Member Reviews

My thanks to Macmillan Audio for a review copy, via NetGalley, of its unabridged audiobook edition, narrated by Robert Bathurst.

This is the sixteenth in Canadian author Louise Penny’s Quebec-based series of crime thrillers/police procedurals featuring Chief Inspector Armand Gamache.

Although I had not read any of the previous novels in the series enough background was provided and I quickly settled in.

Armand and his wife, Reine-Marie, are visiting their adult children, who have both moved with their families to Paris. On their first night they gather for a family dinner with Armand's godfather, the billionaire Stephen Horowitz.

The evening ends in horror when Stephen is knocked down by a van and critically injured. Armand is convinced that it was no accident. As the elderly man lies in a coma, Armand undertakes a desperate search for answers.

As he begins to uncover the secrets that his godfather has kept hidden for decades, he finds himself ensnared in a web of lies and deceit that is threatening to destroy everyone he holds dear.

This proved a highly engaging crime thriller that had many layers and mysteries within mysteries. It was a complex plot though it was presented in a structured fashion and I never felt lost.

The audiobook narrator, Robert Bathurst, is a well known British actor, who has recently won the 2020 Audie award for Best Male Narrator. He has narrated a number of Louise Penny’s titles for the North American audiobook editions. It felt as though he was very comfortable voicing these characters, capturing their personalities including the appropriate accents.

Overall, found this an engaging crime thriller. After completing this I am now quite interested in reading earlier titles in this series.

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I have listened to the majority of this series on audio book, first with the late Adam Sims and now with Robert Bathurst, both who amazingly capture the voices of the characters so that even when I pick up the print copy, I can hear them in my head as I'm reading. Needless to say, I was ecstatic to see the audio review copy available for this newest installment. Bathurst does a stellar job yet again.
Penny is supremely gifted at crafting intelligent, thoughtful mysteries with a large amount of atmosphere and action. This intricately plotted tale grabbed my interest from the beginning and the puzzle kept me intrigued until the end. I missed Three Pines, but was satisfied with the vignette at the end when the group is back together in the village. I read it with tears streaming down my face at the interactions of these characters who have become real people in my life.
The suspense and drama in Paris is fascinating and there are some deep themes about family woven throughout. It is fantastic to get to know Daniel and to begin to understand the reasons behind the rift between him and Armand.
Now for the qualifier I always give--definitely read this series in order. It's critical or you will miss the nuance and the ways the characters are connected, which is half of the enjoyment of these novels.

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This is my first foray into a Louise Penny book, but I could tell right away that these characters and the world they live in has a history. I didn’t feel lost, but definitely feel like I have some new opportunities to delve into them again.

To me, this story and the characters felt very much like a modern day Sherlock Holmes. I liked the mystery, the trails of breadcrumbs, the danger, and the sense of family and camaraderie between the characters.

The audiobook was done really well. I really liked the voice acting of the narrator and his accents were exceptional.

Thank you very much to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an audiobook review copy to make this honest review possible.

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I have written a couple of reviews in the past few years about Louise Penny’s Armand Gamache series of suspense and mysteries. Much of the charm in this long-running series is its rural Canadian “lost village” of Three Pines. Three Pines not only is a bucolic town but it also has a group of characters that aid-and-abet Gamache as he solves his puzzles. This time out Gamache leaves both Three Pines and its characters and travels with his extended family to Paris. I previously had written one really positive review and one very negative review, believing she had tapped out her considerable talents on this series.
I now am happy to report that she has returned to greatness with her latest effort named “All The Devils Are Here.” The plot centers on international business intrigue, with a heavy dose of unseen cabal of nasty folks, duplicitous friends ( or foes) and a serious subplot concerning family disfunction. And these plot lines intertwine magnificently as the book travels towards a tension-filled climax. So settle into your middle seat, bring your seat to the upright and locked position, fasten your seat belts, and adjust your fashionable face mask and your noise eliminating headphones: you will enjoy Penny’s newest work.
So “thanks” to NetGalley for the gift of this Advanced Readers Copy.

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Louise Penny hits it out of the ballpark again. How does she do it? This book takes place in Paris where Armand Gamache's son and daughter live with their families. We are introduced to Stephen Horowitz, Armand's godfather who him under his wing when Armand's parents died tragically when he was nine years old. There are some bad things going on in private industry and it is up to Armand to figure it out. Along the way, we learn more about his relationship with his son Daniel, and how it has affected the family.

I listened to the audiobook as an ALC through Net Galley. The narrator was excellent with a great French accent. Without being able to see the French names of the characters in print, it was a little difficult at the beginning to sort them out but after a while it was fine.

Such an excellent story!

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All the Devils Are Here is a great addition to this series! I enjoyed the change of venue, where they were in Paris. The whole synopsis was a bit confusing, but basically all explained in the end. I loved the ending, and hope the next book will include 3 Pines more, and all those characters. Great book, great story, great characters. Always look forward to Louise's next book! Highly recommended.

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Thanks to the publisher and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review the latest in the Armand Gamache/Three Pines series by Louise Penny. I have read all of the series - some books more than once, as I work my way through them again - and this one is a worthy successor to "A Better Man" and all of the others.

Armand and Reine-Marie Gamache are in Paris, the City of Light, for the imminent birth of their third Grandchild, the daughter of Jean-Guy Beauvoir, Gamaches's former second-in-command now working in the private sector for a multinational engineering conglomerate, and Annie Gamache, Beauvoir's late-in-life love. And it's a chance to reconnect with his godfather (and de facto father after the death of his parents) Stephen Horowitz, who's also in town for the GHS board meeting (GHS being the company that Jean-Guy works for).

The opening quote "Heaven is empty, and all the Devils are here" from Shakespeare's "The Tempest" is an apt quote for what follows: a story of conspiracies, murders, attempted murders and threats from every corner. Starting with a devastating accident post-dinner with the family and the subsequent discovery of a body where it does not belong.

All of the family is involved in this book, from Armand's wife, Reine-Marie, who's work as an archivist gives her a unique advantage when trying to unravel some of what's going on; and we take a trip to the massive archives in Paris; Daniel Gamache figures highly in the story, too, and we are given some unique insights into his fraught relationship with his father - including one big one!

Jean-Guy Beauvoir seems to be out of his depth in his new job with the multinational, but it soon becomes clear that his talents are just what are needed to help get to the bottom of what's been going on and to stop a pending catastrophe. Annie Gamache Beauvoir is, of course, a main character as she is about to give birth to Armand and Reine-Marie's newest grandchild. And, although relegated to background characters, Ms. Penny has not forgotten Daniel's family as wife and daughters make multiple appearances.

I know a lot of people read these books for the lovely little village of Three Pines (Trois Pins) and all of our friends who live there - Ruth and Rosa, Myrna, Gabriel, et al - and they're not at all integral to this story; but that's okay as I'm sure the next book will settle us back down there.

I have to admit that it was - at times - a little hard to follow the wheels-within-wheels of the conspiracy that was central to "All The Devils Are Here", but much of it was explained the thrilling climax and denouement. And there are both happy and sad outcomes.

"All The Devils Are Here" could be read as a standalone novel, but to truly understand some of the nuances to the characters, and certain allusions, it would be helpful to have at least read some of them.

All in all, a highly recommended addition to Ms. Penny's Armand Gamache series, and I cannot wait to see where she takes us next.

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Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review. I should probably point out that I am a fan of this series and have read all 15 previous books. I love the depth that the author has given the characters over the course of Inspector Gamache’s acquaintance with the residents of Three Pines, a small town in Quebec. I was a little worried I wouldn’t like this one as much as past installments because the setting has changed to Paris, where his adult children are living with their families. I was afraid I would miss the characters (and characters they are!) that live in Three Pines. I was pleasantly surprised, though. Of course Armand finds himself in the middle of a new murder and has to share the investigation with the French authorities, but he also gets help from some beloved characters. I love the relationships that the author has built, and no matter the setting, I will follow Armand Gamache anywhere!

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the narrator. He was well spoken and dignified. His voice was soothing, almost too much so, as I found myself extra relaxed as I listened. It could have used a little more modulation of his tone, but he still did a great job. I would listen to him again.

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I've gone back and forth between giving this four or five stars. On the "con" side is the fact that there was a maguffin in this book that I knew was going to be the maguffin from the first time it was mentioned. (<spoiler>I knew that little unassuming painting was going to be important immediately. That's not me being clever or anything - that's the point being obvious. Then when Gamache urgently needs to find something I came darn near yelling at the narrator "Look behind the picture!" Which wasn't quite right for what he needed at that moment - but sure enough, later, there it was.</spoiler) And at the climax of the story, when all the plotlines should have been converging into one exciting chapter ... instead, it felt like beavers came along and built a plotline dam and held up the flow, and most of the excitement sort of trickled away. (That is a terrible metaphor. Désolé.) (That's something that could be in either the "pro" or the "con" side of this review, depending on how you look at it - I have found myself muttering in my high school French several times over the past few days. Zut.) It was a high tension situation, with tension offscreen and even more tension onscreen (so to speak), and ... it was a little boring, as Gamache tried to buy time and ask questions and the bad guys ... answered them.

However. Whatever flaws there may have been in the execution of the plot, the characterization is what always wins the day in the Gamache novels. I love this family. Their troubles are my troubles while I'm reading or listening (I was listening). I love their in-jokes - they sound like my family at its best. I don't want any of them to be hurt - and I really don't want any of them to die. And there were moments in the finale that brought tears to my eyes. Whether they were happy or sad I won't say, as that would be spoiler-y - but maybe they were both.

I listened to the first five books of the series through Audible, and a big part of the draw was the narrator, Ralph Cosham. I had heard that he passed away - but honestly I was a little surprised when I looked it up that that was in 2014, and this book was read by Robert Bathurst - because he was brilliant. I didn't feel any sense of deprivation in not having the same narrator I'd been with for five novels. Which is absolutely nothing against Mr. Cosham - but absolutely praise of Mr. Bathurst.

The reason I have only listened to books 1-5 and now #16 of the series is that I found myself a bit gutted by 5, <I>The Brutal Telling</i>. I've bought myself others in the series, but just haven't come back around to listening because of how that one went. But then I saw that a) Netgalley now has audiobooks, and b) one of the audiobooks available was a Gamache, and decided I'd take a chance on being spoiled for books six through fifteen. Happily, I don't think that's going to be a problem. I now know about how Gamache's family has progressed and grown, and I know how his career is going to pan out over the intervening years - but not in any detail: only enough to make me want to know the rest. It helped that this book was set in Paris instead of Quebec. The denizens of Three Pines were mostly out of the picture, so (<spoiler>apart from marveling that Olivier was out of prison?!</spoiler>) I know nothing about how they've fared since book 5.

On the whole, my logic is: this book made me cry (even if only a little - I could have let myself go, if there had not been distractions inherent to listening at work), therefore it gets five stars. I'm not unhappy with that conclusion.

I was unhappy - <I>very</i> unhappy - with Netgalley's new app, which is THE only way to listen to their advance audiobooks. It was dreadful. It stopped randomly every half hour or so; the breaks between the chapters were either part of that or ludicrously long (over a minute for some). My whiny email to Netgalley Help got a mostly form response that there's an update coming in a while which will supposedly fix things. We shall see. In the meantime, I'm cured of the "FREE AUDIOBOOKS!!!!!!!!!11!!" bug. But thanks, Netgalley - it was good to hang out with Gamache and his family for a few hours.

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Another great installment in this series! While I absolutely love the town of Three Pines, it was fun to be in Paris with Armand Gamache and his family. Readers will love learning more about his son who has been largely absent from the series.
I am gleeful when I get to hand this author's work to a mystery lover who hasn't yet read her work. The audio books in this series are also so well done!

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The title of this sixteenth book in Louise Penny's Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series, as many reviewers have noted, is taken from Shakespeare's play, The Tempest. Yet, the crime and the criminals depicted in this story brings to mind another author's titular phrase: "The Banality of Evil." For as Gamache's friend the chief of police in Paris notes toward the end, today's villains are good people who smile and do nothing when they see evil. The comparison to Hanna Arendt's 1963 book on Nazi Germany and Eichmann's trial for war crimes is also apropos because the setting for this novel is not Quebec, but rather Paris. And the story of France's Nazi past provides the backstory of this novel. Steven Horowitz, Gamache's godfather, was a member of the French Resistance. But when Stephen tries to take down a criminal business organization whose products are killing thousands, his reputation as a resistance fighter is called into question. Was he in reality a Nazi collaborator? Did Steven, like so many collaborators in the immediate aftermath of the war, claim to fight for the resistance in order to avoid the consequences of his actions? If he was a collaborator during the war, what does that say about the motives of actions in the present? Are they too based on self-interests? Stephen cannot defend himself because he lies in a hospital bed in a coma after being deliberately run down by a car. Armand Gamache must solve the crime and discover the truth about his godfather’s past.

The complex crime story is accompanied by an equally poignant story about the bonds of family and the quest for belonging. As noted earlier, this novel is not set in the quaint town of Three Pines, in a remote area outside of Quebec, Canada, and so many of the familiar characters that fans of this series have grown to love, such as Ruth Zardo and Clara Moro, play only minimal roles in this narrative. And yet they are never far from our minds, as each of the Gamache family members in Paris—Steven, Armand, Reine-Marie, Annie, Jean-Guy, and Daniel—struggle literally or figuratively to find their way home. Ultimately it is their love for each other and for their circles of friends that throws light on a world in which too often the banality of evil triumphs.
As always, Robert Bathurst’s narration of the audiobook is superb; he breathes life into each of the characters, capturing their conflicted emotions and their complex relations with one another. I confess ever since I first heard his rendition of the books, I have been hooked on this series in audiobook form. I love being transported by his voice and the author’s words to the eclectic town of Three Pines and in this case to the sights and sounds of Paris.

As always, Robert Bathurst’s narration of the audiobook is superb; he breathes life into each of the characters, capturing their conflicted emotions and their complex relations with one another. I confess ever since I first heard his rendition of the books, I have been hooked on this series in audiobook form. I love being transported by his voice and the author’s words to the eclectic town of Three Pines and in this case to the sights and sounds of Paris.

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A new Armand Gamache book is always a reason to celebrate. This one brings a change in locale, as we join Gamache in Paris for the upcoming birth of his grandchild. But first, his godfather, Stephen, also in Paris to be with the family, is hit in a deliberate hit and run and left in a coma. There’s another horrific crime and soon Armand has no idea whom to trust.
I loved that Armand’s family is front and center in this book. Not only Jean Guy helping him investigate, but also his wife, Reine Marie. And we learn much more about his relationship with his son, Daniel. Why does Daniel seem to resent Armand so much? The scenes between Daniel and Armand are some of the most emotionally charged in the book. And this is a book filled with tense, suspenseful scenes.
Stephen’s background is a huge component of the book and it really works to have Armand forced to question all the stories he’s grown up with. And while I missed Three Pines, Paris truly shines here.
This is the first time I’ve listened to a book from this series. I struggled a little with some of the names (my issue, not the narrator’s), but otherwise, it was an extremely enjoyable experience. Robert Bathurst is a wonderful narrator.
Penny’s books are always devoted to character development and detail and this one is no exception. But there’s enough action to keep the listener engaged. I’ve loved all of the books in this series, but this one of the best.
My thanks to netgalley and Macmillan Audio for a truly special experience (and the advance copy of the audiobook).

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After sixteen books, I have to admit that using the same language multiple times per book to describe Gamache's laugh lines is exhausting, but I still love these characters, my old friends, and I'll follow them to the ends of the earth or Paris too. Just as lovely and exciting as always.

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Initial impressions (14%) ... un-put-down-able! At one point early in the book I noticed that 12 hours remained in the audio, I calculated ... if I listen non-stop I could finish this at 1am ... if I don't talk to my husband the rest of the day, shower or take any listening breaks. I did get up in the middle of the night for covert listening.

Although this is the 16th book in the Gamache series, it is only the 2nd book that I've "read" (listened). I appreciate that the books in this "series" can stand alone; my thoughts at the conclusion of this book were ... Wow! That was very satisfying! (You never get that sense of satisfaction with a cliff hanger and waiting for months for the next book to come out.)

This book is set in Paris with the immediate Gamache family where they are intimately involved with with a case; every character is deeply woven into the plot. Twists and turns keep everything interesting.

Love the music in the opening/closing of the audio.

Sincerest thanks to NetGalley for advance read/listen copy of All the Devils Are Here and also to the author Louise Penny. Narrator Robert Bathurst did an awesome job as well.

Absolutely 5 stars!

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My first audio book and I was surprisingly pleased. I listened while making my end of summer pickles. I found the plot quite confusing with all the French names, the banking , the archives, the German references and where actually Gamache proposed .The reader really had to be familiar with Paris for all the locations. In saying that I enjoyed listening and was able adequately follow the complicated story line . I love Three Pines but was thrilled not to listen to Ruth and her annoying duck. The words “ I love you” we said too often by Gamache and his family. Not sure how Gamache figured it all out .

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I have read all of Louise Penny's Gamache books, but the last one and this one have made me feel that I might be done. This one is set in Paris, so it loses the appeal of the Three Pines cast of characters and the comfort of a croissant and cocoa at the Bistro. The story of a grown man thinking his father never loved him because of an overheard choice his father made while a child was beyond the pale for me. The narrator is still good and it is definitely worth a listen for fans. I think that I regretfully have to say, I am no longer one.

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I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review -
Louise Penny always writes an awesome book and she does it again -
The Gamaches have a family dinner and as they are walking home - Stephen is knocked down and injured -
Why did this accident happen? To top it off - a key is found with Stephen- where did this come from? What does it open? What secrets are hidden? Can he trust his family to find the answers?

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Another thrilling tale from author Louise Penny as we dive into another mystery involving Inspector Armand, but even as the story flips back and forth between past and present. We find that all things are not what they seem as Armand finds that his family's past is linked to something for sinister than he ever imagined. A wonderful listen, and the narrator is superb! Well done!

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Louise Penny has written 16 novels. I've read/listened to them all, so forgive my bias.

Penny devotees watch expectantly every couple of years for the newest Chief Inspector Gamache book to be published. For those o you who may live under a literary rock, French Canadian Gamache is the main character in Penny's mystery novels. My advice is to start at the beginning and read the books in order. Take your time. Enjoy each like a great glass of Medoc. Each successive novel leaves the reader with a little more psychological insight into the familiar characters. It adds to the pleasure not unlike reading Conan Doyle's Sherlock stories read in order.

In this latest one our main character is in Paris with his wife to visit his two children who have moved there. Upon arrival we meet a new character to these Penny novels: rich Uncle Steven Horowitz. Steven is actually Armand Gamache's godfather and his relationship with his adopted son from Montreal is part of the wonder glue that holds what follows together.

It seems Stephen has become deeply involved in a plan to expose a vast web of conspiracy to hide malfeasance at a global level. The consortium of evil who is his target will attempt to silence Stephen before he is able to lay bare their sins.

Every Penny plot has the intricacy of interwoven stitches like a fine piece of lace. As the story picks up speed and the spaces between these stitches become unbearably taut, som connections are exposed and others draw us deeper.

I think this book has a number of elements some of Penny's others do not. First, the setting: Paris - the city of lights which has enough darkness in its unfamiliar corners to keep us curious about the city itself. Second, the ensnarement of the entire family: wife, son, daughter, their spouses all entrapped. Thirdly, the inner workings of international capital and how the power of wealth can hid miscreants but also expose them.

Among all the sixteen books about the Chief Inspector, this one would rank in the top third - and they are all good!

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This is the 16th book in the series, but can easily stand alone. The Gamache family is gathered in Paris, as daughter Annie is due to give birth there soon. Following family dinner, Godfather Stephen in critically injured in a hit and run that seems intentional to Armand. This seems to set off a series of events that add to the mystery of the novel. Can the local police be trusted? Can cracked family relationships be repaired?

Robert Bathurst does a fantastic job voicing all of the characters in this installment. He definitely added to my enjoyment of the story.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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