Louise Penny Books in Order

Louise Penny is a Canadian crime mystery author best known for the Chief Inspector Gamache series set in the fictional Quebec village of Three Pines. Her books have sold more than 18 million copies worldwide, topped bestseller lists in the US, Canada, and internationally, and have been translated into 35 languages. She has earned multiple Agatha and Anthony Awards and holds both the Order of Canada and the National Order of Quebec.

This page lists all Louise Penny books in order, including the full Chief Inspector Gamache series, co-authored standalone novels, and short stories.

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Latest Louise Penny Books

The Last Mandarin, May 2026

Chief Inspector Gamache Series (Books in Order)

The Chief Inspector Gamache series follows head of homicide for the Sûreté du Québec Armand Gamache, who investigates murders in and around Three Pines, a small, fictional village in Quebec’s Eastern Townships. Each case is built around a puzzle revealed at the end, and the novels lack any gratuitous violence, reminding us more of the classic British whodunit novels. The series was adapted for Amazon Prime Video as Three Pines in 2022, starring Alfred Molina as Gamache, and it ran for one season.

Reading Order

  1. Still Life, 2006
  2. A Fatal Grace, 2006
  3. The Cruellest Month, 2007
  4. A Rule Against Murder, 2008 (also titled The Murder Stone)
  5. The Brutal Telling, 2008
  6. Bury Your Dead, 2010
  7. The Hangman, 2011
  8. A Trick of the Light, 2011
  9. The Beautiful Mystery, 2012
  10. How the Light Gets In, 2013
  11. The Long Way Home, 2014
  12. The Nature of the Beast, 2015
  13. A Great Reckoning, 2016
  14. Glass Houses, 2017
  15. Kingdom of the Blind, 2018
  16. A Better Man, 2019
  17. All The Devils Are Here, 2021
  18. The Madness of Crowds, 2021
  19. A World of Curiosities, 2022 )
  20. The Grey Wolf, 2024
  21. The Black Wolf, 2025

Standalone Novels

Short Story Anthologies

Louise Penny Biography

Louise Penny is a Canadian crime fiction author whose work includes the long-running Chief Inspector Gamache series, set in the fictional Quebec village of Three Pines. Her books have sold more than 18 million copies worldwide and been translated into 35 languages.
Official website: louisepenny.com

Louise Penny books in order for the crime mystery author

Louise Penny was born in 1958 in Toronto, Canada. She studied radio and television broadcasting at the Ryerson Polytechnical Institute, currently known as Ryerson University, where she earned a Bachelor of Applied Arts.

After graduation, she worked as a journalist and radio host for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for nearly two decades.

She began writing fiction in the early 2000s and published her debut novel, Still Life, in 2005. The book introduced Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec, and launched what became a 20+ novel book series that became the main focus of the author’s work. The book won the CWA New Blood Dagger.

Louise Penny has since written numerous novels featuring Gamache, along with standalone novels and several short stories included in various anthologies. In 2021, she co-authored the political thriller State of Terror with Hillary Rodham Clinton, which debuted at number one on the New York Times bestseller list, and in 2026 she co-authored The Last Mandarin, a standalone novel with journalist Melissa Fung.

In 2013, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada and holds the National Order of Quebec (2017), both for her contributions to Canadian culture.

Louise Penny lives in Quebec and writes full-time.

Louise Penny Book Adaptations

  • Still Life: A Three Pines Mystery – CBC television film (2013)
  • Three Pines – Amazon Prime television series (2022)

Louise Penny Awards and Honors

Major Awards and Honors

  • Still Life – CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger (2006)
  • Still Life – Barry Award for Best First Novel (2007)
  • Still Life – Anthony Award for Best First Novel (2007)
  • Bury Your Dead – Anthony Award for Best Novel (2011)
  • A Great Reckoning – Anthony Award for Best Novel (2017)
  • A Great Reckoning – Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel (2017)
  • A Great Reckoning – Barry Award for Best Novel (2017)
  • Member of the Order of Canada (2013)
  • National Order of Quebec (2017)

Awards (Full List)

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  • Still Life – John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger (2006)
  • Still Life – Dilys Award for Best Book (2007)
  • Still Life – Barry Award for Best First Novel (2007)
  • Still Life – Anthony Award for Best First Novel (2007)
  • A Fatal Grace – Agatha Award for Best Novel (2007)
  • The Cruellest Month – Agatha Award for Best Novel (2008)
  • The Brutal Telling – Anthony Award for Best Novel (2010)
  • The Brutal Telling – Agatha Award for Best Novel (2010)
  • Bury Your Dead – Nero Award (2011)
  • Bury Your Dead – Macavity Award for Best Novel (2011)
  • Bury Your Dead – Dilys Award for Best Book (2011)
  • Bury Your Dead – Anthony Award for Best Novel (2011)
  • A Trick of the Light – Anthony Award for Best Novel (2012)
  • The Beautiful Mystery – Macavity Award for Best Novel (2013)
  • The Beautiful Mystery – Anthony Award for Best Novel (2013)
  • The Nature of the Beast – Lefty Award for Best World Mystery (2016)
  • A Great Reckoning – Macavity Award for Best Novel (2017)
  • A Great Reckoning – Lefty Award for Best Mystery Novel (2017)
  • A Great Reckoning – Barry Award for Best Novel (2017)
  • A Great Reckoning – Anthony Award for Best Novel (2017)
  • A Great Reckoning – Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel (2017)
  • Glass Houses – Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel (2018)
  • All the Devils Are Here – Lefty Award for Best Mystery Novel (2021)
  • All the Devils Are Here – Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel (2021)
  • A World of Curiosities – Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel (2023)
  • A World of Curiosities – Macavity Award for Best Novel (2023)

Nominations and Shortlists

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  • The Cruellest Month – Macavity Award for Best Novel (2009)
  • The Cruellest Month – Barry Award for Best Novel (2009)
  • The Cruellest Month – Anthony Award for Best Novel (2009)
  • Still Life – Barry Award for Best Mystery/Crime Novel of the Decade (2010)
  • The Brutal Telling – Macavity Award for Best Novel (2010)
  • The Brutal Telling – Dilys Award for Best Book (2010)
  • Bury Your Dead – Barry Award for Best Novel (2011)
  • A Trick of the Light – Macavity Award for Best Novel (2012)
  • A Trick of the Light – Dilys Award for Best Book (2012)
  • A Trick of the Light – Agatha Award for Best Novel (2012)
  • How the Light Gets In – Macavity Award for Best Novel (2014)
  • How the Light Gets In – Edgar Award for Best Novel (2014)
  • How the Light Gets In – CWA Gold Dagger (2014)
  • How the Light Gets In – Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel (2014)
  • The Long Way Home – Macavity Award for Best Novel (2015)
  • The Long Way Home – Anthony Award for Best Novel (2015)
  • The Long Way Home – Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel (2015)
  • The Nature of the Beast – Anthony Award for Best Novel (2016)
  • The Nature of the Beast – Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel (2016)
  • Glass Houses – Macavity Award for Best Novel (2018)
  • Glass Houses – Lefty Award for Best Mystery Novel (2018)
  • Glass Houses – Anthony Award for Best Novel (2018)
  • Kingdom of the Blind – Lefty Award for Best Mystery Novel (2019)
  • Kingdom of the Blind – Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel (2019)
  • A Better Man – Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel (2020)
  • All the Devils Are Here – Macavity Award for Best Novel (2021)
  • All the Devils Are Here – Barry Award for Best Novel (2021)
  • The Madness of Crowds – Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel (2022)
  • A World of Curiosities – Lefty Award for Best Mystery Novel (2023)
  • A World of Curiosities – Anthony Award for Best Hardcover Novel (2023)
  • The Grey Wolf – Anthony Award for Best Hardcover Novel (2025)

Edited by

Marika

Founder of Mystery Sequels, a reference site focused on listing mystery and thriller books in the correct reading order. I maintain and update the site’s bibliographies as new titles are released, ensuring accuracy and consistency across author and series pages.

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62 Comments

  1. Hi I’ve read the whole series a couple of times and love them. I’ve just noticed The Hangman… how did I miss this one, and why?? I live in Australia and look forward to each new story – and rereading the old ones! Thank you!

  3. Absolutely am glad I’m reading in sequence – find myself guessing next steps based on character history. Thank you for providing such superior fiction.

  4. I have read the first 3 books from the library. I believe I remember that in Still Life it explains the reason Gamache has a British accent, but since I don’t have the books at hand I cannot verify.

  5. How about a cookbook with all those delicious foods from The Bistro? I am also seriously sleep depleted since I can’t put these books down! I feel I am up there in the Three Pines!

  6. I heartily agree with reading the series in order. I didn’t and find as mentioned above it took some of the
    mystery away. Still great series, intuitive characterizations, great plots and I hope she continues this series
    for quite awhile!

  7. I have been reading the Kingdom of the Blind, and have read a fair number of the Gamache novels but not necessarily in order. I was stumped by a reference to Clara’s husband, Peter, as well as his non-appearance, in Kingdom of the Blind. What happened to him, and in which novel? Will someone please enlighten me?

  8. I began reading the Gamache series out of order, because my wife reccomended Glass Houses to me. I went back to the first book in the series and am now catching up. I also saw the movie adaptation of Still Life the only character I was disappointed in was agent Nichol, I imagined her being more bedraggled. I read a lot of mysteries. And being a Daniel Silva fan, I have found that Louise Pinney has put a more human touch to her books. I feel a calm as I read these books. I can visualize the characters and three pines. Her intertwining of events keeps me going. I can now see why all the rewards.

  9. I think it’s best to read them in order. Some of the characters change jobs and it would confuse you. Also, the characters become much loved as you get to know them.

    One criticism I have of the audio books is that after the first reader passed away, a British man read. I am American but my parents were French Canadian. It disturbs me greatly to hear Armand Gamache speaking like a Brit. Quebec is a large province full intelligent people. Please find one to read stories that all take place in Quebec.

  10. It is a “must” to read them in order… I started reading out of order and found that I knew who was NOT the killer because they appeared in future books still happily living in Three Pines instead of rotting away in prison… there are also several sub plots that carry from book to book and these would be very confusing if not read in order…

    1. Never thought about it this way, but you do have a very strong point there.

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