A Fatal Grace (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #2)

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A Fatal Grace (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #2)

4.12 of 5 stars 4.12 · rating details · 5,971 ratings · 812 reviews

Winner of the 2007 Agatha Award for Best Novel!

Welcome to winter in Three Pines, a picturesque village in Quebec, where the villagers are preparing for a traditional country Christmas, and someone is preparing for murder.
No one liked CC de Poitiers. Not her quiet husband, not her spineless lover, not her pathetic daughter—and certainly none of the residents of Three Pines....more

Hardcover, 311 pages

Published May 15th 2007 by Minotaur Books (first published 2006)

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Mysteries/Suspense/Thrillers Set in Canada

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Apr 13, 2013 Richard rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been revised and can now be found at Expendable Mudge Muses Aloud.

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Jan 22, 2013 Mj rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, mystery-suspense-thriller

I really enjoyed Dead Cold and am happy to report that the 5 stars I rated the series’ first book wasn’t a fluke. Book 2 is just as good. Dead Cold is a police procedural or who done it but it is so very much more. There are layers and layers to the story. There is the primary crime to be solved but there are numerous sub plots woven expertly into the story. Even if you figure something out before the end, it doesn’t matter. The pleasure for me is the journey, reading the words, getting to know...more I really enjoyed Dead Cold and am happy to report that the 5 stars I rated the series’ first book wasn’t a fluke. Book 2 is just as good. Dead Cold is a police procedural or who done it but it is so very much more. There are layers and layers to the story. There is the primary crime to be solved but there are numerous sub plots woven expertly into the story. Even if you figure something out before the end, it doesn’t matter. The pleasure for me is the journey, reading the words, getting to know the villagers and especially learning more about Inspector Gamache – the writing and descriptions are that good.

For me, the character development played a huge role in my enjoyment of this book. There is truly an ensemble cast living in Three Rivers, a fictional small village community in the Eastern Townships of Quebec. Living there are a number of visual artists, writers, retirees, and owners of retail stores and services like a bookstore owner who wanted to get away from the mad rush of the big city, a couple who own a bed and breakfast, with a restaurant and bar, where everyone gathers for happy hour. The characters are quirky, eccentric and very interesting. Typical of a small community, everybody knows everybody (at least they think they do) and everything. They look out for each other, hang around together and host numerous community gatherings.

Because it is an arts community, there are lots of interesting discussions and references in the book to poetry, painting, philosophy, antiques etc. As indicated, it’s another layer – poetry within the story, philosophy within the story – all the characters share their personal interests with the reader.

The weather is also a major character in this particular book. Dead Cold takes place in the dead of winter. “He walked over the arched stone bridge, enjoying the silence of the village. Snow did that. It laid down a simple, clean duvet that muffled all sound and kept everything beneath alive. Farmers and gardeners in Quebec wished for two things in winter: lots of snow and continuous cold. An early thaw was a disaster. It tricked the young and vulnerable into exposing themselves, only to be nipped in the root. A killing frost.” Even if you have never experienced snow before, Louise Penny will make you feel it.

Inspector Gamache is the lead detective and what I would call a Renaissance man. He is incredibly well-read, loves poetry and quotes philosophers. He is also a spiritual man with a caring, giving soul, well-loved by those who work on his team and quickly accepted by the villagers in the community. He often quotes books and poetry and famous people, so you get quite a smattering of interesting topics covered within the primary story. Gamache, like his Quebecois wife, is very “French”. They are smart dressers, full of joie de vivre, influenced by their roots and partaking in typical French food – cheeses, croissants, pates etc. so reading the book is like taking a trip to Quebec. You get to experience the lifestyle without leaving home.

Dead Cold is the name of the book outside the U.S. In the US edition, the same book was released as A Fatal Grace. I’d recommend you read the series in order. That way you’ll get to better know the ensemble cast and the principle character Inspector Gamache who is the true leading man in this detective series. Dead Cold / A Fatal Grace is a terrific mystery who done it with a great plot and wonderful characters. Can’t wait for the next book in the series.
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Mar 11, 2012 Nikki Magennis rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am not averse to familiar tropes or carefully crafted set ups that hook and lead and set up a read according to well known methods. But there were too many icky, pat set ups and characters in this for me to persevere with it. I mean, I could feel my sentimental glands being milked right from the first pages. The book is set in a cosy American village that I found so sickly aspirational it repelled me instantly. And descriptions (flashback) of children with faces pressed up against Christmas wi...more

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Feb 18, 2013 Ariel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-inspector-armand-gamache

This is the second entry into the Three Pines mystery series. In this outing a very unlikeable woman named CC de Poiters is murdered inexplicably during an annual curling game. Her murder somehow ties into that of a murdered homeless woman in Quebec. How do these two deaths relate to each other? Inspector Armand Gamache and colleagues to the rescue. I love the way Penny describes the hamlet of Three pines and all of it's residents. As much care is paid to the setting as the mystery itself. In ad...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: cozy-comforts, crime-thriller-suspense, hf-challenge, library, atwi80, 2012

It took a little while to get started, but what a great finish! I really enjoyed the second in the Inspector Gamache series. The village of Three Pines and all its inhabitants comes alive under the pen of Louise Penny. I'm also enjoying getting to know not only Gamache, but all of his team. The villagers and the team are all recurring characters. Many are quirky and odd, which makes me like them even more. I'll definitely be continuing with this series. Penny understands a great breadth of human...more

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Feb 03, 2009 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the second book I've read in this series and just as good as the other one I have read. I'm not reading them in order, which is fine with me since it's usually a few weeks after I finish one before I start another in the series. I really love Louise Penny's writing style and the way she develops these characters. Here are two of my favorite lines from this book:

"There at the back stood CC de Poitiers wearing a fluffy white sweater made of either cashmere or kittens."

"Now she sat in front...more

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Jul 15, 2008 Hank rated it 4 of 5 stars

Better than Still Life but that says something since I liked that one very much. Many of the same characters are back and Armand continues to charm. He is the kind of leader/mentor I would aspire to be when I find myself in that role. The setting in small village Quebec works well and the plot is interesting and sublime. As a whodunit you can deduce many of the interim mysteries but the final is hard to decifer until the very end. Her descriptions are lavish and picturesque. Looking forward to r...more

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Apr 08, 2013 Eva Lassfolk rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Perfekt mysdeckare i lite annorlunda miljö: lantligt kanadensiskt. Inte trovärdig för fem öre :)

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Apr 15, 2013 Anirban rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, police-procedural

“Good hearts get hurt. Good hearts get broken.....and then they lash out”

Not so long ago, I was recommended a Louise Penny novel ‘A Fatal Grace’ by my Goodreads friend Neena. But, as there was no chance that I could get a copy of the book, I dropped the plan of reading her. Until, I found a copy of ‘Dead Cold’ in a second hand book shop. I promptly bought it, and completed the book in two days.

Inspector Armand Gamache of Surete is called upon to investigate the murder of a lady in the pictures...more “Good hearts get hurt. Good hearts get broken.....and then they lash out”

Not so long ago, I was recommended a Louise Penny novel ‘A Fatal Grace’ by my Goodreads friend Neena. But, as there was no chance that I could get a copy of the book, I dropped the plan of reading her. Until, I found a copy of ‘Dead Cold’ in a second hand book shop. I promptly bought it, and completed the book in two days.

Inspector Armand Gamache of Surete is called upon to investigate the murder of a lady in the picturesque village of Three Pines. The murdered lady, who had recently bought a house in the village, was electrocuted to death while attending the annual curling festival, held in Three Pines.

This was definitely one of the finest books I had read in a long time. I have grown up on the mysteries written by Agatha Christie. So, a murder mystery set in a small village, with limited cast and a murderer with a strong motive never fails to excite me. And, to add to the excitement was that a reviewer had compared Gamache to Hercule Poirot and Inspector Morse, both favourites of mine. As a result, I was double excited and I had to read the book.

Louise Penny in the book had used a lot of pages to describe relations between different characters and the psychologies of the different suspects, but to her credit, she never let those pages and descriptions overshadow the main theme of the book, which was solving the murder. Moreover she managed to make these conversations a part of the whole crime solving process; as a result while going through the book, not for once did I skip pages or get bored.

Although Armand Gamache was compared to Endeavor Morse and Hercule Poirot, both bachelors, I found him more akin to Inspector Wexford. But, this similarity would not take away the fact that Louise Penny have creates a highly original and likable character. Gamache is definitely my current favourite. The best thing about this man is, that he is so Normal.

Summing up, this book is a definite 5 star for me. I enjoyed reading it and I do have plans of reading more from Louise Penny in the future.(less)

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Apr 02, 2013 Susan Anderson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: literary, mystery

Where to begin with all the richness that A FATAL GRACE gave me. Reading it, I wondered how I had lived so long without discovering the work of Louise Penny, a first-rate writer. Her creation in this book is so real, her writing so lyrical, her characters so unique and the book's structure and meaning so complex that I began mumbling to myself, taking my sweet time reading the book in order to savor its mix of flavors, its innuendoes and subtleties, having at times to stop and scratch my head. I...more

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Mar 03, 2013 Carolyn Hill rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am hooked on Louise Penny, even though I'm not a particular fan of murder mysteries. Many people enjoy mysteries for the puzzle, and this book certainly has a gigantic one, but I tend to read mysteries more for the characters and setting, which is what makes me want to return to Louise Penny's books. Sure, you want an intriguing plot, but what brings a novel of this genre to the next level is the humanity of its characters. Penny not only has an understanding of human nature, she imparts a cer...more I am hooked on Louise Penny, even though I'm not a particular fan of murder mysteries. Many people enjoy mysteries for the puzzle, and this book certainly has a gigantic one, but I tend to read mysteries more for the characters and setting, which is what makes me want to return to Louise Penny's books. Sure, you want an intriguing plot, but what brings a novel of this genre to the next level is the humanity of its characters. Penny not only has an understanding of human nature, she imparts a certain glamor to the everyday, making common experiences like a shared meal, a conversation by the fire, looking out at a winter landscape, or viewing the display of a favorite shop window resonate with beauty and meaning. She imbues her characters with a spiritual depth, giving some who have suffered great loss a deep well of joy, while others turn bitter and hateful. There's a quiet mysticism in these books, though some characters who strive for it fail to reach it, and a warning that those who proclaim it the loudest typically have selfish motives of their own. Art and poetry provide beauty, meaning, and context. Penny's description of artwork, a difficult thing to pull off, are the best I've read because she invokes the feelings of the observer.

This isn't a perfect book. The means of the murder, while being bizarre and intriguing, is almost too contrived. I was smugly proud of myself for having figured out the murderer and having my assumption verified when there's a twist at the end. So much for that! The victim and her family are too extreme. I think it would have been more interesting had they been more 'normal,' but the main victim is unremittingly bad and the other victim exceedingly gross. The history of the second victim and the explanation of her fall from grace is very slim and unconvincing. (And how would she have seen Clara's art - or was she just a mouthpiece for God?) I was annoyed by an anachronism with the commercial photographer, who shot with film instead of digital. The book was published in 2006, and surely then an advertising photographer would have shot in digital, so there would be no instance of destroying a roll of film, or missing pictures. The photographer would have simply deleted any files. It didn't work as a plot device. But that's a small quibble.

I look forward to reading more from Louise Penny, not only to revisit the quaint Quebec town and renew my friendship with some favorite characters, but because her books leave me with a feeling that, despite all the horror of grim realities, there is much joy in everyday lives to be celebrated. (less)

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Jan 27, 2013 Barbara Bryant rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is the second in the Louise Penny mystery series set in Three Pines, not far from Montreal in Canada but near the American border. I had read this one earlier, before I knew the order of the series, so after reading the first, Still Life, I decided to read this again as I had been lukewarm about it.

The village characters are back, as is Inspector Gamache from Quebec. The victim is a horrible woman named CC de Poitiers, a relatively recent addition to the village who lives with husband and d...more This is the second in the Louise Penny mystery series set in Three Pines, not far from Montreal in Canada but near the American border. I had read this one earlier, before I knew the order of the series, so after reading the first, Still Life, I decided to read this again as I had been lukewarm about it.

The village characters are back, as is Inspector Gamache from Quebec. The victim is a horrible woman named CC de Poitiers, a relatively recent addition to the village who lives with husband and daughter in a seedy but historical house at the top of a hill overlooking the village. (The house continues as a character as the books go on.) It is amazing she has not already been murdered, so unpleasant is she.

I liked the book better the second time around, being more used to the style of Penny's writing, which I'm told improves as the books continue. (Penny has a delightful website which is worth visiting--she seems to live in a place very like Three Pines.)

The problem for me in this book is that the murder itself is outlandish. There is plenty of local Christmas color here in the village, and the characters, especially those in the dead woman's family, are deeply unfortunate or splendidly likable and happy. Clara Morrow, the Chief's favorite village resident, is now a friend and an about=to-be-lauded painter. In fact, most of the village is now friends with Gamache, but for various reasons some of the residents block the discovery of the murderer, whose work is done during a curling match on a winter day. I won't spoil the story, and I liked it quite well, but it was despite what I felt was a certain clumsiness about the murder--it was as though Penny needed a bizarre plot point and it it is even more outrageous when you find out who the murderer is.

Nevertheless, I can recommend it on its own and as a part of the continuing series, which is moved along by this story. The little background of the Arnot police case that has dogged the Inspector's life and affected his success in the Surete continues in this book and is a good underlying story.

Next book--The Cruelest Month(less)

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Oct 18, 2012 Ellen Keim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: canadian, contemporary-women-authors

This is the third Chief Inspector Armand Gamache book I've read and I seem to rate them higher the more I read. They have a consistent charm that I find very appealing. This particular book is the second one set in Three Pines. The author makes a nice contrast between the coziness of the village and the act of murder (and the black hearts that commit it). The murder is extremely convoluted, which made it even harder to figure out, because you have to figure out not only who did it, but how it wa...more

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Aug 20, 2012 Jim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, mysteries

This second mystery outing involving Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and the Canadian village of Three Pines improves on a solid debut, which actually fell a bit short of expectations for me, especially given all of the glowing advance praise. This time around, we get another interesting murder and another reason to spend time with the varied and interesting people in the small Twin Pines community. In fact, the way that Penny handles characters is very reminiscent to me of Jane Haddam and her Gr...more

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Jul 03, 2012 Rosanne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: canadian, mystery, louise-penny

This is the second book in the Inspector Gamache series, set in Quebec in the small village of "Three Pines" series. Definitely brings back fond memories of Agatha Christie and her village touched by death.
I really enjoyed the first book, Still Life and the introduction to Three Pines, those who live there as well as Inspector Gamache and his team.

Most of the original characters return with some new quirkier and more terrible ones thrown in for good measure. Welcome to this sleepy little village...more

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May 26, 2012 Anne Mowat rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mysteries

What Louise Penny does is create a small, intimate world, while creating a sense of place so pervasive you feel you know it. Canada is rarely featured in best-selling books, and to have it so celebrated is wonderful. It is Quebec, to be sure, but the Quebec of Anglo-culture, and so, it is the Canadian Quebec.

Most powerful, for me, is the way she builds quiet characters of amazing strength and depth. These are not cartoon-brilliant people. They are, for the most part, fully-fleshed out, but rath...more

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May 25, 2012 Marilyn Maya rated it 3 of 5 stars

She's no Agatha Christie yet......
Ok, the mystery part is far fetched, her characters are many and sometimes one dimentional yet a writer who can get me to taste the french toast and croisants and want to vist a cold place like Canada has skills. I live in Hawaii and never thought of visiting Canada even in summer but Ms Penny has a soul when she writes that makes me like her and want to go to Canada NOW. When I like an author, when I think the author is a good person, a spiritual person, a per...more

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May 17, 2012 Contrarius rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-thriller

I am intrigued by this mystery series, set in the oh-so-quaint village of Three Pines. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this second installment of the series as much as the first.

This time around, Penny seems to be painting her characters with a broader brush. Several characters seem much more comic-boo-caricaturish than they did in Still Life. Also, Dead Cold feels like a "middle" book, with ongoing subplots that don't particularly get anywhere and leave readers with a sense of incompletion.

On th...more

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Jan 29, 2012 Nancy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-or-something-akin-to-it

I enjoyed the 1st book and was looking forward to see when would happen next. I didn't enjoy this so much, mainly due to the sheer unpleasantness of the victim and the fallout of her behavior. Well, that and Agent Nichol returns even less understandable than before, although now it seems there is a reason for her presence, at least alluded to in this book. And I will admit that Jean Guy Beauvoir's views on les Anglais are getting a little annoying and intrusive.

I still like the ruminations of th...more

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Oct 12, 2011 Stephanie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love this author. I have never met a more fascinating series, with more likable characters in my life. The setting is lovingly described by a fellow Canadian from a small village, and Penny is a careful writer, taking time to establish each character and scene. Even though she was playing around with a large cast, she distracted me so I didn't see the final twists coming until they're upon us all.
I missed the first novel in the series, as someone MEAN and HORRIBLE has it checked out at the lo...more

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Oct 06, 2011 Ann rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

This is the second Armand Gamache/Three Pines mystery (see my review of Still Life, the first book). This seemed to suffer from Second Book Syndrome: Unlike the first book, which I thoroughly enjoyed, I'm afraid I hesitated between 3 and 4 stars on this one. Penny's writing is still compelling, and I'm enjoying the fictional Quebec village of Three Pines, its inhabitants, and Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his team of police inspectors, but the plot and the mystery here strain credulity.

I wo...more

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Aug 18, 2011 Chazzle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Superior writing. Superior mystery.

One reason I love Louise Penny so much is that her mysteries are so human, so emotional. Her stories aren't like a Dell book of logic puzzles, with correct answers but without a soul. No. Her stories are about the seeds of emotions sprinkled, germinated, and fully expressed.

Here's an excerpt from a moment between Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his wife Reine-Marie:

'Voila. It's good to be home.' He took her in his arms and kissed her, feeling her soft body...more

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Aug 15, 2011 Angie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, canada

This mystery borrows from a plot device from Agatha Christie--introduce a group of characters, and kill off the most despicable one first. Although I don't think Penny meant to imitate Christie, she does allow her characters to speak in the voices of others: her detective has turned into a veritable unbelievable Poirot, quoting English and American writers (occasionally Canadian, granted)at will. It's funny when we catch the references, and the newbie in his a squad, a sincere Quebecois, does no...more

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Nov 08, 2010 Grey853 rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, holiday

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 01, 2012 Margaret rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Most everyone

Recommended to Margaret by: Linda

For most of my reading life, I have paid relatively little attention to mysteries, but Louise Penny is a writer who could change my mind about that. This book appealed instantly; it is extremely well-written and has a cast of characters, not least of whom is her detective, Armand Gamache, who are interesting, varied, and worth our attention. The plot moves at a good pace, and, yes, there are hints throughout that the reader may or, more likely, may not pick out as she reads. And even though murd...more

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Dec 22, 2012 Dorothy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: modern-day-mysteries

This was the perfect time to read this book. The action takes place around Christmas in Three Pines, the idyllic village in the mountains of Quebec.

It is a village where everything seems postcard perfect. As the snow falls, it could certainly serve as the scene on the front of a holiday card. There's only one tiny flaw in this otherwise perfect scene: The murder rate here seems astronomical!

Part of the traditional Christmas celebration in Three Pines is the annual curling tournament that takes...more This was the perfect time to read this book. The action takes place around Christmas in Three Pines, the idyllic village in the mountains of Quebec.

It is a village where everything seems postcard perfect. As the snow falls, it could certainly serve as the scene on the front of a holiday card. There's only one tiny flaw in this otherwise perfect scene: The murder rate here seems astronomical!

Part of the traditional Christmas celebration in Three Pines is the annual curling tournament that takes place on a nearby frozen lake. The whole village, including CC Poitiers and her mouse of a husband and her pathetic daughter, have turned out for the exhibition. Also present is CC's photographer (and lover) who has been hired to take pictures of her interacting with the locals for a project the would-be Martha Stewart clone is planning.

In the middle of the action, in the middle of the lake, in front of the whole village, CC is electrocuted. But no one will admit to having seen anything. And what about the photographer who was taking pictures? Did he photograph the murder? He turns over his pictures to be police, but some of them seem to be missing.

CC had not endeared herself to the village. She had managed to alienate them all, and no one can muster any particular grief at her passing. But at least her death gives them an opportunity to once again welcome their favorite policeman, Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Quebec.

Gamache and his team settle into this village where he feels very much at home and they begin working the case. But there is more to this story than the macabre murder of one unloved woman. Gamache is obsessed with another murder, that of an old bag lady who was killed outside a department store in Quebec.

The old woman was strangled. There seems to be no motive, and yet as Gamache gathers information, he begins to find possible links between that victim and the one in Three Lakes. Are the two murders somehow connected?

Meanwhile, all is not well in the Sûreté. Gamache has made enemies and it seems that they - or at least one of them - seek a way to bring this well-respected and well-loved Chief Inspector down. As part of that plan, a mole has been planted in his homicide team, a traitor who is seeking information that will destroy him. Louise Penny has very cagily left the identity of that mole somewhat ambiguous, but at the end of the book, she leaves us readers very much concerned for the welfare and future of our very own favorite Chief Inspector.

This book won the 2007 Agatha Award for Best Novel. One can easily understand why. The plotting is impeccable. The characters are drawn with care and attention to detail.

As always, Gamache pursues his quarry with compassion mixed with steely resolve. He knows that the key to finding the murderer is to listen and to look, and, through his example, we begin to listen and to look more carefully, to watch for that nuance of phrase or expression that will give us entry to the hearts and minds - and secrets - of these people.

The secret of Gamache's success as a policeman is that he is a world-class observer. The tiniest details are absorbed and stored away and finally brought out to fit into the puzzle that, when completed, reveals all. It all makes for a delicious read. (less)

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Aug 17, 2012 Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars

Well, this series is growing on me. I complained a bit about the writing in the first book (Still Life), and that has gotten better in this sophomore entry in the series. Like the first book, I still love the setting of Three Pines and the characters--in fact, I understand some of the later books aren't set in Three Pines and that upsets me! I also like the intricacy of the story lines, which sets this series apart from cozy mysteries.

There are also some teases about the lead investigator (his...more

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Mar 31, 2012 Lexie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: canadian, fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 24, 2011 Elaine rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, mysteries-thrillers-suspense

CC de Poitiers, a newcomer to the quaint Three Pines village makes no friends as she steamrolls everyone with her caustic words. Neither her family nor her neighbors feel loss at her demise.

Sitting in a lounge chair on the shores of a frozen lake while among other spectators, watching a Canadian sporting event of curling, CC de Poitiers is electrocuted, quite baffling Chief Inspector Gamache. How does one become electrocuted on the ice? A freak accident or something sinister?

Author Louise Penny...more

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Jan 11, 2009 Kathleen Hagen added it

Shelves: 2007-audio-books, 2007-mysteries

A Fatal Grace, by Louise Penny. A.
Produced by Blackstone audio, downloaded from audible.com.
I liked this book even better than Still Life. I wish we were going to discuss it in my book group.

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his team of investigators are back in Three Pines, Quebec, because of another murder. This time, an extremely unpopular woman is murdered. She is electrocuted on the ice, which seemed impossible but wasn’t. There were several people who could have done it. She was extremel...more

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About Louise Penny

Many of Louise Penny's books are published under different titles by UK/Canada and US publishers.
She lives with her husband, Michael, and a golden retriever named Trudy, in a small village south of Montreal.

Her first Armand Gamache novel, "Still Life" won the New Blood Dagger, Arthur Ellis, Barry, Anthony and Dilys Awards.

Awards:
* Agatha Award: Best Novel
o 2007 – A Fatal Grace – Winner
o 2008 –...more

More about Louise Penny...

Books by Louise Penny

Still Life (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #1)

Bury Your Dead (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #6)

The Brutal Telling (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #5)

A Rule Against Murder (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #4)

A Trick of the Light (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #7)

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Quotes from A Fatal Grace

“When someone stabs you it's not your fault that you feel pain.” — 136 people liked it

“I was tired of seeing the Graces always depicted as beautiful young things. I think wisdom comes with age and life and pain. And knowing what matters.” — 39 people liked it

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/352921.A_Fatal_Grace?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327918653l/352921.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/352921.A_Fatal_Grace?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny[/url]

A Fatal Grace (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #2)

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