Author · updated 2026
Louise Penny Books in Order
Every Louise Penny book in publication order — 18 in total, spanning 2005–2020.
If you've ever wished a murder mystery could feel like a warm meal in a village where everybody knows your name, Louise Penny is about to become your favorite author. She was a CBC radio host who spent years too scared to write the book she wanted — and when she finally did, in 2005, she gave us Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and the little Quebec town of Three Pines, and readers never looked back. Her novels are that rare, lovely thing: real crimes and real stakes, wrapped in poetry, good food, and a detective who genuinely believes in kindness. Read them in order — the friendships are half the reason you'll stay.
Publication Order of Inspector Gamache Books
| # | Title | Year | Get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Still Life | 2005 | Amazon US UK |
| 2 |  Dead Cold / A Fatal Grace | 2006 | Amazon US UK |
| 3 |  The Cruellest Month | 2007 | Amazon US UK |
| 4 |  A Rule Against Murder / Muder Stone | 2008 | Amazon US UK |
| 5 |  The Brutal Telling | 2009 | Amazon US UK |
| 6 |  Bury Your Dead | 2010 | Amazon US UK |
| 7 |  A Trick of the Light | 2011 | Amazon US UK |
| 8 |  The Beautiful Mystery | 2012 | Amazon US UK |
| 9 |  How the Light Gets In | 2013 | Amazon US UK |
| 10 |  The Long Way Home | 2014 | Amazon US UK |
| 11 |  The Nature of the Beast | 2015 | Amazon US UK |
| 12 |  A Great Reckoning | 2016 | Amazon US UK |
| 13 |  Glass Houses | 2017 | Amazon US UK |
| 14 |  Kingdom of the Blind | 2018 | Amazon US UK |
| 15 |  A Better Man | 2019 | Amazon US UK |
| 16 |  All the Devils Are Here | 2020 | Amazon US UK |
Publication Order of Inspector Gamache Short Stories/Novellas
| # | Title | Year | Get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  The Hangman | 2010 | Amazon US UK |
Publication Order of Anthologies
| # | Title | Year | Get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Best American Mystery Stories 2018 | 2018 | Amazon US UK |
Every title by year All 18, oldest to newest
| # | Title | Year | Get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Still Life | 2005 | Amazon US UK |
| 2 | Dead Cold / A Fatal Grace | 2006 | Amazon US UK |
| 3 | The Cruellest Month | 2007 | Amazon US UK |
| 4 | A Rule Against Murder / Muder Stone | 2008 | Amazon US UK |
| 5 | The Brutal Telling | 2009 | Amazon US UK |
| 6 | Bury Your Dead | 2010 | Amazon US UK |
| 7 | The Hangman | 2010 | Amazon US UK |
| 8 | A Trick of the Light | 2011 | Amazon US UK |
| 9 | The Beautiful Mystery | 2012 | Amazon US UK |
| 10 | How the Light Gets In | 2013 | Amazon US UK |
| 11 | The Long Way Home | 2014 | Amazon US UK |
| 12 | The Nature of the Beast | 2015 | Amazon US UK |
| 13 | A Great Reckoning | 2016 | Amazon US UK |
| 14 | Glass Houses | 2017 | Amazon US UK |
| 15 | Kingdom of the Blind | 2018 | Amazon US UK |
| 16 | The Best American Mystery Stories 2018 | 2018 | Amazon US UK |
| 17 | A Better Man | 2019 | Amazon US UK |
| 18 | All the Devils Are Here | 2020 | Amazon US UK |
Louise Penny on screen
Gamache came to the screen in Three Pines (Amazon Prime Video, 2022), with Alfred Molina as the inspector. It's a lovely watch — but the books have room to breathe that a season never quite does, which is exactly why fans keep coming back to the page.
- 2022Three PinesTV series — Alfred Molina as Armand Gamache; based on the early novels.
If you liked the show, read the books
Liked Three Pines (Prime Video)? Start with Still Life and read the Gamache novels in order — the village and its people only get richer.
Frequently asked
What order should I read the Louise Penny books in?
Publication order, starting with Still Life (2005). The mysteries stand alone, but Gamache and the people of Three Pines grow book to book, so reading in order is far more rewarding.
How many Armand Gamache books are there?
Nearly twenty and counting, published from 2005 onward — Louise Penny has kept the series going strong for two decades.
Is Three Pines a real place?
No — it's a fictional village south of Montreal, though it feels real enough that readers wish they could visit. Penny drew on the Eastern Townships of Quebec where she lives.
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