The Beautiful Mystery

Starred review from June 18, 2012
Religious music serves as the backdrop for bestseller Penny’s excellent eighth novel featuring Chief Insp. Armand Gamache of the Quebec Sûreté (after 2011’s A Trick of the Light). Gamache and his loyal number two, Insp. Jean-Guy Beauvoir, travel to the isolated monastery of Saint-Gilbert-Entre-les-Loups, which produced a CD of Gregorian chants that became a surprise smash hit, to investigate the murder of its choirmaster, Frère Mathieu, found within an enclosed garden in a fetal position with his head bashed in. Gamache soon finds serious divisions among the outwardly unified and placid monks, and begins to encourage confidences among them as a first step to catching the killer. Traditional mystery fans can look forward to a captivating whodunit plot, a clever fair-play clue concealed in plain view, and the deft use of humor to lighten the story’s dark patches. On a deeper level, the crime provides a means for Penny’s unusually empathic, all-too-fallible lead to unearth truths about human passions and weaknesses while avoiding simple answers. 150,000 first printing; author tour. Agent: Patty Moosbrugger, Teresa Chris Literary Agency.

Inspector Gamache and his partner, Beauvoir, journey to a monastery in remote Québec where the 24 cloistered monks, who specialize in plainchant, never receive visitors--that is, until one of them is murdered. Ralph Cosham expertly presents Penny's writing, portraying Gamache's quietly thoughtful style and Beauvoir's earthy personality and giving each monk distinction and humanity. To add to the intrigue, conflict is not limited to the monks when old scores within the Séreté intrude as the investigation progresses. Québécois accents and a sprinkling of French words flow seamlessly amid the story and add greatly to the listening pleasure. S.G.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine