Louise Penny- Great Author-Wonderful Mystery Series

Having worked at the circulation desk in my library for 5 years, I have gotten used to chatting with patrons about books I have enjoyed. It is always a thrill for me when someone comes in and says to me " I read...... and really loved it".  Now that I have moved up the chain and have a "desk job", I don't get to chat as much with patrons but I still make recommendations when I can.  This blog started for that reason. One of my favorite writers is Louise Penny, author of the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache Mysteries. She is also a favorite of many of my coworkers.

The series takes place for the most part, in a small town in the province of Quebec, Canada. Inspector Gamache works for the Surete du Quebec. He is an avid student of human behavior and appreciates the nuances of the small town. The books are full of information about Canadian life and the characters are perfectly written. We all anticipate each new book with baited breath in the library and fight over them when they come in.

I am a big audiobook fan and started listening to them as well as reading them. The reader, Ralph Cosham, is AMAZING. One of the more recent books was so well done that when I got to the end( sitting in my car in the library parking lot during lunch), I started to cry because the ending was so emotional. Mr. Cosham has a marvelous speaking voice and is both calming and scary at different times.

So..... if you want something new to read, I recommend that you get to your library or go to the bookstore and buy the first book in the series- Still Life. You will be hooked, I guarantee.

You can thank me later.....

Books in the series
1. Still Life
2. Fatal Grace/ Dead Cold in Canada
3. The Cruelest Month
4. A Rule Against Murder/ The Murder Stone
5. The Brutal Telling
6. Bury your Dead
7. A Trick of the Light ( Pub date 8-30-2011)