The Beautiful Mystery

A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel

By: Louise Penny

Narrated by: Ralph Cosham

Length: 13 hrs and 35 mins

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

A view with a slow roll out

Fascinating view of monastic life. And emotional issues of Gamqche and John Guy, but too much repetition and slow moving plot.

A great part of an amazing series. Can’t stop reading them.

Louise Penny has a talent for creating visuals that you can’t forget. Her descriptions are so beautiful and compelling that you feel like she must actually be living there amidst her characters.
The narrator is spot on with his accent and makes the characters come alive.

Fascinating story about monks, Gregorian chants and , chickens

Louise Penny, not only writes interesting stories filled with history, little known facts, and deep character insights, she weaves it all together in a thrilling mystery genre. This book didn’t disappoint. Fascinating story and the characters just keep evolving. I’m going to continue reading the series!

Wonderful Read

Although I missed the Three Pines crowd, I found this to be a very enjoyable and unique mystery. This is definitely one of my favorite books from this series so far.

I hated the end of it

Another well done book in the series. But it would be nice to finally get rid of the crooked cops. There's enough plot without one that continues book after book

Something Rather Different from Louise Penny

I am a great fan of the Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny. "The Beautiful Mystery" is, I think, a not-all-together-successful attempt to move the story along while touching on a different aspect of the French Canadian culture that has been so well presented in the books.

The setting and premise of the basic mystery here are quite intriguing. Murder takes Gamache and his associate to a secluded monastery on a remote island in Quebec. It's a place never visited by outsiders, and the residents have a tradition of silence except for the "beautiful mystery" of their simple yet glorious plainsong chant.

So far, so good. The basic story of this murder is intriguing and interesting, but the problem comes with pulling in the ongoing mystery in Gamache's past. This has been a part of the series' storyline that has always seemed weakest to me -- the conspiracy theory/police corruption incident that has made Gamache something of a saint and a martyr. Penny's attempt to intertwine these two story lines is sometimes quite contrived.

I missed the plots and characters of Three Pines, and hope Penny's next book will go back there! Meanwhile, I think all real fans of the series will want to read "The Beautiful Mystery." But don't start the series here -- it assumes a good bit of knowledge about Inspector Gamache's backstory.

One more picky little thing for those of you who, like me, ask for attention to detail. The music which opens and closes this recording may be nice religious music, but it is not the all-male Gregorian-style chant described in the book.

You can start here

I usually agree with C Telfair's very good reviews, but in this case I disagree-- You can start here with Penny's Inspector Gamache series. In fact, I have been trying to get into the series for some time but hadn't been able to finish a novel. This one had the added attraction of the monastery setting, and it grabbed my attention from the beginning. Now that I've been introduced to the characters later on in the series, I am more motivated to go back to the earlier novels to fill in the blanks about the characters and continuing story lines.

I think Penny gets the exterior stuff of the monastery right, but I didn't find the portrait of the interior life so convincing compared to other classic detective cozies set in convents/monasteries. The setting still made the mystery for me-- I felt like was visiting the monastery in a northern Quebec autumn. And now I want more Inspector Gamache.

Transported....

Would you listen to The Beautiful Mystery again? Why?

I have listened to it now 3 times. As with all Louise Penny novels, I am transported to a faraway place while losing myself in a beautiful story centered on colorful characters.

What did you like best about this story?

The background of Gregorian chants, the monastery and the beauty of the forest while being engrossed in the interplay of characters

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

He is the perfect narrator for her books. His voice is soothing and brings an authenticity to the characters and storyline. I read all of her books but really love the audio editions due to his voice quality.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes. Both my friends and I who listened to it were totally unprepared for the ending and are eagerly awaiting another of her novels

Any additional comments?

In every Louise Penny novel, I find such profound life lessons embedded into the dialogue. . Louise Penny has such a gift and with each recording I am transported into her little village with the characters I feel I know. Oh, how i wish I could visit and live in such a place.

Back in top form!

Très bien! Louise Penny is back in top form with a wonderful story, beautifully told in the confines of a single location. As usual, there is much to think about as the beautiful mystery unfolds. The narration is terrific; Ralph Cosham is irreplaceable. And as the last chapters played out, I was mesmerized...with whispers of "mon dieu" and "mais non!" escaping my lips. Enjoy!

I'm Hooked!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Beautiful Mystery to be better than the print version?

This is my second audio book by Louise Penny. Because the setting is in Quebec, the audio edition saved me from mangling the many French pronunciations.

What did you like best about this story?

The best thing about this story is definitely the characters. I also enjoyed the history of Gregorian chants. The setting was unusual but the host of characters was especially interesting in their flawed humanity. The story took so many twists and turns that it was difficult to set aside.

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

Ralph Cosham is able to read French. His warmth or coldness (depending upon the character) and his varied voices provide a depth that would be difficult to attain in the print version.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The relationships of Inspector Gamache to his wife, his daughter, and his subordinate were beautifully described. The ending of the book was particularly moving--I definitely did not want it to end.