How the Light Gets In

Starred review from June 10, 2013
Complex characterizations and sophisticated plotting distinguish Agatha-winner Penny’s masterful ninth novel (after 2012’s The Beautiful Mystery). The devastating conclusion to the previous book saw Jean-Guy Beauvoir abandon his mentor, Chief Insp. Armand Gamache of the Quebec Sûreté, and return to substance abuse. Things have never looked bleaker for the unassuming and empathic Gamache. A corrupt superior has gutted his homicide department, and the agents he now supervises treat their cases with blatant indifference. Amid all this personal and professional turmoil, Gamache lands a strange murder case. There’s no obvious motive for why somebody killed elderly Constance Ouellet—the only living member of a set of quintuplets who were national celebrities in their youth—by striking her in the head with a lamp. Fair-play clues lead to a surprising solution to the murder, while Gamache’s battle to save his career unfolds with subtlety and intelligence. Once again, Penny impressively balances personal courage and faith with heartbreaking choices and monstrous evil. First printing of 300,000; author tour. Agent: Patty Moosbrugger, Teresa Chris Literary Agency.

Starred review from October 1, 2013

Set in present-day Quebec around the Christmas season, this amazing entry in Penny's (The Beautiful Mystery) popular series integrates sociopolitical commentary with well-drawn and, by now, familiar characters as it wraps up many of the plots and themes that had their roots in earlier books. Myrna Landers is upset that her houseguest is late arriving for the holiday festivities, but she's reluctant to tell Inspector Gamache the woman's name. Meanwhile, he's trying to keep his department together, even as many of his colleagues leave. As in all previous books in the series, literary detective fiction and philosophy are intertwined as well with humor, tragedy, love, betrayal, intrigue, friendship, and faith. Narrator Ralph Cosham moves seamlessly from character to character, adding depth to each; his narration, coupled with a suspenseful writing style, make for edge-of-your-seat listening. VERDICT Highly recommended for series devotees or fans of literary mysteries. [See the Q&A with author Penny on p. 48.--Ed.]--Sandra C. Clariday, Tennessee Wesleyan Coll. Lib., Athens

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from October 28, 2013
The avuncular voice of narrator Ralph Cosham—British, seasoned with more than a hint of Quebecois—fully expresses the mood of wistful regret that permeates this ninth (and perhaps last) chronicle of Penny’s Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Surete du Quebec. This time, while being pushed to the brink of retirement, the shrewd sleuth also has to juggle a host of problems. His formerly faithful second-in-command and potential son-in-law, Jean-Guy Beauvoir, is suffering from drug problems. Nearly all of Gamache’s ultra-efficient homicide team have been re-assigned by the villainous chief superintendent of police, who is about to unleash a long-planned attack against the Canadian government. Gamache’s quiet missing-persons case suddenly becomes a front-page story when the victim is revealed as the last of Canada’s famous Ouellet quintuplets. And then there’s a drowning death at the Champlain Bridge, which Gamache believes is neither an accident nor suicide. Cosham provides Gamache with a variety of spot-on vocal moods. There’s a flat, weary approach when he’s speaking with the uninspired and disrespectful new members of his team. But once on the job—issuing orders or interrogating suspects and witnesses—Cosham shifts to a hard-edged and no-nonsense delivery. Finally, he sounds thoughtful and relaxed when conversing with his family and the friends he’s made in the village of Three Pines, where much of the novel takes place. Cosham manages to distinguish the book’s many characters using only subtle shifts in tone, the one exception being the voice he lends shrill, foul-mouthed poetess Ruth Zardo, whose squawk sounds a bit like something her pet duck might utter. This engrossing, well-produced audio ends with a brief conversation between author and reader. A Minotaur hardcover.