Possibly her best book yet. Lousie Penny’s long-running series continues strongly in this latest volume. We are given the backstory of Gamache and Beauvoir alongside a gripping plot and one of the most evil villains in the series. Highly enjoyable.

Really enjoyed this - will definitely be recommending and looking forward to the next one by this author!

Three Pines must be the best place to live in Canada.

Years before Armand Gamache, the head of homicide for the Sûreté du Québec had been called away from lunch with his young family to a murder scene in the Northeast. It was a case that would change his life in many ways. It was on this case that he met a very young, very angry Jean-Guy Beauvoir. Jean-Guy is Armand’s right-hand man in all criminal investigations and also married to Armand’s daughter.

After examining the body where it had been found next to a lake, Armand Gamache and his team moved to the house to search for clues why the woman had been murdered. What he found would haunt all who worked on the case. Both Fiona her brother Sam, both just entering their teenage years were deeply traumatised by the life they’d led with their mother.

Armand Gamache had hoped that Sam would change but when they meet at the ceremony where Fiona is graduating as an engineer, Armand can see that nothing has changed – he still can’t trust Sam. When a series of murders take place shortly after the graduation, Armand immediately suspects that Sam has something to do with them. Will he be proved right?

I think that Louise Penny is an exceptionally clever author in that she can introduce the most appalling murders for Gamache and Beauvoir to solve yet there’s the wonderful stability of home among the residents of Three Pines’ residents. They’re all quirky but very real.

Rony

Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of the book to review.

Reading a new "Three Pines" book feels like coming home each time. I walk back into the community of characters that I care about; flawed, talented, damaged, loving people. I love the way Louise Penny turns the "mystery novel" format into something deeper and more special.

Another worthy and wonderful addition to the series - a mysterious treasure trove found in a secreted room stirs the past up - and the young brother and sister Gramanche had taken on years ago - always slightly disturbed by the boy - plays out in present day. We are, as ever, drawn into Gramanche’s intuitive worries - and i always find myself wondering why family and friends around him don’t trust his second sense about people…. But they don’t, and things go wrong. Perhaps this is more convoluted than I’ve found others in the series, and certainly the area seems to hae ore than its share of murders and mysteries - but I totally loved it, and could not put it down,

Another immersive Three Pines book with characters from the past of Gamache and Beauvoir returning, a hidden room and a limited cast of characters to identify a killer. Entertaining and gripping as always, if somewhat convoluted. (And the perfection of Ganache is a bit much!)

Participants in the case that first united Armand Gamache and his son-in-law visit Three Pines for a graduation ceremony, an event that links back to the massacre that had propelled Gamache to join the homicide division. The past haunts many characters in this latest case for the Chief Inspector and his team, and brings danger once more frighteningly close to home, drawing on the expertise of the local inhabitants. A riveting police procedural, simultaneously detailing a past and a current investigation. Highly recommended, as always with this captivating series.

Louise Penny's latest in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, Head of Homicide at the Surete, series set in the stunning Canadian location of the Three Pines village in Quebec was pure joy to read even though it was only the second in the series for me. It was wonderfully compulsive, entertaining and engaging and expertly constructed, though it exposes the darkest side of humanity. For sure I will be reading the other instalments and I already have a copy of book one, entitled "Still Life".

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Hodder & Stoughton via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Just when I suspected the Chief Inspector Gamache series was running of out steam, Louise Penny comes out with a corker of a novel in the shape of A World of Curiosities.

This is the 18th title in the series featuring Armand Gamache, head of the Sûreté du Québec, and his friends and neighbours in the small village of Three Pines. It has all the features we’ve come to expect and love: the camaraderie of the inhabitants of Three Pines; the Chief’s intuitive understanding of human nature and an intricately woven, emotionally nuanced plot.

it begins in the past, with recollections of the murder of a prostitute and drug addict whose two children were discovered to be victims of sexual abuse. The case has haunted Gamache and his second in command Jean Guy Beauvoir for many years.

Now, some ten years after that incident, those children arrive unexpectedly in Three Pines.

Fiona Arsenault has turned her life around, gaining an engineering degree thanks to the support of Gamache and his wife. But the Chief has always felt uneasy about her younger brother, Sam. Everyone else is charmed by this handsome young man but Garmache fears there is a dark, malicious streak in his nature. His intuition tells him to be on his guard while Sam is in Three Pines.

In a separate plot thread, Gamache is called upon to solve the mystery of a secret room discovered in the attic of the village bookstore. Inside, the villagers discover a long lost copy of a “grimoire” an old book thought to have been used by witches to summon demons. Nearby is a huge painting.

On first sight this appears to be a copy of The Paston Treasure, a priceless work known also as A World of Curiosities that dates from the 1600s. But on closer inspection the painting reveals some oddities — among the objects depicting life in the seventeenth century are modern day items like digital watches and model aeroplanes.

Each anachronistic object is a message, a warning of a catastrophe with all the signs pointing to Gamache and his family as the target.

These two threads come together in a plot that is as ingeniously constructed as ever though much darker than we’ve seen in earlier novels. It’s suspenseful yet also thought-provoking, a clever mixing of fact and fiction that asks questions about forgiveness, revenge and tolerance.

As ever, my real interest in this novel is what lies beyond the plot and the characterisation. Louise Penny frequently introduces a key theme into her narrative to explore the darker side of human nature or to shine a light on a contemporary issue. In the past we’ve had jealousy, euthanasia, police corruption, prescription drug addiction and PTSD.

A World of Curiosities delves into the evil perpetrated upon women across the centuries.

Key points of the narrative point to a tragedy at the Polytechnic University in Quebec in 1989, when 14 female engineering students were killed in an anti-feminist attack. Intolerance is also evident in the history of the grimoire found in Three Pines. During the sixteenth century women discovered to be in possession of such a book faced exile or were burned at the stake. In the minds of the religious leaders of their community, such books were unholy.

Clearly A World of Curiosities is not cozy crime even if Three Pines does have the vibe of being a rural idyll. The issue of child abuse that features in the early chapters might be off-putting to some readers but it’s handled with sensitivity and minimal detail.

My one criticism of this book, and the series as a whole, is the frequent appearance in the narrative of a pet duck called Rosa, owned by the award-winning poet Ruth Zardo. Zardo is a brilliantly vivid character, a heavy-drinking, blunt-spoken woman who upsets just about all her neighbours in Three Pines.

But Penny goes and ruins this with incessant references to the duck, and its supposed humorous reflections on the situation. So we get passages like this:

“Bad things can happen even here.”
“She got that right,” said Ruth, and Rosa nodded. Though ducks often did.”

I live in hope that by the time the next book comes out, that blasted duck will have found another home — anywhere as long as its not in Three Pines.

A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny: Footnotes
Louise Penny’s Chief Inspector Gamache series of novels (also known as the Three Pines series) began with Still Life in 2005. A new television adaptation began airing via Amazon Prime in November 2022 with Alfred Molina in the star role. I’ve seen the first two episodes and was underwhelmed so shall just stick to the books in future.

The early books each featured a murder case that was solved within the book but there was also a storyline that ran across several titles. This dealt with the Chief’s suspicions of a conspiracy within the heart of the Sûreté.

Though each book can be read in isolation, the early ones are best appreciated when read in order of publication. This latest book however can be enjoyed without any prior knowledge of Penny’s back catalogue.

My thanks go to the publishers Hodder and Stoughton for supplying me with a copy via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This series just keeps getting better…. It explains to us the circumstances in which Gamache met Jean-Guy Beauvoir. The book jumps back and forth in time, with the past becomes extremely relevant to the challenging situation facing Gamache. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Armande Gamache is an inspector living in a small Canadian town. A young man and woman from his past turn up, bringing with them concerns about what happened when their mother was murdered many years ago and how it still haunts them today. Meanwhile the villagers open up a hidden room in an old house, discovering much more than they were expecting.

This was my first foray into the Inspector Gamache series and I can safely say that I now need to add all of the previous 17 books to my reading list. In fact, straight after finishing A World of Curiosities I ordered the first ten in the series.

I instantly fell in love with the characters in this book, I think they are what makes it so special. Louise Penny does a fantastic job of giving you a feel for the characters even if you have never read the previous books. I found Inspector Gamache extremely likeable and thought that his sense of justice was a really added to the story.

The plot is brilliantly clever and I simply could not put this book down. I found it so enthralling that I did not want it to end, it was absolutely fascinating.

This is easily one of my favourite books of the year, you will be missing out if you don't read it!

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

It’s spring and Three Pines is reemerging after the harsh winter. But not everything buried should come alive again. Not everything lying dormant should reemerge.
But something has.
As the villagers prepare for a special celebration, Armand Gamache and Jean-Guy Beauvoir find themselves increasingly worried. A young man and woman have reappeared in the Sûreté du Québec investigators’ lives after many years. The two were young children when their troubled mother was murdered, leaving them damaged, shattered. Now they’ve arrived in the village of Three Pines.
But to what end?
Gamache and Beauvoir’s memories of that tragic case, the one that first brought them together, come rushing back. Did their mother’s murder hurt them beyond repair? Have those terrible wounds, buried for decades, festered and are now about to erupt?
As Chief Inspector Gamache works to uncover answers, his alarm grows when a letter written by a long dead stone mason is discovered. In it the man describes his terror when bricking up an attic room somewhere in the village. Every word of the 160-year-old letter is filled with dread. When the room is found, the villagers decide to open it up.
As the bricks are removed, Gamache, Beauvoir and the villagers discover a world of curiosities. But the head of homicide soon realizes there’s more in that room than meets the eye. There are puzzles within puzzles, and hidden messages warning of mayhem and revenge.
In unsealing that room, an old enemy is released into their world. Into their lives. And into the very heart of Armand Gamache’s home.

This is a wonderful addition to this thrilling series!
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building that adds so much to the story.
Such a thrilling read that I couldn't put it down.
Can't wait to read more of these.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.

My thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘A World of Curiosities’ by Louise Penny.

This is Book 18 of Penny’s highly acclaimed Chief Inspector Gamache Mysteries set in Quebec. To date I have read two of the previous books and hope eventually to read them all. While background is provided, Louise Penny advises that all of her books are written to be self-standing.

The plot is quite complex as Penny brings together a number of strands from the past and weaves them together to demonstrate their impact on the present.

In the opening Armand Gamach is reminded of the past as with family and friends he prepares to attend a graduation ceremony at the École Polytechnique. During it there is a memorial honouring the fourteen women who were murdered there in the mass shooting of 1989.

Also in attendance at the ceremony is Fiona and her brother, Sam, whose mother was murdered years ago in the ‘lady in the lake’ case that brought Gamache and Jean-Guy Beauvoir together for the first time. The severely damaged children, now grown to adulthood, come to stay in the village of Three Pines. Through the years Gamache has remained in touch with Fiona, though is spooked by Sam. In contrast, Beauvoir is quite fond of Sam.

In Three Pines a 160-year-old letter has recently turned up written by a stone mason describing his terror when bricking up an attic room in the village. A search is undertaken and when the room is discovered, the villagers decide to open it up. Inside
a world of curiosities is discovered, though Gamache quickly realises that there’s more to the room than meets the eye. Puzzles, hidden messages and a grimoire lead him to a shocking revelation. No further details to avoid spoilers.

The title of the novel refers to a famous 17th Century painting, The Paston Treasure, nicknamed A World of Curiosities.

I have found Penny’s novels strongly character-led as well as being quite literary, containing philosophical discussions and esoteric elements alongside the usual ingredients of crime fiction. Her cast of eccentric supporting characters and Three Pines itself are very much part of the series’ appeal.

As noted above Penny incorporates into the narrative the 1989 Canadian mass shooting in which the gunman deliberately targeted women students who were training as engineers. In her Author’s Note Penny shares her reasons for including this within the novel as well as incorporating it into Gamache’s origin story.

Overall, I found ‘A World of Curiosities’ very much confirmed my admiration of Louise Penny as a writer of literary crime fiction. She carefully builds up to a nail-biting level of tension. It was thought provoking though admittedly disturbing in places.

Highly recommended.

After a harsh winter, the tiny Canadian village of Three Pines is enjoying the arrival of spring. But something is worrying Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and Inspector Jean-Guy Beauvoir of the Sûreté du Québec. Gamache had offered help to a young woman after the murder of her mother: he'd been less certain about her charismatic brother. For Jean-Guy, it had always been the other way around. Now they're both in the village and neither can fathom what's happening. Armand will soon find that they're not just in Three Pines but in his home and in his life.

Neither Gamache nor Beauvoir wanted to revisit that case - the one that brought them together and the discovery of a hidden room in one of the homes in the village almost comes as a relief. A letter from a long-dead stone mason was forwarded to one of the villagers and then everyone wondered why no one had spotted that the roof line of the building didn't match the interior. Brick by brick the internal wall was removed and a world of curiosities emerged. But everything was not as it seemed: there were puzzles and hidden messages. An old enemy is going to be brought back into their lives.

Three Pines has always seemed to me to be the place that you'd want to live: a small, close community where even the outrageous are there to help. Only the lost can find it - it's not on any map - and it's a place to heal. There is, though, a contradiction. This is the eighteenth book in the series - they all revolve around the village - and they all involve murder. There's a permanent cast of characters - regular readers will be glad to meet them again and newcomers will soon get to know them, so it's usually the newcomers who are involved in the crimes. Bad things happen, even here - but it's still very tempting!

A World of Curiosities is darker than most of the books in the series, but not gratuitously so. The bodies pile up and the tension is relentless. I was desperate to find out who was behind it all - and shocked when I found out. I missed all the clues. I was going to say that this was a particularly satisfying read but I realised before I started the book that I'd never listened to one of the Armand Gamache books as as audio download - so I treated myself.

The narrator is Adam Sims and he's superb. The voices were all exactly as I'd 'heard' them in my head as I read and it was rather like listening to a play with an added narrative. I was never in any doubt as to who was speaking. When someone is this good it's easy for the narrator to add a layer between the author and his audience but Sims achieved this superbly. He's a narrator I'll return to.

I do so enjoy reading Louise Penny's books about Chief Inspector Gamache,his team,his family, 3 Pines and the characters that dwell there.
As usual an excellent read,a tight story line,never giving the reader any inkling of what is going to happen next in the story.
An intriguing read,loved it and especially liked the end where the author writes a little about where her ideas come from.

This is the eighteenth Chief Inspector Armand Gamache book & my first by this author. Does that matter? No, this reads perfectly well as a standalone but I now have an additional seventeen books on my tbr pile!

I’m not going to repeat the blurb, just take it from me that this is a complex twisting tale. It reflects on the connected past of Gamache & Beauvoir but it does not matter that I’ve come to them afresh.

Set in the village of Three Pines, Quebec & with a wonderful writing style, I highly recommend this book. Don’t follow the threads, a breadcrumb trail would be more appropriate.

Oh I hate to have to give a poor review because my two previous Louise Penny reads were so very good but I must be honest. I almost didn’t finish it but stuck with it unfortunately without getting to enjoy it any more. All I will say is read either How the Light Gets In and The Madness of Crowds if like me you don’t enjoy this one.

Always enjoy a Gamache story, although this was definitely more unsavoury subject matter than usual. Tense at times and a few twists to keep the reader on their toes. Thanks to Netgalley.

Louise Penny did it again. She's managed to keep this world alive and loved for so many books, and this one didn't disappoint.
I absolutely loved the dual timeline in this one.

I love Inspector Gamache, I love 3 Pines and want to visit Canada just so I can go find a real life version of this mystical village. I love the characters in the books and feel I know them well through my reading of previous books in the series (not all of them and not necessarily in the right order) so I was very excited to receive an advance copy of Book 18 from Netgalley. But this one did not leave me with the same sense of delight as the others. I enjoyed the flashback technique telling the story of the tragic school shootings that brought Gamache and Jean-Guy together for the first time. But the present day thread, with its constant fracturing of the narrative left me confused and frustrated. So many authors now use this technique and, for me, it tends to disjoint the sense of anticipation. Previously I have felt Louise Penny completely mastered the technique by keeping it to a minimum - this time, maybe my concentration was at fault, but I kept losing the thread.
For me, just not in the same league as the other Gamache stories.