In for a Penny, In for a Pound

Eagle-Eyed Janet Rudolph kindly let me know last night that one of the most generous and decent authors in the mystery genre, has finally made the Times [UK] Book chart for the very first time with ‘Bury Your Dead’. I am of course referring to the Canadian Author Louise Penny, who has released her 6th novel featuring Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, which incidentally has been nominated for the Agatha, Barry and Dilys Awards.

Here’s an interview with Louise Penny talking about “inspiration” -



Read the Shots Review of ‘Bury Your Dead’ Here

Considering her 5th Novel ‘The Brutal Telling’ won the Anthony Award at Bouchercon San Francisco last year, we’re so pleased for this talented writer getting commercial recognition [as well as critical acclaim] for her chilly novels that haunt the mind like a Canadian winter.

I recall Louise Penny being a runner-up for the CWA Debut Dagger Award in 2004. Her entry ‘Still Life’ was highly commended and missed taking the Debut Dagger ‘by only a whisker.' This resulted in her getting ‘Still Life’ into print. I recall first meeting Louise at the launch of Still Life at the Canadian Embassy in London on the 7th February 2005. Her generous nature is well known as in 2009 she personally sponsored the John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger. The Crime Writers' Association Chair [at that time], Margaret Murphy, said: "We are delighted that Louise has agreed to sponsor this award. I know that she valued the help that the award gave to her writing career. It is a tremendous gesture and one that is deeply appreciated by the CWA."

So if you’ve not read her latest, here’s a teaser –

As Quebec City shivers in the grip of winter, its ancient stone walls cracking in the cold, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache plunges into the strangest case of his celebrated career. A man has been brutally murdered in one of the city's oldest buildings - a library where the English citizens of Quebec safeguard their history. And the death opens a door into the past, exposing a mystery that has lain dormant for centuries ...a mystery Gamache must solve if he's to catch a present-day killer. Steeped in luscious atmosphere, brimming with the suspense and wit that have earned Louise Penny a massive global following, Bury Your Dead is the most ingenious suspense novel of the year.

Time to start saving your pennies, because if you’ve not experienced Louise Penny’s Detective Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, it’s time you did.

Top Photo © 2010 Ali Karim ‘Louise Penny stunned to have won the Anthony Award at Bouchercon 2010 held at San Francisco for The Brutal Telling’. Book Jackets (c) 2011 Headline Publishing