help. He is more than happy to make the trip to Three Pines, where he is appreciated and even loved, as compared to the desert he deals with in Montreal.

Because Chief Superintendent Francoeur had ripped apart Gamache's department by transferring all of his loyal detectives - except one - to other departments. And replacing them with people who had no respect for Gamache and who would openly mock him. It was an untenable position, thought Inspector Isabelle Lacoste, his remaining loyalist. She wanted Gamache to fight hard against these evil forces but instead he appeared to be succumbing to them.

When Gamache and Lacoste investigate the disappearance of Pineault they find that she had another last name, a famous one. Did her fame have anything to do with her disappearance?

While studying her background, which revealed a number of lines of inquiry, Gamache also sets to work on a plan to figure out what Francoeur and friends are planning, and to stop whatever it is.

The plans are complex. The investigation is complex. The story is loaded with tense moments and a momentous climax. This is one not to miss.

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Finally got back to another very compelling read in the Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny. I've slowly been reading these over the past few years. This one was probably one of the most compelling and satisfying in the series so far. It brings to a conclusion some of the troubles that had been following Gamache in several of the previous books involving the corruption of the head of the Sûreté du Québec, Chief Superintendent Francoeur, other police officials, and an even higher player in the Quebec government. Francoeur has decimated Gamache's department by spreading his loyal force out from under him and into other departments. Gamache's right-hand-man, Inspector Jean-Guy Beauvoir, has been placed under Francoeur, is still struggling with addiction, and feels he has been betrayed by Gamache. So can Gamache prevent Francoeur's plot to seize more power or will Francoeur get to him first? Meanwhile, Gamache has been called to the quaint village of Three Pines when a friend of Myrna's, the village bookshop owner, goes missing. The friend turns up murdered back in Montreal, but who could have killed a pleasant elderly woman and why? Turns out she was part of a very famous family who had national and even world-wide notoriety back in the 1930's (this family was modeled after a very real family from that time). As Gamache is struggling to solve her murder, Francoeur and his cronies have him in their sights...

I always enjoy returning to Three Pines with Gamache. This one had a lot of interplay with the village's quaint and sometimes eccentric citizens. This includes the poet Ruth and her pet duck; the gay inn owners, Olivier and Gabri; Myrna, the bookstore owner; and the artist Clara Morrow who is now estranged from her husband Peter. The atmosphere of Three Pines is always homey and something good is always cooking such as Coq au vin or some other mouth-watering dish. But there must be something in the air there, murders happen quite frequently. I'll be looking forward to continuing with this very enjoyable series.

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