All the Devils Are Here (Chief Inspector Gamache Novel #16) (Large Print / Paperback)

Staff Reviews

As a long-time devotee of Louise Penny’s mysteries, I was thrilled to read an advance copy of All the Devils Are Here, the 16th in her Armand Gamache series. This latest entry moves the action to Paris, where the Chief Inspector and family have converged for a reunion and the arrival of a new family member.  When Armand’s beloved godfather, an extremely wealthy and secretive man, is knocked down before him in a hit-and-run, Armande knows it was no accident. Thus begins a series entry like no other.  

For other readers who’d like nothing better than to move to Three Pines, where the mysteries are usually set, there is by necessity a bit of adjustment. Never fear, Three Pines and its unique inhabitants make appearances.  

All the Devils Are Here is exceptional for several reasons. At over 400 pages, it’s the longest and, I think, most intricately woven of the outings. While it’s helpful to know the background of the characters’ relationships, this novel is a self-contained mystery, with no strands reaching back to previous books. Family members who have made appearances, but often been peripheral to the action, move to center stage. Armand’s wife, Reine-Marie, with her incomparable research skills and connections, plays an integral part. But it’s the all-important role of son Daniel, not a frequent player, that provides the heart of the book. We learn much more about his strained relationship with Armand, and its surprising cause. While Daniel can’t believe it at first, an ever-widening plot involving murder, corruption, and industrial intrigue has snared him. 

But it’s Armand himself who’s the constant surprise here. As danger tightens around his family, you will see him rattled, enraged, barely holding back panic as he races the clock to save what’s dearest to him.  We’re given entry to his deepest emotions.  I truly wished All the Devils Are Here was longer. And when finished, I was ready to reread it to appreciate how everything came together.  

No matter how dark the mystery, Penny’s incomparable characters provide comfort much appreciated in troubled times. A comment buried in her acknowledgments section at the end of the book struck me: “The key is to keep going. Joy might be just around the corner.”  Each of her books, and time spent with the denizens of Three Pines, brings joy.  

Order your copy from Malaprop’s, and while supplies last, there are publisher-provided treats with a Three Pines touch.