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Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is the leading character in the series of novels authored by Canadian writer Louise Penny. The books are written under mystery genre category. Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is assigned with duties of investigating different murder cases.
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Order of Inspector Gamache Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Still Life | 2005 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Dead Cold / A Fatal Grace | 2006 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | The Cruellest Month | 2007 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | A Rule Against Murder / The Murder Stone | 2008 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | The Brutal Telling | 2009 | Description / Buy | |
| 6 | Bury Your Dead | 2010 | Description / Buy | |
| 7 | A Trick of the Light | 2011 | Description / Buy | |
| 8 | The Beautiful Mystery | 2012 | Description / Buy | |
| 9 | How the Light Gets In | 2013 | Description / Buy | |
| 10 | The Long Way Home | 2014 | Description / Buy | |
| 11 | The Nature of the Beast | 2015 | Description / Buy | |
| 12 | A Great Reckoning | 2016 | Description / Buy | |
| 13 | Glass Houses | 2017 | Description / Buy | |
| 14 | Kingdom of the Blind | 2018 | Description / Buy | |
| 15 | A Better Man | 2019 | Description / Buy | |
| 16 | All the Devils Are Here | 2020 | Description / Buy | |
| 17 | The Madness of Crowds | 2021 | Description / Buy | |
| 18 | A World of Curiosities | 2022 | Description / Buy | |
| 19 | The Grey Wolf | 2024 | Description / Buy |
The Chief Inspector Gamache series of books is a series of crime fiction novels written by Louise Penny, who is a Canadian author. Although Penny herself was born in Toronto, Ontario, the Chief Inspector Gamache series of books are set in the province of Quebec, in the fictional town of Three Pines. Chief Inspector Gamache works for the Sûreté du Québec, and the primary focus of his investigations are murders in the town of Three Pines.
The debut novel in the series is Still Life. This novel vividly introduces the protagonist character of the series, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. All the main events take in the town of Three Pines. One of the resident Miss Jane Neal is shot dead in the heart with an arrow. Inspector Armand must solve the mysterious murder of the painting aficionado and the retired school teacher.
The first book in the Chief Inspector Gamache series of books is called Still Life, which was released in 2005. In Still Life, Louise Penny introduces the reader to Chief Inspector Gamache, as well as the idyllic town of Three Pines. Chief Inspector Gamache is sent to investigate the murder of a female resident of the town who was shot in the chest by an arrow. Penny picked up several awards for this, her debut novel, including the New Blood Dagger Award from the British Crime Writers’ Association, the Best First Novel Award in the Crime Writers’ Association of Canada’s Arthur Ellis Awards amongst others. Deadly Pleasures also listed Still Life as one of their five top crime/mystery books of the last decade. Still Life was also made into a TV film starring Nathaniel Parker as Chief Inspector Gamache.
After investigating the death of socialite CC de Poitiers in the second book in the series, A Fatal Grace, which was released in 2007, Chief Inspector Gamache returned in the third novel in the series, The Cruelest Month, which was released in 2008. The Cruelest Month won the 2008 Agatha Award for Best Novel, which was also won by A Fatal Grace in 2007. In The Cruelest Month, Chief Inspector Gamache is called in to investigate the death of one of a group of friends who were conducting a séance in an old haunted house. In The Cruelest Month, Chief Inspector Gamache also has to revisit his own past, as well as the past of Three Pines, in a book that puts more flesh on the bones of the beloved Chief Inspector.
The Chief Inspector Gamache books continued their dominance at the Agatha Awards, winning the Best Novel Award again in 2009 for The Brutal Telling, and in 2010 for Bury Your Dead. The recognition of the Agatha Awards cemented the Chief Inspector Gamache series of books as firm favourites in the literary sphere for their ‘cosy’ style and the lack of sex and violence, which is a world away from many of the other popular crime/mystery series of books.
CHIEF INSPECTOR ARMAND GAMACHE AWARDS:
The Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series has won several awards. The series won the Agatha & Antony Awards for five consecutive times respectively. The series also won The Canadian Arthur Ellis Award two times.
The novel How the Lights Gets In was nominated for the Edgar Award. The book Still Life apart from being adapted for the big screen has won various awards including the 2007 Anthony Awards and Barry Award, New Blood Dagger Award and Arthur Ellis Award.
CHIEF INSPECTOR ARMAND GAMACHE BOOKS INTO MOVIES:
Still Life: A Three Pines Mystery novel was adapted for the filming industry. The film was initially released on 15th September 2013 and features Nathaniel Parker assuming the leading role as Inspector Gamache. The film won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Original Music Score for a screenplay.
BEST CHIEF INSPECTOR ARMAND GAMACHE BOOKS:
These are the best two novels of the series that features chief inspector Armand Gamache, and they are:
Still Life: Quebecois community is one again mourning the death of their beloved, Miss Jane Neal- painting enthusiast and former school teacher. She is shot through the heart with an arrow. Is this a planned murder or just a hunting accident? Inspector Gamache investigates into the case of the death, and his instincts tell him that this is more than just a hunting accident, and someone sinister is behind the death of Miss Jane. However, he is suspended after failing to arrest a local Bowman who confesses to having committed the murder.
Beauvoir takes over the case, but this does not hinder Gamache to investigating the murder. Clara Morrow, an artist and a close friend to the late Miss Jane finds out that she inherited almost everything from Miss Jane will. Yolande, late Miss Jane niece, gets a court order to deter police from entering Miss Jane House. However, it is later to be discovered that Miss Jane Murals and paintings hold the clue to solving the case murder mystery. So who killed the former school teacher?
A Great Reckoning: A convoluted old map is found stuffed in the walls of Bistro in Three Pines town. The map is given to Gamache as a gift during his first day on his new job, a map that will lead him to shocking secrets. The map leads him to terrifying places where he is afraid to go.
After getting his new job as the commander of the Surete Academy, he is determined to put an end to corruption within the institution. He, however, decides to keep one of the corrupt members of the institution, Serge Leduc is also known as “the Duke.” Gamache teaches his cadets to internalize a motto “Don’t trust everything you think”- he aims at improving the minds and the investigative skills of his cadets.
Duke is later found murdered, and there is a suspicion that the assassin is in their midst. A copy of the same map gifted to Gamache is found next to the body.
The focus of the investigation now turns to Gamache possible involvement in the murder and the mysterious relationship he has with one of his cadet Amelia. The frantic search for answers and clues will leave no stones unturned in this story stained with horrific secrets.
OTHER BOOK SERIES YOU MAY LIKE:
The readers and lovers of the series featuring Inspector Chief Inspector Armand Gamache also love the “Detective Emmanuel Cooper” series, written by the award-winning Malla Nunn. The series describes the life of detective sergeant life during the apartheid in South Africa.
The “Peter Diamond” Series written by Peter Lovesey are also books loved by Gamache fans. Peter Diamond is described as a modern-day police detective working in Bath Town to the mystery surrounding different murder cases.
Chief Inspector Gamache FAQs
Q: Where are the Chief Inspector Gamache series of books sets?
A: The Chief Inspector Gamache series of books is set in the fiction town of Three Pines in the province of Quebec.
Q: What is the first book in the Chief Inspector Gamache series?
A: The first book in the Chief Inspector Gamache series of book is Still Life, which was released in 2005. It was also adapted into a TV movie starring Nathaniel Parker.
What Is The Next Book in The Inspector Gamache Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Inspector Gamache Series. The newest book is The Grey Wolf and was released on October, 29th 2024.