• How the Light Gets In

  • A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel, Book 9
  • By: Louise Penny
  • Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
  • Length: 15 hrs and 1 min
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (6,372 ratings)

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How the Light Gets In

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

How the Light Gets In is the ninth Chief Inspector Gamache Novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Louise Penny.

"There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." —
Leonard Cohen

Christmas is approaching, and in Québec it's a time of dazzling snowfalls, bright lights, and gatherings with friends in front of blazing hearths. But shadows are falling on the usually festive season for Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. Most of his best agents have left the Homicide Department, his old friend and lieutenant Jean-Guy Beauvoir hasn't spoken to him in months, and hostile forces are lining up against him. When Gamache receives a message from Myrna Landers that a longtime friend has failed to arrive for Christmas in the village of Three Pines, he welcomes the chance to get away from the city. Mystified by Myrna's reluctance to reveal her friend's name, Gamache soon discovers the missing woman was once one of the most famous people not just in North America, but in the world, and now goes unrecognized by virtually everyone except the mad, brilliant poet Ruth Zardo.

As events come to a head, Gamache is drawn ever deeper into the world of Three Pines. Increasingly, he is not only investigating the disappearance of Myrna's friend but also seeking a safe place for himself and his still-loyal colleagues. Is there peace to be found even in Three Pines, and at what cost to Gamache and the people he holds dear?

One of Publishers Weekly's Best Mystery/Thriller Books of 2013
One of
The Washington Post's Top 10 Books of the Year
An NPR Best Book of 2013

©2013 Three Pines Creations, Inc. (P)2013 Macmillan Audio

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What listeners say about How the Light Gets In

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Best one yet!

Reading the books in this series this is the best one yet! With so many subplots it could have been confusing but it was never so. The ghost in the background is finally revealed and the hero prevails. Looking forward to how Armand will continue his investigative role in the remaining books!

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Did not disappoint.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

YES! The best so far. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and even though Penny ended it with a glimmer of hope Inspector Gemache might be back, I am absolutely satisfied if this is the last of the series.

What does Ralph Cosham bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He IS Inspector Gemache. I couldn't imagine any other reader being nearly as good.

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    5 out of 5 stars

Couldn't stop

This izs the best one yet. Kept me listening most or the night. Great characters!

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I’m So Hooked

This is the best one yet. Penny will keep you on the edge of your seat!

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Another great Gamach Book

The author has to go more into the darkness to get to the light in this story. It reveals more of the love that the people of Three Pines have for the Chief Inspector and his 2nd in command. There are many twists and turns in this one, all cummulating into what the ending should be. Can't wait for the next book! (Note- this has more obscenities than I normally see in her work, and she is such an amazing , intelligent writer I was surprised she used those in stead of description)

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Louise Penny writes a thriller!

I have found the entire 3 Pines series to be very satisfying and more complex than some seem to, but the 9th book in the series is the very best yet. The same characters we love, with the expansion of some we have only just met in previous tales, and a more rapid-pace suspenseful storytelling. Several story lines get resolved, lots of intrigue and 2nd guessing, all the while building to a very dramatic cinematic climax. Penny remains true to her story telling, however by infusing the tale with a cozy feeling at the same time. Highly recommend.

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Excellent! I'm hooked on the series...

Intriguing characters, complex, interesting plot, narrator has a unique, and relaxing voice...humanist, psycho/emotional.. love it!!

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Second time through

I decided to reread the books before I started the newest one. It has been a marvelous, rich experience. There are so many more nuances I am picking up because I’m familiar with the characters.

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Slow start but great.

Penny never disappoints. Great listen. Great narration. Superb character development and suspenseful story. Keep listening and you'll be rewarded with a complex mystery thriller.

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Wow best one so far.

Each book gets better and better. The characters evolve and the plot weaves in past and present. It’s important to read in order. The narration is superb as usual.

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