• A World of Curiosities

  • A Novel
  • By: Louise Penny
  • Narrated by: Robert Bathurst
  • Length: 13 hrs and 15 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (5,316 ratings)

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A World of Curiosities  By  cover art

A World of Curiosities

By: Louise Penny
Narrated by: Robert Bathurst
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Publisher's summary

"Robert Bathurst performs this 18th Inspector Gamache mystery with the assurance of one who knows the village of Three Pines and its (mostly) gentle residents well....fans are in for a treat."—AudioFile Magazine (Earphones Award Winner)

"Robert Bathurst's narration is calm, collected, and earnest, reflecting the blend of emotion and professionalism that Gamache embodies as an investigator. It's perfect for listeners seeking both captivating intrigue and insightful reflection."—BookPage

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache returns in the eighteenth book in #1 New York Times bestseller Louise Penny's beloved series.

It’s spring and Three Pines is reemerging after the harsh winter. But not everything buried should come alive again. Not everything lying dormant should reemerge.

But something has.

As the villagers prepare for a special celebration, Armand Gamache and Jean-Guy Beauvoir find themselves increasingly worried. A young man and woman have reappeared in the Sûreté du Québec investigators’ lives after many years. The two were young children when their troubled mother was murdered, leaving them damaged, shattered. Now they’ve arrived in the village of Three Pines.

But to what end?

Gamache and Beauvoir’s memories of that tragic case, the one that first brought them together, come rushing back. Did their mother’s murder hurt them beyond repair? Have those terrible wounds, buried for decades, festered and are now about to erupt?

As Chief Inspector Gamache works to uncover answers, his alarm grows when a letter written by a long dead stone mason is discovered. In it the man describes his terror when bricking up an attic room somewhere in the village. Every word of the 160-year-old letter is filled with dread. When the room is found, the villagers decide to open it up.

As the bricks are removed, Gamache, Beauvoir and the villagers discover a world of curiosities. But the head of homicide soon realizes there’s more in that room than meets the eye. There are puzzles within puzzles, and hidden messages warning of mayhem and revenge.

In unsealing that room, an old enemy is released into their world. Into their lives. And into the very heart of Armand Gamache’s home.

A Macmillan Audio production from Minotaur Books.

©2022 Louise Penny (P)2022 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

2022, Barnes and Noble Best New Books of the Year, Long-listed

2022, Washington Post Best Books of the Year, Long-listed

2022, The Guardian (UK) Best Books of the Year, Long-listed

2022, Library Journal Best Books of the Year, Long-listed

“Virtuoso… blends nuanced characterization with nail-biting suspense…This tale of forgiveness and redemption will resonate with many. ” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

What listeners say about A World of Curiosities

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Brilliant and Deep

Throughly researched. Wonderfully written. My new favorite line is “that the kids were running around “just one jellybean from Lord of the Flies.”

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AWOC

This may be my favorite of the series so far. Great story with a lot of twists and turns. I do have to warn listeners that there are a lot of flashbacks and it is not clear when it's happening. It was a bit confusing at the beginning of the book.

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Gripping!

This book has the most wonderful narrator. The story is so detailed and cleverly put together. Really intriguing.

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Perfection

Once again Louise Penny kept me spellbound. Robert Bathhurst is an excellent reader which increases the joy in the storytelling.

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Wow!

Louise Penny never fails to amaze! Her ability to brilliantly incorporate so much wisdom regarding the complexity of human nature into a murder mystery is nothing short of astonishing.
The quality of the audible reader/reading is
Excellent.

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Curiously Compelling

As always, Louise Penny puts together disparate elements into a coherent whole and Robert Bathurst reads all the characters convincingly to life. It's hard to stop listening.

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Excellent!

This is an excellent story. It is exciting. Compelling, unpredictable. It’s well read by Robert Bathurst.

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The best Inspector Gamache yet!

Twisty, haunting. The same characters in the same village we’ve come to know and love. Louise Penny didn’t disappoint!

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Brilliantly done - as always

I have been waiting for another one of this series and I was not disappointed. Penny is a fabulous storyteller. Well done!

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Awesome

One of her best!!! You will not regret downloading this book you won’t be disappointed

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