All the Devils Are Here

Three stars is probably misleading. Given that the narrator of the audiobook is so extraordinarily good, I added a star.

Gamache needs to be back in Quebec and, even better, Three Pines. The schmaltzy simplicity of these characters does not bring one to believe theyre a family that can solve international art and corporate crimes – while theyre just visiting the city for the birth of a grandchild. The main characters sanctimony and his wifes undying sweet adoration, placed in the city of Paris where of course he proposed to her so many years ago – would be great in a soap opera or weekly tv detective family drama. But hours of reading (listening) left me screaming Please just end it! Gamaches drama needs to come to an end. Lets get some fresh blood back in Three Pines.

Oh dear. I love Louise Penny. I love Gamache. I have read all of the books, multiple times. I love Paris. But this book stepped over the edge. Amazingly, Gamache is there for the attempted murder of his mentor. Amazingly, his son and son-in-law are both, unwittingly,, connected with the bizarre, interminable, wildly wearing, complex conspiracy which puts so much at risk. Corruption in high places, money–will the Gamaches end up with hundreds of millions or lose everything? By the end, I barely cared. Overwhelming family angst, not believable among this group of characters. Too many characters, too complex–and absurd–a plot. What we love about Penny is subtlety, an understand of small moments, and a gentle touch. She must have needed a spreadsheet to keep track of characters, threats, and plots. Take a deep breath…go for a long walk…and write something which is more you. I can’t wait to love the next one.

First Sentence: Hell is empty, Armand, said Stephen Horowitz.

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his wife Raine-Marie have come from Canada to Paris for the birth of a new grandchild. After a celebratory dinner with their two children, spouses, and Armands billionaire godfather, Stephen Horowitz, Stephen is deliberately struck by a vehicle and now lies in a coma. A grim discovery at his apartment prompts an investigation and the uncovering of family secrets leaving Armand to determine just who can be trusted.

Paris is not a city about which one can be objective. It is a city that enthralls from the moment one arrives and, even if one never has the chance to return, it lives within one forever. Penny has captured perfectly that sense of having found the city of one’s soul and portrays it perfectly. Even the hardcover books glorious end sheets, designed by MaryAnna Coleman, draw one into the beauty of Paris. Opening with lines from Shakespeare’s “Tempest” is the perfect balance to the City of Light with a history of darkness.

Although not an issue for new readers, series readers may have a sense of being a stranger in a strange land having the story set outside the usual environs of Canada and Three Pines. This was an effective decision as it is echoed by Gamache having the same sense of not knowing who to believe, who to trust. It illustrates the duplicity of people and is effective in heightening the suspense and tension. The connections made back to Three Pines and the Sret du Qubec are nicely done.

The mystery is well-plotted as it grows upon itself and is delightfully complex taking one down unexpected roads. Yet, more than a mystery, this is a story of relationships, and with that comes wisdom.

Penny employs her characters wisely. Involving family members as part of an investigation can be risky. However, in this case, no one is superfluous; neither are any of their roles forced or out of character. Each has skills that contribute, and each is humanly imperfect with weaknesses and foibles. In other words, they are real. Even the use of an unseen, yet critical, character is wonderfully done. The theme of abandonment, which appears in various ways through Pennys books, is heartfelt and recognizable to so many.

Penny’s ability to place the reader within the story is second to none. Sitting in the hospital, awaiting news of a loved one, you feel, hear, and smell the starkness and desperation of those who are there, and the unwillingness to give up hope. Her use of dialogue is evocative. The banter between Jean-Guy and Armand is always something one anticipates and enjoys, but this was lovely as well–“Please, Dad,” Daniel now said. “Tell me you were a commando.” “Better.” His father leaned closer and dropping his voice further. “I taught commandos.”

When reading Penny, there are always lines that make one stop and consider, small lessons to be learned–“It had taken Beauvoir years to see the power of pausing. And of patience. Of taking a breath to consider all options, all angles, and not simply acting on the most obvious.” She teaches one the value of seeing not only what is there, but what is not; what is real, and what is facade, and that–“People believe what they want to believe. Beginning with their own lies.” “Hell is the truth seen too late,” said Reine-Marie.”

All the Devils are Here is Pennys best book to date. It is complex, suspenseful, and emotional with a small touch of the paranormal. It has a cracking good, twisty plot–you don’t see where it is going–and an excellent ending. Most of all, it demonstrates Pennys continuing growth as an author and, I suspect, as a person. And isnt that the goal of us all?

ALL THE DEVILS ARE HERE (PolProc-C.I. Armand Gamache-Paris-Contemp) – Ex
Penny, Louise 16th in series
Minotaur Books, Sept 2020

I have felt like some of Louise Penny’s books are just too outrageous. Not everything is a grand conspiracy, no matter what the media says.

This one worked. It wasn’t quite as overdone as past books in the series. The technical and financial details were implausible, and it still featured some conspiracy, so I can’t give full marks and feel a little like I need to shower after reading it. But compared to past books, it’s still an improvement.

Three Pines barely featured, but at this point that might be a feature rather than a bug. While one misses the characters, it strains suspension of disbelief too much to believe that these people can have really experienced *that* many murders.

More like this, please. Ideally, I wish Louise Penny tried to write a mystery with a completely different set of protagonists (like Lucy Maud Montgomery branching out from her Anne series), because I feel like with reliable readers less effort is put into these Gamache books than the original ones and a lot of the nice gags have already been done. But that is probably hoping for too much, so instead I’d like to hope for a standard murder mystery where 1 or 2 people max has committed a crime. As the number of people involved in a conspiracy increases, the chance it’s really been kept secret is lowered.

I am a huge fan of this series, I have read them all, and have most on audio. I knew I would enjoy this book, but I must say, Ms. Penny hit this one out of the park. Although I missed the Three Pines location and the regulars from their town, the family dynamics and Paris setting made up for my original thoughts of missing anything.
This was an exciting story, an interesting story, and as it was unfolding I kept thinking, how did Ms. Penny think this up?
Great fun, great story, and must read for fans of this series. I guess you could start here if you havent read the series, but Im not sure it would be as appreciated. If you havent read any in this series, go back and read it. Starts with Still Life. You will thank me for the suggestion.

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