I’m sharing more about the first book of each series below. These series are readalikes in the sense that they are mysteries that operate on two planes and have a strong sense of place. I relished catching up with the series when I first found it-a task that is now daunting for those new to Louise Penny-but now I’m in the unenviable position of having to wait a year or more between installments.Ī small consolation? I’m in good company-and because I’m not alone in my plight, I’m sharing mystery series Louise Penny fans may enjoy reading next while waiting for the next Inspector Gamache book to come out. There are now seventeen novels in the series, with A World of Curiosities, number 18, slated to release November 29. Those who jump in mid-series will miss out on the significance of the relational plots. The mysteries stand alone, but fans love Penny for the way her stories operate on two planes: well-crafted procedurals on one level, the absorbing relational dramas of her characters on the other. Despite those disclaimers, this series unfolds best for the reader when they are read in order. I think Penny hits her stride with book 4. In books 2 and 3 the murders are kind of weird-not graphic, but weird. I quickly became enraptured with the Canadian inspector and his town of Three Pines, and the characters I’ve gotten to know (and worry about between installments!).įor those new to Inspector Gamache: book 1 is leisurely paced. I so thoroughly enjoyed burning through the series over the course of a summer, catching up to the then-latest installment, and a half dozen books was the perfect number of titles-satisfying, but not overwhelming. When I began reading the books, there were five or six mysteries published already.

At the time, she had a devoted but smallish fan base these days her new releases are instant New York Times bestsellers. Her first book, Still Life, was published in 2005, but I didn’t begin reading the series myself until Penny had been writing for nearly a decade.

I was hooked on the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series from the start. Many years ago, two Canadian readers-one a friend, one a blog reader-convinced me to give Louise Penny a try.

Gabriel's Lady by Charlotte Hubbard