The Beautiful Mystery

Harmony. The eighth installment in Louise Penny’s Chief Inspector Gamache series is titled The Beautiful Mystery. Any reader who appreciates an intelligent mystery should consider reading this one. I never thought I’d read a mystery that involved Gregorian Chant, which is the reference in the title. A choir director is murdered in a cloistered monastery, and the murderer must be one of the two dozen monks living there. Gamache and Jean-Guy Beauvoir of the Sûreté du Québec go to the remote monastery to solve the case. There may be harmony in the beautiful music, but it doesn’t take long for Gamache to uncover the personal conflicts and discord within this small community. Fans of the series will feel continuity from prior novels, and anticipation of what comes next, but this novel also stands well on its own for first time readers. Penny draws this setting with such detail and depth that the monastery becomes an additional character. Readers who like a satisfying mystery are likely to enjoy this one. Rating: Three-star (Highly Recommended) Click here to purchase The Beautiful Mystery from amazon.com.