• The Beautiful Mystery

  • A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel
  • By: Louise Penny
  • Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
  • Length: 13 hrs and 35 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (6,657 ratings)

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The Beautiful Mystery  By  cover art

The Beautiful Mystery

By: Louise Penny
Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
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Publisher's summary

Audie Award Nominee, Mystery, 2013

The brilliant new novel in the New York Times best-selling series by Louise Penny, one of the most acclaimed crime writers of our time

No outsiders are ever admitted to the monastery of Saint-Gilbert-Entre-les-Loups, hidden deep in the wilderness of Quebec, where two dozen cloistered monks live in peace and prayer. They grow vegetables, they tend chickens, they make chocolate. And they sing. Ironically, for a community that has taken a vow of silence, the monks have become world-famous for their glorious voices, raised in ancient chants whose effect on both singer and listener is so profound it is known as “the beautiful mystery.”

But when the renowned choir director is murdered, the lock on the monastery’s massive wooden door is drawn back to admit Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and Jean-Guy Beauvoir of the Sûreté du Québec. There they discover disquiet beneath the silence, discord in the apparent harmony. One of the brothers, in this life of prayer and contemplation, has been contemplating murder. As the peace of the monastery crumbles, Gamache is forced to confront some of his own demons, as well as those roaming the remote corridors. Before finding the killer, before restoring peace, the Chief must first consider the divine, the human, and the cracks in between.

©2012 Three Pines Creations, Inc. (P)2012 Macmillan Audio

Featured Article: The top 100 series of all time


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What listeners say about The Beautiful Mystery

Average customer ratings
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    4,750
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  • Overall
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    3 out of 5 stars

I miss 3 pines!

Well I hate Francour. I still love Gamache. But I miss Three Pines and I miss the food!!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great read

I enjoy Louise Penny books. The setting was unique and I learned about the life of these monks. I recommend it.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Beautiful story

Louise Penny transports us to a place not quite real, but we wish it was. Like Three Pines, the abbey is a magic place.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Not prepared for the ending

What made the experience of listening to The Beautiful Mystery the most enjoyable?

Ralph Cosham is the voice of Armand Garmache- he is an excellent narrator.

Any additional comments?

I am ready to return to Three Pines, I miss the regular characters especially Ruth and Gabri.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Plodding

This book doesn't have the charm of previous Gamache books. A whole book in a monastery was a bit much and I guessed the killer right from the beginning. The story of his inspector John Guy just recently out of rehab and in love with Gamache's daughter made the book move and provided an exciting ending. Worth the listen.

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Great!

I have enjoyed this story more than any other book in a long time. I thought it was really well done!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

So very sad and disappointing. (spoiler alert)

Would you listen to The Beautiful Mystery again? Why?

The narrator is excellent. I bought this book ( pre ordered) on amazon. When I realized I hadn't bought the audible version, I immediately rectified that omission. I think Louise Penny's books are meant to be read aloud. The words are so lovely and the deep texture is brought out by the narration. However, the ending is so sad, I don't think I could stand to hear it again.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Armand Gamache is a wonderful human being. He is insightful, and a great listener. Jean Guy's behavior, even being a drug addict, wad hard to fathom. Would he really give up on Armand and Annie so easily? I too miss Three Pines and it's inhabitants but I understand why every story can't take place there. However, by the end, I did not care who killed the monk. I only cared about Gamache and Jean Guy. I have not been this disappointed since Elizabeth George killed off Helen Lynley. and can anyone be as devious as Francoeur? I ask Louise Penny, isn't real life hard enough? Does my fictional world have to be so sad too?

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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the best yet

the best yet. A classic murder mystery in the old sense. right up there with the best of mystery books and mystery writers

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Must get the next one! Now!

The first without any reference to the Three Pines Community but I didn’t miss it with the continuing thread of trauma impact on our main characters. When the book opened, I admit, I wondered where Ms. Penny would “take” Jean-Guy’s new relationship. But I had no idea it would go “here.”

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Another Good One

Fantastic stories. Can hardly wait to start the next one. I hope Louise is working on her next one!!!

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