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.






New York Times, Marilyn Stasio
Louise Penny applies her magic touch to A RULE AGAINST MURDER (Minotaur, $24.95), 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-scène and inhabit it with complex characters.
There’s something other­worldly and altogether enchanting about the Manoir Bellechasse, the magnificent lodge in the Canadian wilderness where Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, the head of homicide for the Sûreté du Québec, has taken his wife for their 35th wedding anniversary. Not only does the auberge offer grand views and the order and calm of old-world service, but it also observes a no-kill policy, with the proprietors feeding wild animals in winter and forbidding guests to hunt or fish. Someone obviously failed to explain that rule to the cultured but quarrelsome family holding a reunion to unveil a statue of their late patriarch, who makes his feelings felt by toppling down on one of his own. As Gamache observes, things were not as they seemed, not even in a paradise like Bellechasse. And never in a Louise Penny mystery.

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.
 
Publisher's 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.





Charlotte Observor, Salem Macknee
If I thought for one minute this place really existed, I would be packing the car. As it was, on finishing "The Cruelest Month," I grabbed the first two books, "Still Life" and "A Fatal Grace," and spent a lovely weekend in the village. The mouthwatering food, the beautiful gardens, the quirky and literate villagers -- Three Pines is a charming oasis for the spirit....it's more about the journey than the destination in these wonderful books full of poetry, and weather, and a brooding manor house, and people who read and think and laugh and eat a lot of really excellent food.
Move over, Mitford.

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.





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.
 
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.

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.

Chicago Tribune, Crime watch, Dick Adler
It's hard to decide what provides the most pleasure in this enjoyable book: Gamache, a shrewd and kindly man constantly surprised by homicide; the village, which sounds at first like an ideal place to escape from civilization; or the clever and carefully constructed plot.

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.

'A cast of fascinating and beautifully sketched characters, deep insight into human motives and relationships, intelligent and literate writing, an unusual and detailed setting, a clever plot with lots of twists and turns and suspense. Georges Simenon kept Maigret going for over a hundred books. It will be a delight for all of us who love detective fiction if Louise Penny can stay around long enough to do the same for Gamache.' Reginald Hill

'An excellent, subtle plot full of understanding of the deeper places in human nature, and many wise observations that will enrich the reader long after the pages are closed.' Anne Perry

'What a joy to read a crime novel written with such skill and integrity, strong on character and atmosphere… I couldn't put it down' Margaret Yorke

'It's a very clever book. Louise Penny knows that a small closed self-sufficient community is in many ways the most dangerous place to live in.' Ann Granger

'What a joy it is to discover a detective like Armand Gamache, strong, calm and charismatic and at work on a good mystery in a believable setting.' Peter Lovesey

'Louise Penny's Still Life is a gem of a debut novel-clever, charming, with perceptively realized characters, a setting to die for, and the enormously appealing Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Surete du Quebec. I can't wait for the next installment.' Deborah Crombie

'Still Life is a masterpiece of a traditional drawing room mystery, repainted in the autumnal colors of the Canadian countryside. Louise Penny's movingly sketched characters invite you into their petit village, where Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Surete du Quebec, a modern Poirot, slowly peels back the layers of time to solve a heartbreaking homicide. I eagerly await her next book.' Julia Spencer-Fleming