Sign up for our newsletters to receive our Best of 2024 ezine!

Read advance reader review of How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny, page 5 of 6

Summary |  Excerpt |  Reading Guide |  Reviews |  Beyond the book |  Read-Alikes |  Genres & Themes |  Author Bio

How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny

How the Light Gets In

A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel, #9

by Louise Penny
  • BookBrowse Review:
  • Critics' Consensus (8):
  • Readers' Rating (39):
  • First Published:
  • Aug 27, 2013, 416 pages
  • Paperback:
  • Jul 2014, 416 pages
  • Rate this book

About This Book

Reviews


Page 5 of 6
There are currently 39 member reviews
for How the Light Gets In
Order Reviews by:
  • Annette S. (Duluth, GA)
    How the Light Gets In
    This is book #9 in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series. If you haven't read the others, I'm sure you will want to read them after reading this one. In this book Gamache investigates unimaginable corruption at the highest level of Montreal's government, and the death of the last living member of a famous family of quintuplets. There are many joyous moments in this series - particularly life in the village of Three Pines. Each book is complete in its own right and has a continuing story that involves a small cast of characters. You will get caught up in the story in the first few pages and then you can't read the last pages fast enough. The ending implies this may be the final case for Chief Inspector Gamache - I certainly hope this is not the case.
  • Deborah D. (Old Forge, NY)
    Another great read from Louise Penny
    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.
  • Carolyn S. (Decatur, GA)
    Illunination
    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.
  • Kathleen D. (Hooksett, NH)
    Louise Penny at her best!
    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!
  • Constance C. (Manchester, NH)
    How the Light Gets In
    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.
  • Loren B. (Appleton, WI)
    Stunning!
    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.
  • Dorian B. (Bainbridge, NY)
    Outstanding addition
    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!

Beyond the Book:
  Make Room for Ducklings?

Top Picks

  • Book Jacket
    The Frozen River
    by Ariel Lawhon
    "I cannot say why it is so important that I make this daily record. Perhaps because I have been ...
  • Book Jacket
    Prophet Song
    by Paul Lynch
    Paul Lynch's 2023 Booker Prize–winning Prophet Song is a speedboat of a novel that hurtles...
  • Book Jacket: The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern
    The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern
    by Lynda Cohen Loigman
    Lynda Cohen Loigman's delightful novel The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern opens in 1987. The titular ...
  • Book Jacket: Small Rain
    Small Rain
    by Garth Greenwell
    At the beginning of Garth Greenwell's novel Small Rain, the protagonist, an unnamed poet in his ...

BookBrowse Book Club

Book Jacket
The Berry Pickers
by Amanda Peters
A four-year-old Mi'kmaq girl disappears, leaving a mystery unsolved for fifty years.
Book Jacket
The Story Collector
by Evie Woods
From the international bestselling author of The Lost Bookshop!
Who Said...

Choose an author as you would a friend

Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!

Wordplay

Big Holiday Wordplay 2024

Enter Now

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.