What readers think of How the Light Gets In, plus links to write your own review.

I first met Armand Gamache in book 6, "Bury Your Dead", and was so smitten with all things Gamache that I went back to book #1 and started working my way through the Louise Penny series. Thankfully we return to the wonderful location of Three Pines after the departure to another location in the previous book. The release of tension is palpable as Gamache drives from Montreal to the village of Three Pines where the Internet is impossible, the newspapers are at least a day late and the residents as good as it gets. The innocence of Three Pines is even more compelling juxtaposed against the city of Montreal where Gamache continues to investigate a secret that threatens to bring down the entire province, unless it first brings down Gamache in his attempt to find the truth. The case he is working involves a former client of Myrna, who left her therapy practice to open a book store (library) in Three Pines. Myrna's client possesses a secret that started at her birth and as Gamache works to reveal this secret, he also makes his own investigation into the secret that lies rotting at the core of the Surete du Quebec. When Penny departed from Three Pines locale in the previous book, she also introduced a rift between Gamache and his right-hand man, Jean-Guy Bouvoir, struggling with an addiction to pain-killers. The relationship between Gamache and Bouvoir has been the soul of the series and I was so disappointed to see its eminent destruction, which continues in "How the Light Gets In". Penny has brought Gamache to the apex of his career and has also achieved the best in her series with "How the Light Gets In".

I immediately started to read as soon as this book arrived. Knowing the characters well from her previous books. It was hard to have to stop to work, eat and sleep. The mystery was top notch and the chief inspector his family and the community of Three Pines was great to visit once again. If you know these people don't hesitate to read this book. If you haven't met them you really should a great place to go can't wait till the next one.

The mystery How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny is the most compelling and dramatic book of the Inspector Gamache series. It brings together plot lines from all of the previous books and adds a new one that is most interesting. The struggles Inspector Gamache has been having are finally illuminated. The language, the beloved characters, the town of Three Pines, and the nuances of the plot make the book superb. I am giving the book 5+ stars.

I usually gauge my reading in days. For Penny's "How the Light Gets In"---it was hours! I am a long time fan of this author (which doesn't mean I haven't disagreed with her in the past). The characters and plot of this story are as intricate, mesmerizing and complex as ever; however, this entry is entirely stunning! Penny, once again, transports us to where we all want to live--Three Pines--for another visit (and compelling mystery to solve) with our "family". BUT, we are never free of the premonition of doom hanging over us (and our beloved Inspector Gamache)--something long time readers have lived with through many books. This time we are on the edge of our seats as we finally realize the plan that has been fomenting for years (actually decades!) and the ultimate motive---jaw dropping!

I have been a Louise Penny fan since I read her first book, and alway look forward to the latest book due to come out. I don't consider myself an easy reviewer, but I have to give this book 5 stars. I just read that the big four book review publications have all given the book starred reviews. The plot involves a mystery and past unresolved issues. Insp Gamache is in the middle of personal and professional turmoil. The mystery is a missing friend of Myrna the bookseller at Three Pines The ending of Beautiful Mystery left unresolved issues and those issues are also involved in the plotline.

Louise Penny shows how a classical mystery can be structured to show emotion and drama. Her characters are so believable that you would like to sit with them, or in some cases not. She is now being compared with P D James and Ruth Rendell and seems to, if possible, get better with each book. I read this in 2 days, now I have to wait another year. I am giving book to my daughter and will be anxious to discuss with her. I got her hooked on these books.

I wish I could give this book more than 5 stars. This is a beautifully written character-driven story that is so much more than a mystery. How the Light Gets In is the latest in the Three Pines series. Each book builds on the previous one and I highly suggest reading them in order to fully appreciate the author's almost magical way of making the characters seem real and making the reader wish that they were.

In the outstanding Inspector Gamache series, Louise Penny's latest book shines brightly. The dark presence that has been lurking throughout the books, threatening Gamache at every turn finally reveals itself. While it is not necessary to have read the previous books, I would highly recommend them to gain the complete appreciate of the characters and the story. "How the Light Gets In," is for any reader of mysteries and crime solving that truly wants to get to know the lives of the characters. An outstanding book!