Series: Chief Inspector Gamache Book 8
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Length: 373 pages
Audiobook Length: 13 hours and 35 minutes
First Published: 2012
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Rachael’s Review
On an island deep in the Québec woods sits a solitary monastery closed off to the world. Two dozen monks have taken a vow of silence and spend much of their day singing ancient chants to God. When the choir director is murdered, Gamache and Beauvoir discover a massive rift among the quiet monks. Yet the cracks in the Sûreté du Québec threaten to intrude on the case.
I found it refreshing to have a mystery not set in Three Pines for a change. The monastery was the perfect setting for a murder, with a whole new set of characters who are all suspects. The focus on the Gregorian chants fits into Penny’s art mystery trend. However, I didn’t like how the greater drama with Gamache and the Sûreté was inserted into The Beautiful Mystery. I was frustrated by the ending though, admittedly, it did set the stage for plenty of drama in the next few books.
Publisher’s Description
No outsiders are ever admitted to the monastery of Saint-Gilbert-Entre-les-Loups, hidden deep in the wilderness of Quebec, where two dozen cloistered monks live in peace and prayer. They grow vegetables, they tend chickens, they make chocolate. And they sing. Ironically, for a community that has taken a vow of silence, the monks have become world-famous for their glorious voices, raised in ancient chants whose effect on both singer and listener is so profound it is known as “the beautiful mystery.”
But when the renowned choir director is murdered, the lock on the monastery’s massive wooden door is drawn back to admit Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and Jean-Guy Beauvoir of the Sûreté du Québec. There they discover disquiet beneath the silence, discord in the apparent harmony. One of the brothers, in this life of prayer and contemplation, has been contemplating murder. As the peace of the monastery crumbles, Gamache is forced to confront some of his own demons, as well as those roaming the remote corridors. Before finding the killer, before restoring peace, the Chief must first consider the divine, the human, and the cracks in between.
About Louise Penny
Louise Penny is the author of the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache novels. Her husband Michael was the inspiration for Armand Gamache; he died in 2016. Penny currently lives in a small village south of Montréal. Visit the author’s website →
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