What an amazing time it has been. THE BRUTAL TELLING has surpassed all expectations. It debuted on the New York Times bestseller list and stayed for three weeks. It was the Barnes and Noble Main Selection and an IndieNext pick. And it has made a series of 'best of 2009' lists! What a time. The next Gamache novel, BURY YOUR DEAD, will be coming out later this year. And between us? I simply adore the book. I wonder if I might ask you the very great favour, if you feel comfortable doing it, of telling others about the series? I am deeply aware that THE BRUTAL TELLING and the other Gamache novels have done so well because you have used your hard earned money to buy them and used your precious time to read them. You have also told others, and word-of-mouth is so powerful. I'm very grateful to you for being so supportive. Thank you! What a gift you've given me. The reviews have been wonderful for THE BRUTAL TELLING. The Daily Mirror in the UK called it 'Brilliant!' Honestly, it feels as though we have an embarrassment of riches with this book. Fortunately, I'm not easily embarrassed. Among the pieces of great good fortune is a lead review in the People Magazine. People Magazine THE BRUTAL TELLING 3 1/2 out of 4 stars here's an excerpt from the review: With an intricate, almost mythic plot, superb characters and rich, dark humor Penny - a former journalist with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation who has garnered multiple awards for the series' four previous novels - continues to deepen and modernize the traditional "village mystery". Her courtly, poetry-loving Inspector Gamache, who peers into suspects' souls over meals so mouthwatering you'll want to book a flight, contributes a humane and sophisticated perspective on human foibles. The Kirkus Review has given THE BRUTAL TELLING a wonderful review. Here's an excerpt: . . .Penny (A Rule Against Murder, 2009, etc.) is a world-class storyteller. If you don’t want to move to Montreal with Gamache as your neighbor—or better yet, relocate to Three Pines and be welcomed into its community of eccentrics—you have sawdust in your veins, which must be very uncomfortable. Library Journal has also given THE BRUTAL TELLING a rare starred review. Here is part of what they had to say: …Penny has only gotten better with each succeeding novel. Her fifth in the series is the finest of all….this literary mystery explores the ways in which sins of the past have a way of resurrecting themselves, wreaking havoc upon their perpetrators, and, unfortunately, the innocent…. Fortunately, sagacious Gamache possesses the acumen to peel away the layers of deceit and to expose the truth. This superb novel will appeal to readers who enjoy sophisticated literary mysteries… As well, Booklist just gave it a rare and coveted starred review: Penny has been compared to Agatha Christie, and while there is a surface resemblance there, it sells her short. Her characters are too rich, her grasp of nuance and human psychology too firm for the formula-bound Christie. No, Penny belongs in the hands of those who read not only P. D. James but also Donna Leon, who, like Penny, mixes her hero’s family and professional lives fluidly and with a subtle grasp of telling detail. The book has also received a STARRED REVIEW in Publisher's Weekly, which called it "Excellent'!

Here's what some reviewers and booksellers are saying:

Michael Fraser - of Joseph Beth bookstores, Cincinnati, Ohio:
I was prepared to be vastly entertained by a witty, sometimes funny and intricately plotted mystery whose solution always lies in the hearts of men and the ability of Gamache to suss out what lies within….I was not prepared for this compelling and unflinching look into the heart of darkness that resides within us all. It is a universal truth that we can never fully know another human being and many times, not even ourselves. But Penny shows us a unique insight into the very "black box" of her characters…This is a terrific read if you like mysteries but it is also a stunning look at our universal condition. In a brutal telling itself, Penny connects us with our own humanity as well as others. She shows us the fragility of our existence and that even living within the pale doesn't exempt us and we can have everything taken away in a very short time.

Linda Ellerbee, journalist, author, host of Nick News wrote:
Louise Penny's mysteries have evolved into world-class novels. "The Brutal Telling" is rich in atmosphere, hip-deep in character, beautifully written and superbly imagined. Plus an astonishing ending! Who could ask for anything more?

Robin Agnew, of Aunt Agatha’s Bookstore in Ann Arbor:
These books are an assurance in the face of a sometimes harsh world that goodness does, indeed, exist, and that may partly explain the passion Penny seems to inspire in her readers. With almost every word, she gives you something to hope for....this book may be her best yet, and that is saying a lot.

Here is a bit of what the book is about…

Chaos is coming, old son.

With those words the peace of Three Pines is shattered. As families prepare to head back to the city and children say goodbye to summer, a stranger is found murdered in the village bistro. Once again, Chief Inspector Gamache and his team are called in to strip back layers of lies, exposing both treasures and rancid secrets buried in the wilderness.

No one admits to knowing the murdered man, but as secrets are revealed, chaos begins to close in on the beloved bistro owner, Olivier. How did he make such a spectacular success of his business? What past did he leave behind and why has he buried himself in this tiny village? And why does every lead in the investigation find its way back to him?

As Olivier grows more frantic, a trail of clues and treasures- from first editions of Charlotte's Web and Jane Eyre to a spider web with the word "WOE" woven in it-lead the Chief Inspector deep into the woods and across the continent in search of the truth, and finally back to Three Pines as the little village braces for the truth and the final, brutal telling.



New Pronunciation Guide
Another piece of news is that after fielding lots of emails asking how to pronounce all the French words, including Armand Gamache's name, I finally realized (d'oh) that maybe a pronunciation guide would help! So, with the help of my terrific assistant Lise Page, and the local community radio station, CIDI, I've recorded a pronunciation guide. You can click here, or the new menu button at the top of this page.



There is a scene in THE BRUTAL TELLING where a new agent, Paul Morin, plays a priceless violin. Here is part of that scene:

What came out surprised them all. A Celtic lament left the bow, left the violin, left the agent. It filled the cabin, filled the rafters. Almost into the corners. The simple tune swirled around them like colors and delicious meals and conversation. And it lodged in their chests. Not their ears, not their heads, but their hearts. Slow, dignified, but buoyant. Agent Morin had changed….His eyes were closed and her looked the way Gamache felt. Filled with joy. Rapture even. Such was the power of this music. Of this instrument.

Agent Morin is playing a piece called Colm Quigley. Here it is now. Written and performed by the Canadian Celtic group, Leahy. They have very kindly supplied this link. (Click here to download the music).



If you're interested in following my adventures on tour - and at home - as we go through the launch, and the editing of the next book, and the trials of everyday life, just check out my blog - which I try to write daily. Please forgive the atrocious typos.

In other news,THE CRUELEST MONTH has won the Agatha for Best Novel. This is the second win in a row for the Armand Gamache books following the Agatha last year for A FATAL GRACE.



And – more good news – THE MURDER STONE / A RULE AGAINST MURDER has been named one of Booklists Top Ten Mysteries of the Year.  This following on A Rule Against Murder making the New York Times Bestseller list!  And Marilyn Stasio gave it a great review in the Times…

New York Times
Louise Penny applies her magic touch to A RULE AGAINST MURDER, giving the village mystery an elegance and depth not often seen in this traditional genre. Although Penny is no slouch at constructing a whodunit puzzle, her great skill is her ability to create a charming mise-en-scene and inhabit it with complex characters.
To read the full review click here.

It sometimes comes as a shock that I have any books out. It can still feel a wonderful dream. But the reality is, the fifth is about to be published! And I know people can now be understandably confused about the order the books were written in. If you're like me it matters because it's often fun to read a series from the very beginning. So, as a public service and with absolutely no self-interest, here's the list of books, from first published to the most recent:

STILL LIFE
A FATAL GRACE / DEAD COLD
THE CRUELEST MONTH
A RULE AGAINST MURDER / THE MURDER STONE
THE BRUTAL TELLING

Some of the books have different titles, as you might have noticed. The publishers did this not, as you might suspect, to be annoying but because they genuinely feel their readers respond to different titles. I hope it's not too confusing. It is for me.

And finally, a small note about the themes in my books, and why I write them. They're all inspired by two lines from a poem by WH Auden, in his elegy to Melville. He wrote: Goodness existed, that was the new knowledge/his terror had to blow itself quite out to let him see it.

How powerful is that?

My books are about terror. That brooding terror curled deep down inside all of us. But more than that, more than murder, more than all the rancid emotions and actions, my books are about goodness. And kindness. About choices. About friendship and belonging. And love. Enduring love.