New York Times
"Penny writes with grace and intelligence about complex people struggling with complex emotions. But her great gift is her uncanny ability to describe what might seem indescribable - the play of light, the sound of celestial music, a quiet sense of peace."

People Magazine (Editor's Pick, 4 out of 4 stars)
With enormous empathy for the troubled human soul—and an ending that makes your blood race and your heart break—Penny continues to raise the bar of her splendid series.

The Globe and Mail
....It’s a stirring, thought- provoking read, less a matter of whodunit than a relentless questioning of why any of us do anything. The Beautiful Mystery...stands as a powerful literary novel in its own right...

Library Journal
"...This heart-rending tale is a marvelous addition to Penny’s acclaimed series."

Adelaide Advertiser
"Hallelujah. Amid the formulaic dross that makes up so much current crime fiction, gems can be found ****"

The Winnipeg Free Press
"With The Beautiful Mystery, there's no longer any doubt: Penny is Canada's best contemporary crime writer, among the best in the world, and one of our best writers, period."

The Seattle Times
"Could a book by Louise Penny have a better title than "The Beautiful Mystery". The title, like Penny's fiction, has multiple layers. First is the crime: the murder of the choir director of a monastery in the deep woods of Quebec. Then there's the joyous but inexplicable emotions the monks' glorious liturgical singing invokes. And there's the disconnect between the monks' vows of silence and their renowned singing. And then, of course, there's the mystery of religion itself....For the reader, meanwhile, there's a final beautiful mystery to contemplate: How does Penny consistently write such luminous and compassionate books?."

The Charlotte Observer and Raleigh News & Observer (Salem Macknee)
"Penny shows us the joy of the cloistered life as surely as she has shown us the joy of village life…for fans of the series, the resulting bombshell in the characters' lives is as much like murder as anything ever delivered by a blunt instrument."

Richmond Times Dispatch
"Penny - who melds prose at once expressive and restrained with a keen understanding of human emotions - creates a novel that earns its title, a book that shines with the grace and compassion that stamp her work."

Herald Sun
"Certain writers remain utterly reliable, utterly enchanting"

Illawarra Mercury
"A tense plot with a finite group of suspects will keep the reader involved until the last clue"

Country News
"The Beautiful Mystery is an ingenious, sinister new novel"

Ballarat Courier
"Here is a good old-fashioned detective yarn with a believable plot, charming characters, a fascinating location and enough red herrings to keep the reader alert"

Herald Sun
"One of the joys of detective fiction"

On the audio book front, Ralph Cosham is again reading THE BEAUTIFUL MYSTERY and the publishers, Macmillian Audio has produced an excerpt. Click here to hear it. More great news - THE BEAUTIFUL MYSTERY has won an Earphones Award from AudioFile.

Kirkus Review
'Penny, elevating herself to the pantheon that houses P.D. James, Ruth Rendell and Minette Walters, demonstrates an exquisite touch with characterization, plotting and artistic sensitivity.'

Publishers Weekly
'Outstanding....Penny effectively employs...the interplay of light and dark...which resonates symbolically in the souls of the characters.'

Booklist
“Like P. D. James, Penny shows how the tight structure of the classical mystery story can accommodate a wealth of deeply felt emotions and interpersonal drama….Top of the genre.”

People Magazine (4 out of 4 stars)
“Stellar….With her smart plot and fascinating, nuanced characters, Penny proves again that she is one of our finest writers.”

The New York Times Book Review
“A deceptively charming whodunit… delivering acute insights into the complicated motives of complex characters….Behind each volatile outburst of marital discord and professional envy lies some deeper truth involving the betrayal of trust and the need for atonement and forgiveness”

Parade Magazine (A Book of the Week Pick)
“Louise Penny elevates the small-town murder mystery to new heights in this seventh installment of her psychologically piercing series featuring Chief Inspector Armand Gamache.”

Library Journal
'Excellent'.

Richmond Times-Dispatch
“A commanding and artful performance…. For connoisseurs of mysteries, success is judged by the genre's holy trinity: plot, people and prose. When all three attain excellence, a fourth quality shines through: power….. what lifts her work to the highest plane is the deep sense of humanity with which she invests her novels, and ‘A Trick of the Light’ satisfies and surpasses that standard.”

Cleveland Plain Dealer
“Superb…masterful….Penny continues to amaze with each novel. Wrapped in exciting plots and domestic details, her characters are people we want to follow through their very real joys and sorrows.”

Romantic Times, has made A TRICK OF THE LIGHT a "Top Pick"
"Penny’s characters are sharply drawn, realistically complicated and heartbreakingly real. Wonderful, complex characters and sophisticated plotting makes this a perfect book. Do not miss it."

The Associate Press
“...a gripping mystery.”

Kaye Barley, at Meanderings and Muses and Dorothy L.
I keep using the word "stunning" for Ms. Penny's work time and time again. And I keep saying "this one is the best one yet." Big sigh.

A Trick of the Light is STUNNING and yes, it is the best one yet. HOW does she keep doing this? And continually top her own work?.... As far as what happens in Three Pines - suffice to say, A LOT! Some things many of us have been waiting for, a few things that will make you laugh out loud, some things that will break your heart and move you to tears along with a few surprise twists. You know - all those things that Louise Penny just keeps doing with such apparent ease.

Exciting news - GAMACHE / BURY YOUR DEAD guided tour of Quebec City is now available. We've been working with a top walking tour company in the venerable old city, Tours Voir Quebec, and are very happy to endorse this. The good people of the Literary and Historical Society (Morrin Centre) are also onboard. It's available in either English or French. Here's the link. Bon voyage et Vive Gamache!





Publishers Weekly
At the start of Agatha-winner Penny's moving and powerful sixth Chief Insp. Armand Gamache mystery (after 2009's The Brutal Telling), Gamache is recovering from a physical and emotional trauma, the exact nature of which isn't immediately disclosed, in Québec City. When the body of Augustin Renaud, an eccentric who'd spent his life searching for the burial site of Samuel de Champlain, Québec's founder, turns up in the basement of the Literary and Historical Society, Gamache reluctantly gets involved in the murder inquiry. Meanwhile, Gamache dispatches his longtime colleague, Insp. Jean Guy Beauvoir, to the quiet town of Three Pines to revisit the case supposedly resolved at the end of the previous book. Few writers in any genre can match Penny's ability to combine heartbreak and hope in the same scene. Increasingly ambitious in her plotting, she continues to create characters readers would want to meet in real life.

People Magazine (4 out of 4 stars) 'editor's pick'!
Her beautifully elegiac sixth book interweaves three story lines while plumbing the depths of Gamache's grief. The result is sophisticated and moving - her best yet.

Booklist
Penny’s first five crime novels in her Armand Gamache series have all been outstanding, but her latest is the best yet, a true tour de force of storytelling….Penny hits every note perfectly in what is one of the most elaborately constructed and remarkably moving mysteries in years.

Kirkus Review
Gamache's excruciating grief over a wrong decision, Beauvoir's softening toward the unconventional, a plot twist so unexpected it's chilling, and a description of Québec intriguing enough to make you book your next vacation there, all add up to a superior read. Bring on the awards.

Library Journal
Superb...brilliantly provocative and will appeal to fans of literary fiction, as well as to mystery lovers.

BookPage, in the US, had named BURY YOUR DEAD their Mystery of the Month for October
Bury Your Dead has received more pre-release praise than any suspense novel in recent memory; I was a little skeptical at first, but I am here to tell you that itis well deserving of every word. And then some!

Toronto Globe and Mail
. . . Louise Penny’s portrait of Quebec City is as lovingly detailed and evocative as anything she has written, and her control over this intricate blending of history and mystery is absolute. Furthermore, the deepening of Gamache’s character is profoundly satisfying. The book, obviously, is a must-read for her fans, and demonstrates once again that she is in the first rank of crime-fiction writers in Canada, or indeed, in the world.

Globe and Mail, Margaret Cannon
...Penny isn't Christie. For one thing she's a far more accomplished craftsman, relying more on depth of character than formula. She also likes a complex plot that owes more to human emotion and psychology than to clockwork timing. This puts her closer to PD James....The best Gamache novel so far.

Daily Mirror 4 stars out of five, Henry Sutton
The Canadian village of Three Pines is given a shocking awakening when a stranger is found dead in the local bistro. But soon Chief Inspector Gamache discovers the bistro owner had a shady past. Brilliant.

The Bookbag 4.5 stars out of five
It's Louise Penny's writing which adds a glow to this book. It's not just the skill of the plot, but the way that words are never wasted and that so few of them can produce a vivid picture. Dialogue is perfect and there's a real talent for capturing the one-liners which make you laugh out loud.

Shots Mag, Mike Stotter
I have always been dismissive of the expression "I couldn't put it down", but after reading Louise Penny's latest story of the idyllic French Canadian village of Three Pines I acknowledge that there is some truth in it. I read this book in one session, anxious to reach the unravelling of a complex plot dealing with mystery, artistic integrity, murder, of course, and relationships.

Book Blog The Editor's Notebook
I’ve got to that stage in The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny, where I want to finish so that I know the outcome but I’m enjoying it so much that I don’t want it to end.

People Magazine 3 1/2 out of 4 stars
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.

Kirkus Review
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
…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…

Booklist
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.

Publishers Weekly
When the body of an unknown old man turns up in a bistro in Agatha-winner Penny’s excellent fifth mystery set in the Quebec village of Three Pines (after Jan. 2009’s A Rule Against Murder), Chief Insp. Armand Gamache investigates. At a cabin in the woods apparently belonging to the dead man, Gamache and his team are shocked to discover the remote building is full of priceless antiquities, from first edition books to European treasures thought to have disappeared during WWII. When suspicion falls on one of Three Pines’ most prominent citizens, it’s up to Gamache to sift through the lies and uncover the truth. Though Gamache is undeniably the focus, Penny continues to develop her growing cast of supporting characters, including newcomers Marc and Dominique Gilbert, who are converting an old house-the site of two murders—into a spa. Readers keen for another glimpse into the life of Three Pines will be well rewarded.

Joseph Beth bookstores, Cincinnati, Ohio, Micheal Fraser
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.

Nick News, Linda Ellerbee, Journalist, Author
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?

Aunt Agatha’s Bookstore in Ann Arbor, Robin Agnew
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.

Meanderings and Muses blog, Kaye Barley
I was one of the lucky winners of an Advance Reading Copy of THE BRUTAL TELLING, and have to tell you - it is stunning. I'm shouting about it all over the place, and I'm already quite sure it will be in my Top Five Favorite Books of 2009. Add this to your "Gotta Read" list.

Publishers Weekly
A Rule Against Murder Louise Penny, read by Ralph Cosham. Blackstone, unabridged, nine CDs, 11 hrs.
Celebrated British narrator and actor Ralph Cosham brings this wonderful murder mystery to life and draws in listeners with his charisma. Penny's taut, darkly comedic tale features the Finney family, which has gathered for the installation of a statue of their long-dead patriarch. When the statue falls and kills one of his daughters, Insp. Armand Gamache (Cosham at his very best) must unravel the plot before it's too late. Cosham's characters are refreshingly original and never overplayed, and the Old World quality of his voice invokes radio murder mysteries from decades past, creating an endlessly entertaining listening experience.

Australian Women's Weekly
Beautiful imagery, deft characterisation and deliciously dense plots

Weekend Australian
Louise Penny's village whodunits make perfect beach reading for this summer

Notebook Magazine
To say this book has an old-fashioned feel is not to denigrate it.There is nothing hard-boiled about Armand: he's a man who loves his family, is loyal and decent... once the narrative is underway, its smooth patient flow carries the reader with it to the last

Cleveland Plain Dealer
MURDER is a fine read, as Penny illuminates her characters in subtle strokes.

Richmond Times-Dispatch
Once again, Penny concocts an intricate and intriguing plot and peoples it with credible characters and the continually fascinating Gamache... and her writing is lovely, powerful and uniquely imaginative, prose that approaches the poetic... No murder would be complete, of course, without death. But in Penny's caring hands, the focus in A RULE AGAINST MURDER - as it is in all of this profoundly humane series - is on life, and on life made richer by the author's deep sense of decency.

Denver Post
An ingenious, impossible crime puzzle for the reader . . .

An IndieNext pick (formerly BookSense) for February 09

Mystery Reader (five out of five stars)
Louise Penny has created in her Inspector Gamache series a clever combination of a police procedural and cozy mystery novel…. The setting itself is reminiscent of the golden age of mysteries….Indeed this novel is a classic locked room mystery….Ms. Penny has a superb command of the English language….As a mystery author, Ms. Penny plays fair with her readers….A Rule Against Murder should go on everyone’s reading list.
 
The Charlotte Observer (4 out of 4 stars)
At least two people are waiting very impatiently for this review to be done so I can pass the new Louise Penny along to them. With just her fourth book, she already has that kind of (well-deserved) following...

Starred Library Journal
Canadian author Penny has garnered numerous awards for her elegant literary mysteries featuring the urbane Armand Gamache, chief police inspector from Quebec. Gamache is intelligent, observant, and implacable, indispensible attributes for the sophisticated detection that characterizes this series....Penny’s engaging, well-crafted mystery probes the dynamics of a severely dysfunctional family and the festering wounds that lead to its ultimate destruction. Her psychological acumen, excellent prose, and ingenious plotting make this essential reading for mystery lovers and admirers of superb literary fiction. Fans of Dorothy L. Sayers, P.D. James, and Elizabeth George will also be delighted.

Starred Booklist
Readers who haven’t discovered Louise Penny and her Armand Gamache series yet are in for a treat….Not only are we treated to Penny’s usual rich characterizations, but the atmospheric and beautiful language will make you want to take your next vacation at the manoir….One of the best traditional mystery series currently being published.

Kirkus Review
This latest treat in the series (The Cruelest Month, 2008, etc.) will keep fans salivating in anticipation, savoring each delectable morsel and yearning for more.
 
Publishers Weekly
Murder interrupts Chief Insp. Armand Gamache and his wife’s annual summer holiday at Quebec’s isolated, lake-front Manoir Bellechasse in Agatha-winner Penny’s intriguing, well-crafted fourth mystery....Seamless, often lyrical prose artfully reveals the characters’ flaws, dreams and blessings.
 
Hamilton Spectator, Don Graves
The Murder Stone is one of the best works of fiction I've read this year. It's a serious novel that bridges the gap between the mystery genre and mainstream fiction....Louise Penny's fourth novel is an enduring mystery that begins and ends with the qualities that make great fiction writing -- compelling storytelling, evocative descriptions that are the heart of the story -- and characters (the novel's soul) who are rich in qualities and foibles that make them unforgettable -- and capable of murder.

Time Out London
. . . it's not all shudders and suspense: a terrific scene of a child teaching an adult to throw sticky biscuits at the manoir's ceiling offers giggle-inducing comic relief

Montreal Review of Books
The plotting is flawless and when the murderer is finally revealed in a thrilling climactic scene...we realize that there were plenty of clever clues along the way.

Toronto Globe and Mail
Four stories and four seasons on, Louise Penny's Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series gets better with each book. Penny has found her perfect formula with the carefully constructed puzzle plot in the perfect village with the classic cast of characters. The fact that it's modern Quebec is the icing on the petit four....Once the puzzle is set up, it's impossible to put this book down until it's solved. Devotees of Christie will be delighted by Penny's clever plots and deft characters.

The Irish News
....In a traditional who-dunnit crime thriller that rivals Agatha Christie's Poirot, Gamache is a refreshing alternative to the hard-nosed stereotypical detective. Penny builds the lives and imperfections of the characters effectively, exposing the complexity of human nature, challenging the reader's opinion and creating a constant sense of suspicion.This is a classic tale that proves that revenge is a dish best served ice cold. Rating 8/10

Sleuth of Baker Street, Marian Misters
THE MURDER STONE...is excellent.  You have to read it....Just how she manages to make every word of every book so perfect, I just don't know
 
The Guardian, Laura Wilson
The red herrings are expertly deployed, and the solution is ingenious and unexpected

Marie Claire Magazine - UK, Eithne Farry
When the privileged offspring of the Finney family get together at the luxurious Manoir Bellechasse to commemorate their dead father, family tensions are let loose. When one of their number is killed in unusual circumstances, it’s up to the charming Inspector Armand Gamache to delve beneath the sibling rivalries, bitter jealousies and outsider envy to solve the devious crime in this super-smart, hauntingly subtle murder mystery. Rating **** (out of 4)

Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind Pick of the Week, Sarah Weinman
Decades from now, I suspect we'll look upon the works of Louise Penny and find all sorts of marvels that show how well and why the books hold up....The temptation is to scarf Penny's books like potato chips but it's ever wise to savor each bite and let the flavors fill your tongue.

People Magazine (3 1/2 out of 4 stars)
Impossible to put down!

The Scotsman
There's real pleasure here.

Kirkus Review
Perhaps the deftest talent to arrive since Minette Walters, Penny produces what many have tried but few have mastered: a psychologically acute cozy. If you don't give your heart to Gamache, you may have no heart to give.

Publishers Weekly
Chief Insp. Armand Gamache and his team investigate another bizarre crime in the tiny Québec village of Three Pines in Penny's expertly plotted third cozy…Arthur Ellis Award-winner Penny paints a vivid picture of the French-Canadian village, its inhabitants and a determined detective who will strike many Agatha Christie fans as a 21st-century version of Hercule Poirot.

Library Journal
Gamache is an engaging, modern-day Poirot who gently teases out information from his suspects while enjoying marvelous bistro meals and cozy walks on the village common…Penny is an award-winning writer whose cozies go beyond traditional boundaries, providing entertaining characters, a picturesque locale, and thought-provoking plots. Highly recommended.

Quill and Quire, Sarah Weinman
Penny shines most in revealing Gamache's frailties....As Penny demonstrates with laser-like precision, the book's title is a metaphor not only for the month of April but also for Gamache's personal and professional challenges - making this the series standout so far.

Good Reading, Australia  - four stars
Penny's real skill is creating a dense, possibilities rich atmosphere....Impressive writing

Mystery News, 5 of 5 quills, Lynn Kaczmarek
Influenced by Simenon, Christie and Sayers before her, Penny is doing them all one better. ... These books are so much more than traditional mysteries—the writing is sublime and the characters unique yet much more developed than their individual quirks. ...And this place, this wonderous, fantastical place.  You’re just incredibly thankful that it exists, if only in the brilliant mind of Louise Penny....behold the ushering in of a new era of traditional mysteries—21st century-style.

Booklist USA
For such a small, pleasant place, the Quebec village of Three Pines has a surprising amount of big-time crime. In the third Armand Gamache novel, the Surete Chief Inspector is once again confronted with a baffling mystery, this one coming after an Easter séance results in murder. The thing about the Gamache novels is that while the crimes are intriguing, the people are downright fascinating not just Gamache himself, who manages to be completely original despite his similarities to Columbo and Poirot, but also the entire cast of supporting characters, who are so strongly written that every single one of them could probably carry an entire novel all by themselves. Readers familiar with the preceding two novels in the series Still Life (2006) and A Fatal Grace (2007) will be champing at the bit to get their hands on this one, and those who haven’t yet met Armand Gamache will wonder what took them so long.

The Calgary Herald, Joanne Sasvari
Penny...has created a world that is clever, complex and gorgeously written.

The London Times, Marcel Berlins
A neat mystery!
 
The Sunday Telegraph, Susanna Yager
Just the thing for a gloomy Autumn day...the enjoyment of a stirring tale of jealousy and long-awaited revenge.
 
The Sherbrooke Record, James Napier
With the publication of The Cruellest Month, Louise Penny has come of age as a novelist.  The writing is sensual, full of sights and smells and tastes that will resonate with her readers.  And although Penny paints an almost Grandma Moses idealized view of village life, it is a view tinged with ominous foreboding, reminiscent of the brooding images of Breughel and Bosch....It's a gem.

Sydney Morning Herald, Australia - Pick of the Week
Readers on the lookout for a good crime writer are in for a treat...Penny's writing is rich in imagery and atmosphere and characterised by a very quick and highly verbal intelligence.

Winter in Three Pines and the sleepy village is carpeted in snow. It's a time of peace and goodwill - until a scream pierces the biting air. There's been a murder. Local police are baffled. A spectator at the annual Boxing Day curling match has been fatally electrocuted. Despite the large crowd, there are no witnesses and - apparently - no clues. Called in to head the investigation, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache unravels the dead woman's past and discovers a history of secrets and enemies. But Gamache has enemies of his own. Frozen out of decision-making at the highest level of the Surete du Quebec, Gamache finds there are few he can trust. As a bitter wind blows into Three Pines, something even more chilling is sneaking up behind him... DEAD COLD launched May 2007 in the US, under the title A FATAL GRACE. Agatha Award for Best Traditional Mystery, 2007 (USA) The Sunday Times, Culture Magazine, Audio Book of the Week, May 6, 2007 Named one of the best books 2007, Deadly Pleasures Magazine, USA American Booksellers Association Book Sense, Notable Book, June 2007 Book List, Rising Star, June 2007 Independent Mystery Booksellers Association (IMBA) a 'Killer Book' for May 2007 Independent Mystery Booksellers Association (IMBA) bestseller, September 2007 Finalist for the 2007 American Library Association book of the year Finalist for an AUDIE AWARD for BEST MYSTERY BOOK ON TAPE Bestseller lists in the US, Australia and Canada Kirkus Review Remarkably, Penny manages to top her outstanding debut. Gamache is a prodigiously complicated and engaging hero, destined to become one of the classic detectives. Library Journal A highly intelliegent mystery.  Penny's new title is sure to creat great reader demand for more stories featuring civilized and articulate Chief Inspector Armand Gamache.

A Fatal Grace /Dead Cold US Edition A Fatal Grace /Dead Cold Canada / UK / Commonwealth

Booklist
Gamache, a smart and likable investigator - think Columbo with an accent, or perhaps a modern-day Poirot....This is a fine mystery in the classic Agatha Christie style and it is sure to leave mainstream fans wanting more.

Houston Chronicle  P.G. Koch
For all the perplexing mechanics of the murder, and the snowed-in village setting, this is not the usual "cosy" or even a traditional puzzle mystery. It's a finely written, intelligent and observant book. Imbued with a constant awareness of the astonishing cold, this perfect blend of police procedural and closed-room mystery finds its solution, as in the best of those traditions, in the slow unlayering of a sorrowful past.

Manly Daily, Australia
Quebec's answer to Poirot and Morse.
 
Weekend Gold Coast Bulletin, Australia
Compelling
 
South Coast Register, Australia
A poetic and gifted writer. 

The Ottawa Citizen, Mike Gillespie
Penny writes like a modern-day Agatha Christie, with a little Dylan Thomas thrown in for good measure. Her characters leap from the page, her plotting is sublime, the atmosphere she builds in a bitter Quebec winter in Dead Cold, completely chilling.

Tangled Web, UK, Bernard Knight
Surete Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is in danger of turning into a latter-day Hercule Poirot....The writing is superb.  A magnificent read. 

The Calgary Herald, Joanne Sasvari
A wonderfully quirky, beautifully written story set amid the eccentric residents of charming Three Pines, Quebec. With DEAD COLD Penny has firmly established herself among the best in Canadian crime fiction....Like all the best Canadian fiction, DEAD COLD is a brilliant evocation of place. And like Gamache, you too will be drawn to Three Pines and to this work of magical realism masquerading as a cosy English mystery.

The Globe and Mail, Margaret Cannon
A beautifully crafted Christmas cracker of a novel. We're back in the charming Quebec village of Three Pines....The setting is wonderfully done, as are the characters. The solution is perfectly in tune with their psychology and there's plenty of evidence that Gamache will make a third appearance.

The Halifax Chronicle Herald, Paul Fiander
Louise Penny stunned the crime fiction world last year with STILL LIFE....Sooner or later the whole world will discover Penny. With a unique sense of timing, patience and subtle wit, Penny is able to create a whodunit that recalls those of Agatha Christie....Magically bringing the postcard village of Three Pines to life, she gives it innocence, allows a touch of evil to intrude and then brings in the outsider, the intriguing Gamache, to solve the crime.

CrimeSquad.com, UK
The plots against Gamache made me feel like a pantomime audience shouting 'look behind you', while the unsympathetic characters are so vividly drawn that they, in turn, provoked sotto voce boos...  (A five star review)

The Sherbrooke Record, Jim Napier
DEAD COLD is a richer, darker book, with humour and a sub-plot that builds on relationships only hinted at in her debut novel. The result is an engrossing read that will only add to the ranks of her readers.

Quill and Quire Literary Magazine, Canada
Louise Penny received a great deal of praise from some very impressive sources for her first novel, STILL LIFE. After reading DEAD COLD, her second effort, I can safely say that much more praise is on its way….no mystery reader will regret the time they spend in the snowy village of Three Pines.

Shotsmag, UK
This is a wonderful novel, full of mystery. It is as deeply layered as snow drifting down upon snow. The cold will seep into your bones so wrap up warm and have a good hot drink at your elbow.

As the early morning mist clears on Thanksgiving Sunday, the homes of Three Pines come to life - all except one… To locals, the village is a safe haven. So they are bewildered when a well-loved member of the community is found lying dead in the maple woods. Surely it was an accident - a hunter's arrow gone astray. Who could want Jane Neal dead? In a long and distinguished career with the Sûreté du Quebec, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache has learned to look for snakes in Eden. Gamache knows something dark is lurking behind the white picket fences, and if he watches closely enough, Three Pines will begin to give up its secrets… The New Blood (Creasey) Dagger (2006) of the Crimewriters Association (UK) The Arthur Ellis Award (2006) of the Crime Writers of Canada (Canada) The Dilys Award (2007) of the Independent Mystery Bookstore Association (USA) The Anthony Award (2007) (USA) The Barry Award (2007) (USA) Kirkus Review: a Top Ten Mystery of 2007 DorothyL Best Mystery Novel of 2007 Bestseller lists in Canada and the IMBA Finalist for The Barry Award for Best Mystery Book of the Decade I-Tunes (Canada): Top AudioBook of 2011 New York Times Sunday Book Review, Marilyn Stasio The beauty of Louise Penny's auspicious debut novel, STILL LIFE, is that it's composed entirely of grace notes, all related to the central mystery of who shot an arrow into the heart of Miss Jane Neal… But, like her neighbors in the picturesque Canadian village of Three Pines, the dear old thing had hidden depths, courtesy of an author whose deceptively simple style masks the complex patterns of a well-devised plot…Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec, who is as bemused as we are by life in Three Pines, has the wit and insight to look well beyond its idyllic surface.

Still Life US Edition Still Life Canada / UK / Commonwealth

Kirkus Review
Cerebral, wise and compassionate, Gamache is destined for stardom. Don't miss this stellar debut.

Publishers Weekly
Like a virtuoso, Penny plays a complex variation on the theme of the clue hidden in plain sight. Filled with unexpected insights, this winning traditional mystery sets a solid foundation for future entries in the series.

Booklist, Emily Melton
This is a real gem of a book that slowly draws the reader into a beautifully told, lyrically written story of love, life, friendship and tragedy.

The Library Journal, USA
Debut novelist Penny writes poignantly about life in a small hamlet…A first-rate creator of memorable characters, Penny introduces a truly engaging sleuth in Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, who is sent to investigate and in the process falls in love with Three Pines and its inhabitants.

The London Times, Marcel Berlins
An impressive debut novel…Penny writes with intelligence and subtlety….the result is a first novel promising much enjoyment to come.

DearReader.com, Suzanne Beecher
A wonderful murder mystery.

Shelf Awareness, Marilyn Dahl
Louise Penny has written an extremely satisfying mystery, one that will please on many levels…this book touches the heart while engaging the mind. Miss Jane Neal kept a well-read book on her nightstand, C.S. Lewis' Surprised by Joy. That title is a fitting phrase for Still Life.

Aunt Agatha's Bookstore, Ann Arbour, Robin Agnew
This is an elegantly written, compelling, and masterful first novel. If I were a betting woman I'd advise anyone interested in such things to lay aside a first edition; I plan to myself…If there is a more perfect novel written this year, I would be very much surprised.

The Toronto Globe and Mail, Margaret Cannon
Ever since Agatha Christie, we long for that perfect village that is touched by death. Three Pines delivers.

Toronto Star, Jack Batten
A delightful and clever collection of false leads, red herrings, meditations on human nature, strange behavior and other diverting stuff.

The Calgary Herald, Joanne Sasvari,
This is a much darker, cleverer, funnier and, finally, more hopeful novel than even the great Dame Agatha could have penned. It's light, witty and poignant, a thrilling debut from a new Canadian crime writer.