All the Devils Are Here: A Novel (Chief Inspector Gamache Novel Book 16) Kindle Edition

As impossible as it might seem, Louise Penny has written an even better book. She has always been a master of the literary mystery, but this latest book is the best of an already terrific series. In this story, Armand Gamache (our Canadian police detective) is in Paris with his wife. They are visiting their grown children and awaiting the birth of a new granddaughter. The focus is tightly on the extended Gamache family. Louise Penny writes eloquently with great insight about family dynamics, love, and pain. That part of the book was compelling for me. Then there is the setting: Paris! If you have never been to Paris, you will feel as if you just made the journey. If you know Paris, you will be delighted. (Personally, it was fun to begin at the Rodin Museum and have one lunch scene set at Le Comptoir which is our favorite bistro at our favorite hotel.) So, there are all of these wonderful aspects of the book before you even get to the mystery. Which, not surprisingly, is engrossing. The plot is complex, but the reader is never confused. The pacing is brisk, and the tension level is high. The mystery is global in scale, but the story remains intimately personal at the same time. Louise Penny and very few others are writing genre fiction at this high standard. For me, it is a small group including people such as Ann Cleeves (her Shetland Island, Vera Stanhope, and Two Rivers series), Ellie Griffiths (her Ruth Galloway series and the standalone Stranger Diaries), Martin Walker (Bruno, Chief of Police), Jane Harper (all of her books, but especially The Lost Man), and Paul Doiron (his Mike Bowditch series). But as for this book, it is brilliant. As a reminder: one of the very greatest strengths of this series is the richness of the character development. Every aspect of that development has led us to this point in time. You cannot just jump into this series at book 16. The author does not (and could not) rehash everything that has gone before, but the reader needs to know the background of past struggles, pain, victories, and history to fully appreciate the conflicts and challenges that are such an integral part of this story.

In the case of "All the Devils Are Here," here refers to Paris. Chief Inspector Gamache's son and daughter-in-law had lived in Paris with their daughters for several years, and Gamache's daughter and son-in-law have just moved there.Son-in-law and long-time second in command, Jean-Guy Beauvoir, has left the Surete to go into private enterprise in Paris. Unknown to Jean-Guy is that CI Gamache's wealthy godfather had a hand in arranging the job from behind the scenes. Now the entire extended Gamache family, son and wife, daughter and husband, CI Gamache and wife, Reine-Marie, and godfather, are in Paris to welcome the newest addition to the family. Annie Gamache Beauvoir and Jean-Guy are expecting a daughter any minute.That's when all hell breaks loose, uncovering many of the devils that have been hiding behind a curtain of respectability. Gamache's godfather is hit in the street by a hit-and-run driver, and Gamache knows it was attempted murder. Then, a man unknown to Gamache is found murdered in his godfather's apartment. Gamache and Beauvoir recognize the shot in the back, and then one in the head, as a commando killing.As Gamache struggles with a severely injured godfather, an expectant daughter, a son that appears to hate him, and a so-called friend in charge of the Paris police, time is running out to solve the mysteries. To start, they aren't even sure what all of the mysteries--and who all the devils--are.Louise Penny writes intelligent, well-crafted stories. Her characters are believable as we follow them through her plots. All the Devils Are Here is a terrific story, well told. As a pure mystery, it may be one of her best. If you're a fan of the Gamache/Three Pines Series, as I am, you don't want to miss it, and you will not be disappointed. If you haven't, yet, started reading Penny's Three Pines novels, you should. You'll love them.

This book will keep you in suspense till the very end.

Things got complex, so that I occasionally had to reread a chapter to get things straight before moving on, but this was a deeply satisfying plot. Then to wrap it up, the last few chapters were the most enjoyable I have read in many years.

I have read all of Ms. Penny's books and preordered All the Devils Are Here as soon as I saw a publication date. Since it landed on my Kindle yesterday, I have done nothing but read. Reine-Marie and Armand have flown to Paris to see children Annie and Daniel and their families, particularly to be there for the birth of Annie's and Jean-Guy's second child. Stephen, Armand's godfather, has also come to the city for the occasion. On the first night of their visit, after a satisfying, happy dinner at a favorite restaurant, Stephen is the victim of a hit and run driver, right before the family's eyes. Armand's friend from long ago is now the head of police in Paris, and it to him he turns, knowing that this was no accident. From there the story unfolds as to why Stephen has been in the city longer than they knew, why he has moved from his apartment to a hotel suite, and why he has kept a very important project from them. It is a very complicated plot, and the reader needs to have his wits about him to follow the many threads in the mystery. It is very much a thriller and a rollercoaster ride - who is to be trusted, who is complicit, and why. At first I was a bit disappointed that I wouldn't be revisiting Three Pines, that bucolic hamlet which is the setting of most of the books. It only took pages before I was as entranced by the Gamache's Paris as I was by Three Pines. The aura of the city, the history, the vivid feel of it was incredibly enjoyable. The characters, as always, are people you want to know and love. The relationship between Armand and his son Daniel becomes an important part of the book and is heartwarming. The humanity of these characters draws you to them. This may be one of the more complicated plots of the books, but the characters still shine.

I have read all the books in this series so far and I can't get enough of the imagery and consistency of Penny's writing. The struggles of each character are relatable and intriguing to see as they evolve. Every time I open these books thinking I have got this one figured out, and every time I am pleasantly wrong!

All of Inspector Gamanche Novels are amazing,Louise Penny is wonderful writer, characters come to life.Like putting on your favourite music or film.

Comme tous les autres livres de la série que j'avais commandés, celui-ci a été livré très rapidement et en excellent état.Je ne l'ai pas encore lu et ne peux donc pas me prononcer sur le contenu.À savoir que je les ai tous lu, de 1 à 15, l'un après l'autre. Même si je suis parfois un peu agacée par des passages trop répétitifs ou même légèrement "kitsch", je compte lire les 3 derniers.Les personnages sont décrits de manière à les rendre vraiment vivants, avec beaucoup de bienveillance, profondeur et humanité.De livre en livre on retrouve de vieux amis.

Os livros desta autora são sempre bons. Entretanto, no caso deste livro a trama demorou muito a se desenrolar, na minha opinião.

Armand and Reine-Marie Gamache and Jean-Guy Beauvoir and Annie now all live in Paris. Beauvoir is working for an engineering firm, hired because of his investigating background to make sure the firm’s projects flowed smoothly with no hidden illegalities or illegitimate influences corrupting the well-intentioned outcomes of the increasingly busy company. This has raised some problems with people within the company who felt the job should have gone to an engineer rather than an former police investigator. Armand’s godfather was a well connected rich entrepreneur who had looked after Armand when he was very young. After a restaurant meal with the family he was run down, apparently deliberately, in a hit and run with a stolen delivery van and Gamache and Beauvoir struggle to determine the motive for the attempted assassination and the connections with Armand’s godfather’s business dealings. Amazing twists and turns complicate a solution that Armand struggles to discover. This is an amazing, complex, and complicated plot and I highly recommend this book.