Another winner from Louise Penny!
Listened to audiobook; wish there'd been a female voice for those characters.

This is number 16 in the Inspector Gamache series that began in 2008 with Still Life. Is it too late to join the crowd of admirers of this cozy-with-a-bite series? Maybe not. But it would be a shame to miss the earlier volumes with their introduction to a French Canadian milieu and cast of recurring characters. As time has passed, the world has changed and Gamache has changed with it. Somewhat akin to the Elizabeth George Lynley series, the enjoyment builds book by book. A must read for fans.

All the Devils Are Here is a well-written and engrossing entry in the long-running series from Louise Penny. Taking place in Paris, rather than the normal Canadian setting, it starts off at a very languid pace. Settling in with the characters is fine for readers familiar with the series, but the lack of action early in the book makes this a little boring and a difficult place to start for new readers. Once the action starts, there is strong intrigue as Gamache and family pull at the mysterious strings involving Gamache's godfather.

This had the makings of a very interesting adventure. Unfortunately, it was a DNF for me because the difficulty using the netgalley app for audio, which was the only option available, became impossible. The app simply isn't ready to support audio.

I love this series, I love this book and I cannot wait for the next installment in the Inspector Gamache series. I loved learning more about Daniel and his family and hearing about Paris and its landmarks. I was a little sad that we were not visiting Three Pines and missed the interactions of the regular cast of characters although the author does a good job or working all of the characters into the storyline even though they are not in the same location. This series just keeps getting better! Thank you, Louise Penny!

I listened to this on audible and really enjoyed it. I normally listen to books at a faster pace which was not necessary with this narrator. He was fantastic. I loved his cadence and his accents as well as the different voices for the many characters. Top notch performance.
The only minor issue is that this is a complicated mystery with a lot of characters and a story that builds and builds so I had to really pay attention. I had not read the previous books which might have helped with my understanding all of the different dynamics, characters and relationships even if its not 100% necessary to this story. The last 2 1/2 hours of the audible were so exciting. I was putting all the pieces together as it was unfolding and it was quite honestly fun to experience. I recommend it and I recommend that you pay attention right from the start if you have any hope of not getting lost in the middle.

What a wonderful story. Once again Chief Inspector Armand Gamache demonstrates he is a gentleman, loving spouse, father and friend but still is a v-e-r-y competent law enforcement official. I really enjoy Louise's Chief Inspector Armand Gamache books. Bravo!

The narration was great on this audiobook. I am a huge fan of this series and highly recommend reading them all in order. This new one had a suspenseful mystery and the beloved Gamache family worked together to solve it. The setting was in Paris instead of the usual Three Pines village. I loved this book and hope this isn't the end of this wonderful series.

Although this book is part of a series it can be read as a stand alone. Inspector Gamache and his family are memorable characters. There is plenty of intrigue for mystery readers.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for providing me with ARAudiobook. It was the first I’ve listened to on the NetGalley app.

Louise Penny’s books are constructed like an onion. Each layer you peel off takes your mind in a different direction. There’s always something to discover. This book is set in Paris, rather than the usual Three Pines and Montreal of the other books in this series..Both Gamache and Jean Guy have new jobs.. Annie, Gamache’s daughter (and Jean Guy’s wife) have relocated to Paris for a job offer at an Engineering firm. They are expecting their second child. Gamache’s son, Daniel, has been estranged from Gamache, but is drawn back into the family. There’s a lot of action and intrigue and even a short cameo of some of our Three Pines characters. I have one criticism of the reader, however. He has a different voice for each character, but the one for Daniel is quite strange. I’m not sure if he was trying to do an American accent, but he didn’t hit it. Other than that, it was a great listen

“All the Devils Are Here” is my first novel by Louise Penny, the best-selling mystery author. And it’s her 16th novel about the infamous protagonist, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache.

(Yes, I’m late to a *very* popular reading party!)

In “All the Devils Are Here,” Penny takes us to the City of Light. As the Gamache family gathers for dinner on their first night in Paris, we witness a deliberate hit-and-run murder attempt. The target: Armand’s godfather, the billionaire Stephen Horowitz.

As the novel unfolds, we go onto a journey to discover why Stephen was the subject of attack. And the unfolding involves Armand and his son, Daniel, as well as the Inspector’s colleagues. Who’s in on the hit, and who’s not? Gamache has a lot on his plate, especially since family is involved. We also discover the secret that Stephen has long been keeping in the years, and days, leading up to the attack. Was he on the right side of good or evil?

The audio version of “All the Devils Are Here” is a great adventure. But don’t be too quick to multitask while listening. Or, like me, you might be scratching your head, wondering who all the characters are. (There are many). A few times, I skipped back to get everyone correct. (Remember, this is my first time meeting Inspector Gamache and his posse).

I appreciated listening to the narration so I could hear the correct pronunciations of the French names and locales. A lot of those fun details can get lost in translation when reading a novel.

It appears that the narrator, Robert Bathurst, has a good gig with Penny and Macmillan Audio (via Minotaur Books). This is not his first rodeo with the series as he was named the “new voice of Gamache” in 2016 after the death of the actor/narrator, Ralph Cosham. A British actor, Bathurst is best known in North America for his role in Downton Abbey. (I knew I recognized his voice, I just didn’t know from where!)

All in all, I found “All the Devils Are Here” a great crime mystery. And many of the plot twists caught me by surprise. Penny is an excellent researcher and weaves in the perfect amount of detail and intrigue. The chapters are short and digestible … just the right length to keep things moving along. I never once wanted to skip forward to get to the end.


A big thanks to Macmillan Audio, Penny and NetGalley for the advanced listen in exchange for my honest review. Now I need to go back and listen to all 15 other Gamache stories. Shall I start with No. 1?

All the Devils are Here // by Louise Penny // narrated by Robert Bathurst

Even though this is the 16th novel in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series by Louise Penny, please don’t let that keep you from reading or listening to this title! Only recently did I read the first book of the series, Still Life, and I have not yet picked up another besides All the Devils are Here but that did not take away from the great experience I had with this book. Penny does a wonderful job introducing all the characters in the first few chapters and you are pulled into the family very quickly. Murder mysteries are not very high on my favorites list so it really took me by surprise how much I enjoyed listening to this and how invested I became in the characters and their story.

In the beginning, I was struggling a little bit with the narrator but he really grew on me also. While I adore his voice for Gamache and many of the French characters, I had a bit of a hard time with some of his female voices, because it made them sound very meek and not very strong emotionally. It kept reminding me of those women that faint over the smallest things, like a few drops of blood, and that is far from what we have here. Penny knows how to write strong women and I would’ve liked their voices to reflect that. I am a big fan of his general narration though. He knows how to put the right emotion into his words, where to pause to build suspense, and overall really added to my enjoyment of the story.

As I said above, the mystery genre is not usually one I seek out. I am much more likely to get lost in a good memoir, non-fiction books that teach me something, or a whole new fantasy world. But Louise Penny is truly a master of her art. A mystery presents and solves a crime, and you follow the main characters as they find clues, examine motives, and identify suspects. It is a pretty simple equation but there is absolutely nothing simple about this novel. There are so many little details in this book that come back to play major parts, so many motives and suspects that constantly circle around each other or replace each other, and you just never know who you can trust! It is riveting and I constantly found myself thinking about this book and trying to solve it myself along the way. I would have never expected to be so engrossed in it when I started it.

Often times, while I enjoy the books I read, I wonder what they would be like if they were set in or current time with all the new technology. I’m used to characters that do not have cell phones or that if they do, it is one of those ancient flip phones that we all so fondly remember. It was really fun to see how Penny included modern technology in her story, whether it was Youtube videos or drones. It made everything feel even more realistic.

Although sadly my memory is not the best and I often struggle to remember details, I thoroughly enjoy learning about history, whether that is through the details that historical fiction novels are based on or non-fiction books about a specific subject. Louise Penny chose Paris as the setting of All the Devils are Here and many of us know that this city has a dark history related to the Nazi Party of Germany during World War II. While I did not get a chance to research every little detail in this book that references this history, I did get a chance to read up on the history of the Lutetia, a hotel that is heavily featured in this novel. I was delighted to see that what I listened to was actually true because it is a part of history that I did not know much about yet (though obviously horrified that it actually happened in the first place). I am impressed how well Penny incorporated these facts in her novel and how it made her characters feel even more realistic. I also liked how she wrapped this part up in the end. While I’m not generally a big fan of wrapping things up perfectly with a bow at the end, it gave a well-rounded out feel to the book this time.

Speaking of her characters though, I love how she portrays all the members of Gamache’s family. This novel really focuses on them and you get to learn a lot about their personal lives and relationships between each other. Penny wrote these characters with so much compassion despite many of them having both positive traits as well as major flaws. This story is all about temptations toward the dark side, negative feelings and trauma growing up, and Chief Inspector Gamache himself (whaaat) contemplating torturing someone in his anger. The way she gives each family member such distinct personalities and describes their feelings about and emotions directed towards each other makes it almost hard to believe that they really are fictional. Daniel, Gamache’s son, is a prime example of that. Her writing really makes you swing back and forth between liking and disliking him, and his character arc is one of my favorites in a long time.

There are obviously a lot of things that I enjoyed about this novel and I cannot think of a good way to finish up this review smoothly so I’m just going to say that the fact that this is an instant five stars for me says enough about how much I love this book and consequently the author now. I cannot wait to recommend this to my friends and followers!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. This was truly a great experience! And to think I only picked it up because I wanted to make myself a more well-rounded reader. She has converted me into a true fan and I’ll be sure to pick up her other books from now on!

Thank you, Netgalley for allowing me to preview this audio book. I will have to say that I ended up loving the plot of the book so much that I finished it in written format. Unfortunately for me, I could not get engaged with this book in audio. The book itself is well written and I was very much looking forward to listening to it. I just do not believe I clicked worth the reader. Story and plot wise, the book was up to expectations!!!! Please give this book a try!!!!!

So this is my issue, finishing this book was almost a Herculean feat for me. I mean, the plot of this book is brilliant (evil corporation with big secrets, elements relating to potential Nazi collaboration or Master Spy, family dynamics, mystery, murder, treachery…), my only complaints are that the book drags a lot so it seems longer than it is, and, the prose doesn’t make my heart sing. I need a book to either develop quickly and brilliantly or to be written in such dazzling prose that I don’t mind dawdling. I really, really want to love this author and the series; I see it’s hugely popular and I love the genre. But I just don’t connect to Gamache and every time he says I love you, on more than one occasion to many, my eyes roll. I’m really soppy affectionate but I just don’t feel it when he says it. I know I dove in here at Book 16, but in all honesty, this is not my first attempt at this series. I started Book One – Still Life – a couple of years ago and could not get past the first few chapters and I failed at one more attempt at a later book in the series. I’ve read just enough of the series to be familiar with many of the characters in this book and those from the hometown that are mentioned in the final chapter.

Nevertheless, I am stubborn, and I will try to read at least one or two more books in this series in the hope that I will finally latch on. This was a 3.5 for me (maybe) but I loved the plot so I’m paying forward and bumping up (in anticipation that I will eventually fall in love with this series).

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the Audible. The capable narrator was Robert Bathurst.

I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. I have 'read' but not listened to Louise Penny books before and I completely struggled with them. My inner voice while reading, could not deal with the French sounds, even after high school and college French and well, France. I knew that I was hearing the sound of the books wrong while I was reading them and it frustrated me. This narrator is fabulous. The sounds and voices and all of the French pronunciations are absolutely perfect.

This is one of those cases where the audio book is not just easier because one can listen to it in the car but beautiful because of the sounds coming alive.

On their first night in Paris, the Gamaches gather as a family for a bistro dinner with Armand’s godfather, the billionare Stephen Horowitz. Walking home together after the meal, they watch in horror as Stephen is knocked down and critically injured in what Gamache knows is no accident, but a deliberate attempt on the elderly man’s life.

When a a strange key is found in Stephen’s possession it sends them deep into the secrets Armand’s godfather has kept for decades.

All the Devils Are Here is the 16th novel in a series, and although it can be read as a standalone, I had a hard time connecting to the story and characters, the audio quality was no good and after several attempts I DNF.
I guess I needed to start with book one.

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for giving me a copy of this ALC in exchange for an honest review.

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I always look forward to a new Inspector Gamache novel, and this one was no exception. However, this was the first time I listened to an audiobook of one of Louise Penny's books. Robert Barthhurst is a fine narrator for this audiobook, and his reading along with Penny's descriptions helped to transport me to Paris along with the Gamaches. Like all her other books, the dark and heavy subject matters in this case a conspiracy involving a coverup and countless deaths is balanced nicely with scenes of domesticity among the Gamaches. In particular I liked how Honore bonded with Ruth and as a result learned how to swear and sing sea shanties. This is even more hilarious considering the “contempt” the old poet has for his father, Jean Guy. Without a doubt I will continue to pick up the next book in the Inspector Gamache series as All the Devils Are Here was a brilliant addition to this much loved series.

Thank you so much to Minotaur Books and Nergalley to an ALC of this novel! The narration and production of this audiobook was perfection.
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Reading a new Louise Penny book always gives me such comfort. Kind of a strange feeling to have when there is bound to be at least one murder involved in the plot somewhere...but her writing, her characters and Three Pines always bring some comfort to my day.
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But if we can’t be in Three Pines, I’m happy to be in Paris. In All the Devils Are Here Penny weaves her magic again and I was so happy to see some of my favourite characters and to learn more about a few characters we’ve briefly met in other novels. We do see some of Three Pines and I’m already excited for Penny’s next book.
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One aspect of Penny’s books I always appreciate is how she includes a reflection and statement on current social and political situations. A statement towards the end of the book, of who the modern devils of today are, was especially impactful. The ending of the novel made me so happy and I’m already eagerly awaiting the next novel.
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If you haven’t picked up this series yet I highly recommend it! The world building, character development and plot progression through the novels is so good! Plus you will fall in love with the little Quebec town of Three Pines.
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Content: discussions of WWII, concentration camps, discussions of Paris during the war, collaborators, a hit and run car accident with pedestrian, murder, deception, discussion of memories involving losing parents as a child.

All The Devils Are Here is the 16th book in the series featuring Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. In this book he is in Paris gathering with family in anticipation of his grandchild being born any moment. After dinner one night his godfather Stephen is critically injured. Gamache knows it was no accident and sets off to find the truth.
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I listened to this on audiobook and loved the narration by Robert Bathurst. His narration was perfect for this book and the setting.
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I so enjoyed this book and it can definitely be read as a stand alone. I’m sure I would understand and love the characters more if I had read more of the series though. Overall this book kept me invested and guessing the whole time and I’d definitely recommend to others.

I hate to be a stereotype but I love Paris. And a book written with the warmth from Louise Penny about Paris makes for a great read.

Penny combines mystery, history and human nature to create a exciting and heartwarming story. All of Gamache's family are in Paris making his compassion for them and the truth the driving force. As Paris feels are inviting as Three Pines, it makes you want to jump into the book to be with them.

Like always, the narrator did a great job invoking the warmth of the Three Pine series.

This review is based on an advanced audiobook recording provided through Netgalley for an honest review.

I look forward to every new installment in Louise Penny’s Armand Gamache series, because even after fifteen books, I still want more. All the Devils Are Here was a departure from the tiny village of Three Pines, taking place in Paris, and while I enjoyed the change of scenery, I’m looking forward to returning to Three Pines in the next book, I hope. Penny has such an ingenious way of focusing on one element of human behavior or relationships in each book and finding a way to bring new insights in a natural, genuine way. I loved this look into the complex nature between parent and child, particularly father and son in this instance, but I missed Clara, Myrna, Olivier, Gabri, and even Ruth. As always, Robert Bathurst does a brilliant job narrating the audiobook. If there was ever a series that is enhanced by listening to it on audio, it is this one.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.