How the Light Gets In: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel

· Chief Inspector Gamache Novel Book 9 · Macmillan Audio · Narrated by Ralph Cosham
5 reviews
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15 hr 1 min
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How the Light Gets In is the ninth Chief Inspector Gamache Novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Louise Penny.

"There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." —
Leonard Cohen

Christmas is approaching, and in Québec it's a time of dazzling snowfalls, bright lights, and gatherings with friends in front of blazing hearths. But shadows are falling on the usually festive season for Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. Most of his best agents have left the Homicide Department, his old friend and lieutenant Jean-Guy Beauvoir hasn't spoken to him in months, and hostile forces are lining up against him. When Gamache receives a message from Myrna Landers that a longtime friend has failed to arrive for Christmas in the village of Three Pines, he welcomes the chance to get away from the city. Mystified by Myrna's reluctance to reveal her friend's name, Gamache soon discovers the missing woman was once one of the most famous people not just in North America, but in the world, and now goes unrecognized by virtually everyone except the mad, brilliant poet Ruth Zardo.

As events come to a head, Gamache is drawn ever deeper into the world of Three Pines. Increasingly, he is not only investigating the disappearance of Myrna's friend but also seeking a safe place for himself and his still-loyal colleagues. Is there peace to be found even in Three Pines, and at what cost to Gamache and the people he holds dear?

One of Publishers Weekly's Best Mystery/Thriller Books of 2013
One of The Washington Post's Top 10 Books of the Year
An NPR Best Book of 2013

How the Light Gets In is the ninth Chief Inspector Gamache Novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Louise Penny. "There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." —Leonard Cohen Christmas is approaching, and in Québec it's a time of dazzling snowfalls, bright lights, and g...

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Ratings and reviews

5 reviews
Kathy Brennan
November 16, 2025
Ugh! 2 stars reflect the well researched, well crafted story. But I am reaching the end of my tether with Ms. Penny’s overly bloviating writing style. She has this quirk of writing a descriptive phrase, then following it with the “punch” of 2-3 more words to underscore her orig. phrase. Happens throughout all her books and it is maddening. This book seemed to me to be an especially egregious use of that signature. I also think this book gets bogged down too much inside the characters’ heads.
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About the author

LOUISE PENNY is the author of the #1 New York Times and Globe and Mail bestselling series of Chief Inspector Armand Gamache novels. She has won numerous awards, including a CWA Dagger and the Agatha Award (six times), and was a finalist for the Edgar Award for Best Novel. In 2017, she received the Order of Canada for her contributions to Canadian culture. Louise lives in a small village south of Montréal.
LOUISE PENNY is the author of the #1 New York Times and Globe and Mail bestselling series of Chief Inspector Armand Gamache novels. She has won numerous awards, including a CWA Dagger and the Agatha Award (six times), and was a finalist for the Edgar Award for Best Novel. In 2017, she received th...

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