Welcome to Three Pines! I hope you are getting as much pleasure from reading the books as I am from writing them.

Vive Gamache!

After the resounding success of THE BLACK WOLF (it was the #1 book in North America, debuting at the top of the New York Times, the Globe and Mail, and other fiction bestseller lists), I'm thrilled to tell you there is another Gamache on the way.

And no, it's not The Blue Wolf!

The 21st chapter in the lives of Armand, Jean-Guy, Clara, Myrna, Ruth et al is called MISS WOLCOTT'S GHOST.
It will be set in Three Pines and published on October 27th of this year. You can pre-order it now. I'll tell you more about it in the coming weeks and months.



And, I have other book news. Last year my great friend and brilliant journalist/writer, Mellissa Fung and I decided to write a book together. It's a political thriller, set in the United States and China.

It's called THE LAST MANDARIN.

Over countless lunches in noodle joints, Mellissa and I sketched out the plot, the characters, the themes. Then we got to work.
THE LAST MANDARIN will be in your hands on May 12th. As well, as a show of our love of independent bookstores, there is a limited edition we created just for independents in North America. It has a special chapter and a message from Mellissa and me. You can pre-order it from your favourite shop, or go online.

THE LAST MANDARIN is a study of absolute power and voracious greed, political terror and personal conviction. But it is alsoan intimate examination of choice, of sacrifice, of memory and myths, both cultural and personal. It is the story of a mother and daughter, as well as a compelling international thriller about the precarious balance of power across the world, and within a family. And what happens when both break down.

More book news, including tours, as it comes in.



I continue to be so grateful to you for your support of the books, especially the most recent one, THE BLACK WOLF. It has exceeded all expectations. And the tour was epic with close to 2,000 people at each stop, except the more intimate Haskell Opera House, which sold out to American and Canadian audiences.

Thank you for all your support, especially in these challenging times. It is so appreciated.

Wall Street Journal - Tom Nolan
"Penny has no peer... so intelligent and exciting in its construction."

THE BLACK WOLF is one of Air Mail's 10 Best Mystery Books of 2025
“Penny brings her customary thoughtfulness, storytelling gifts, literary allusions, and humanity… to a warning wrapped in a thriller.”

The Charlotte News
“I highly recommend The Black Wolf and all the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache mysteries… you are in for a real treat.”
click here to read the full article

 Publishers Weekly
"Exemplary... Penny's talent for nail-biting suspense and quiet character moments fuse with surprisingly topical subject matter to deliver an unputdownable installment of an ever reliable series. Readers will cheer."

Kirkus
"A sequel to The Grey Wolf (2024) that begins with the earlier novel's last line: "We have a problem." And what a problem it is….uncannily prophetic."

Booklist
"Penny is one hell of a writer: her novels... are tightly plotted and beautifully written. An absolute must read."

The Globe and Mail - Margaret Cannon
“How does she do it? Twenty books into her Inspector Gamache series, Penny rolls out a sequel to her bestselling Grey Wolf that’s as up to date as today’s headlines. In a world where black is white and truth is mutable, you can fool anyone, even the brilliant detective of Three Pines…This is a riveting book by one of Canada’s best.”
Margaret also picked The Black Wolf for the Globe and Mail’s Top 100 list publishing

Toronto Star included THE BLACK WOLF in their Fall Roundup.

Washington Post included THE BLACK WOLF in their Fall Preview.

The Los Angeles Times ran their Most Anticipated Fall Books - with Still Live Deluxe edition and The Black Wolf on the list.

The Black Wolf
“Following the events of 'The Grey Wolf' comes the 20th entry in the Chief Inspector Gamache series. Penny raises the stakes even higher as Armand and his team uncover a more sinister conspiracy that strikes at the heart of Canada’s government and its ripped-from-the-headlines conflict with the U.S. Too close for comfort?
Try revisiting the handsomely repackaged commemorative edition of 2005’s ‘Still Life’ but consider, as Penny notes in a new letter to readers, that she created her heartfelt oasis of kindness ‘out of my own sense of vulnerability after 9/11.’”

AARP.com included THE BLACK WOLF in their The Big Fall Books Preview: “Trust Penny to offer another smart, well-plotted, suspenseful tale.”

The i Paper UK named THE BLACK WOLF in their Best new crime and thriller books to read in October 2025

Barnes & Noble included THE BLACK WOLF in their Best Mysteries and Thriller books of the Year.

USA Today
“The latest addition to Penny’s Armand Gamache series opens as Chief Inspector Gamache and his team realize the domestic terrorist attack they thought they stopped was merely the beginning of an even deeper conspiratorial espionage plot. Recovering in seclusion, Gamache and his team must use what little evidence they have to take down the Black Wolf and their undoubtedly powerful allies.”
Also featured THE BLACK WOLF in their “What Should I Read Next? 15 Fall Books”

St. Louis Post-Dispatch ran a rave standalone review . . .
“A brisk and engaging read… Thankfully, Penny does not neglect Three Pines here… all Three Pines regulars make appearances. Delicious food is eaten at the Bistro. Armand hitches a ride with Ruth and her duck Rosa. Clara gets a solo art show. Three Pines proves even more welcoming than usual, giving texture and warmth to a plot that is otherwise as chilling as 2025 has been so far."

Vermont Public covered the Haskell House book launch events
“US-Canada Border Library Hosts Author Louise Penny in Book Tour Stop Full Of Symbolism”
click here to read the full article

Woman’s World
“The twists and turns just kept coming… if you’re into well-written thrillers with a literary twist—and especially if you’ve enjoyed Penny’s books before—this one’s well worth picking up.”
They also included THE BLACK WOLF in their “7 New Thriller Books To Read This Fall”

Lavender Magazine
“As always, Louise Penny’s proof that the ‘I couldn’t put it down’ encomium isn’t hype.”
THE BLACK WOLF was also in their Roundup of 4 titles of note.

Crimereads included THE BLACK WOLF in their 10 New Books Out This Week

The Daily Mirror
"The Black Wolf is an electrifying thriller with a scarily plausible plot that should not be missed."

Without spoiling any of the plot, here's a brief description of what Gamache et al are facing in THE BLACK WOLF:

Somewhere out there, in the darkness, a black wolf is feeding.

Several weeks ago, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec and his team uncovered and stopped a domestic terrorist attack in Montréal, arresting the person behind it. A man they called the Black Wolf.

But their relief is short-lived. In a sickening turn of events, Gamache has realized that plot, as horrific as it was, was just the beginning. Perhaps even a deliberate misdirection. One he fell into. Something deeper and darker, more damaging, is planned. Did he in fact arrest the Black Wolf, or are they still out there? Armand is appalled to think his mistake has allowed their conspiracy to grow, to gather supporters. To spread lies, manufacture enemies, and feed hatred and division.

Still recovering from wounds received in stopping the first attack, Armand is confined to the village of Three Pines, leading a covert investigation from there. He must be careful not to let the Black Wolf know he has recognized his mistake. In a quiet church basement, he and his senior agents Beauvoir and Lacoste, pore over what little evidence they have. Two notebooks. A few mysterious numbers on a tattered map of Québec. And a phrase repeated by the person they had called the Grey Wolf. A warning…

In a dry and parched land where there is no water.

Gamache and his small team of supporters realize that for The Black Wolf to have gotten this far, they must have powerful allies, in law enforcement, in industry, in organized crime, in the halls of government.

From the apparent peace of his little village, Gamache finds himself playing a lethal game of cat and mouse with an invisible foe who is gathering forces and preparing to strike.



 One of the many great pleasures in my life has been opening the Café Three Pines! It's right under the Brome Lake Books store in my hometown of Knowlton, Québec. Bryan and Ariane, the managers, are wonderful as are the baristas.

We have butter tarts and croissants, (Including the Croissant Gamache sandwich). We have pies and brownies, café au laits and hot chocolates, cold drinks and hot soups, fireplaces and sofas and a place to exhale.

The hope is that you will feel right at home. As though you are in the bistro, or your own living room. And bring your dog. All are welcome, on a leash, of course.

If you want more information, here's the website. Hope to see you there.

Twenty years ago, in 2005, STILL LIFE was published and the world was introduced to Three Pines and Chief Inspector Gamache. It was, for me, the realization of a dream I'd had since reading Charlotte's Web at the age of 8, and knowing then I wanted to write. It took me another thirty years to get up the courage. And then another seven years after that to get STILL LIFE published. But at the age of 45, I finally held my first book.

And so did you. It went on to win almost every crime writing award in North America, sell more than a million copies, and is now translated into 35 languages.

To celebrate, my publishers are putting out a special anniversary edition of STILL LIFE.


Here's a brief video, and links to bookshops. More links will go up internationally, as they are available.

So much has happened in the last 20 years. In your life. In mine. And in the lives of the characters. But Three Pines itself hasn't changed. It is still a place only found by people who are lost. Where kindness and decency are valued. Where everyone is welcome and accepted, no matter their race, religion, sexual orientation. There is a place at the table for all of us.



Lots of exciting things happening. If you'd like to follow along, feel free to either join me on Facebook, or sign up for the newsletter.

There is also the site, Gamacheseries.com, a sort of virtual bistro where we discuss various themes and issues in the series. Among other features we have The Annotated Three Pines, Postcards from Three Pines, and the Cultural Inspirations for Three Pines. The merry minstrel of the virtual bistro, Paul Hochman, takes it one book at a time, and examines the art, literature, poetry, music, philosophy that informs the themes of the series. The newest addition to this feature is The Wisdom of Armand Gamache.



I'm often asked two questions: should the books be read in order? And, what is the order?
Both excellent questions. At the risk of appearing to want you to buy more books let me say that while it's not necessary to read them in order (they're designed to be self-standing) there is a strong character development arc. I think of the books as chapters in one longer volume. THE BLACK WOLF is Chapter 20..

Of course, I encourage you to support your local library as well as bookstore.

Now, here's the order, from the first to the most recent:



A Great Reckoning
The Nature of the Beast
The Long Way Home


 
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Indie Bound

STILL LIFE
A FATAL GRACE / DEAD COLD
THE CRUELEST MONTH
A RULE AGAINST MURDER / THE MURDER STONE
THE BRUTAL TELLING
BURY YOUR DEAD
A TRICK OF THE LIGHT
THE BEAUTIFUL MYSTERY
HOW THE LIGHT GETS IN
THE LONG WAY HOME
THE NATURE OF THE BEAST
A GREAT RECKONING
GLASS HOUSES
KINGDOM OF THE BLIND
A BETTER MAN
ALL THE DEVILS ARE HERE
THE MADNESS OF CROWDS
A WORLD OF CURIOSITIES
THE GREY WOLF
THE BLACK WOLF


I also wrote a novella, The Hangman, as part of a campaign for literacy, so that adults could read complex stories, but at an entry reading level. Up until now, they were forced to read children's books. Not really very fun or respectful.

Another book not in the Three Pines canon is STATE OF TERROR, written with my friend Hillary Clinton. We had a blast scheming and plotting, laughing and then digging deep into some very disturbing and prescient issues. It too hit #1 on the bestseller lists and has been optioned as a film. She and I are both executive producers. More on that as things develop.


And finally, a small note about the themes in my books. They're inspired by two lines from a poem by WH Auden, in his elegy to Melville.

"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 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.

If you take only one thing away from any of my books I'd like it to be this:

Goodness exists




   




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