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. I found the Penny series when perusing the stacks. I always try to take home one Canadian author with each library visit. Became hooked with GLASS HOUSES. The rest I’m reading in order. Decided to view STILL LIFE since it wasn’t on the shelf once I decided that in order was the better way to go. I’m sorry to say that it was a big disappointment. Casting, acting-all off. Even the village of Three Pines was wrong. PBS should give these stories a go. They know how to produce quality storytelling. I’m almost done with the series. Hope Ms. Penny continues writing Gamage for some time to come. If not, give Donna Leon a try!

  2. I must say that I thought the Still Life movie was horrible. Gamache would never be rude to wait staff which occurs in the first 15 minutes. Miscast horribly in my opinion. Believe you will lose much if not read in order. Do yourself a favor and read in order.

  3. Have to disagree about movie adaptation of Still Life. It did not do her book justice, characters were flat and not developed. Totally wrong actors in roles. Love her books and the characters are so multi layered.

  4. I agree with Tammy – if you read out of order you miss some elements that would spoil the other books and things happen to these awesome characters that would need to be in order – love all the characters in this book. i have read everyone and looking forward to the next one

  5. Really enjoy characters and plots. Inspector Gamache is indeed complicated and yet lovable. A Renaissance Man in a way.

  6. Love the cookbook idea! I can almost taste the scones, cream, and strawberry jam now!

  7. I have always loved Louise Penny’s books featuring Inspector Gamache, the village of Three Pines and all the wonderful characters in the village. I enjoy Louise’s style of writing, her attention to detail, well organized plots and most of all the fascinating details about Quebec, its people, its culture, the land, cities, towns in this part of Canada. The books are also a journey through eastern Canada. I eagerly await each new Inspector Gamache novel.

  8. All I can say is that I feel like I’ve always lived in Three Pines. And I wouldn’t want to move anywhere else.

  9. Love the series. I want to live in Three Pines. I want these people to be neighbors of mine. I want to visit the ;lending library with Ruth and after go to the Gamache house(uninvited for lunch).

  10. I just binge read the entire series. Well, not quite, I’m on the last book now. I feel they absolutely should be read in order because the characters and relationships unfold slowly. I’m hoping that eventually Gamache et al will move to France. Lots of crime there!

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