All The Devils Are Here, Louise Penny, author; Robert Bathurst, narrator
I look forward to every book that comes out in this series. Inspector Gamache and his family are great examples of real people who relate to each other with kindness and compassion. They live in a small, lovely town, in Canada called Three Pines. It is charming with its unusual residents, one who owns a duck that spouts curse words and another who runs the local pub and treats them like family. The readers will find that it is a place they, too, would like to live in, or visit. They are all good friends, and treat each other with warmth and compassion, even though they are of a wide variety of ages and are from different social and professional backgrounds. The narrator, Bathurst, has a mellow voice and his tone and accent are perfect for the listener as he relates the story. Each character’s personality comes to life as events unfold.
In this novel, Reine Marie and Armand Gamache are in Paris awaiting the birth of their second grandchild. Their daughter Annie is due any minute. She and Beauvois already have a son, Honore, and they are now expecting a daughter. They have recently moved to Paris where Beauvois has taken a job to work for a risk management company. Daniel Gamache, their son, works for a bank there that is actually involved with that same company. Stephen Horowitz, Armand’s Godfather, a billionaire, has some money in Daniel’s bank, as well. Soon, they will all be connected in a diabolical plot to cover up several tragedies which, had they been exposed to the light of day and some real investigation, might have prevented some of them. They will all soon be in grave danger, as well.
When the book opens, Armand is in a park, having a warm reunion with Stephen, a fit elderly man who is still very much involved in business. When they part, they confirm that they are to meet later that evening for dinner with the entire family. After their celebratory reunion dinner, Stephen is run down by a truck in a hit and run accident. He is in critical condition. At 93, there is not much hope for him to survive his grave injuries. When another victim is discovered in Stephen’s apartment, and his residence and hotel rooms are ransacked, it becomes obvious that the accident truly was not an accident, but really was attempted murder.
As Armand investigates the accident and tries to discover the reasons for it, he relies on little hints that Stephen had given him during their conversation earlier that day, in the park. The mystery grows in several directions as cold-hearted killers are uncovered and a diabolical plot which could harm many innocent victims is discovered. Apparently there is a massive cover-up that Stephen was investigating. It involved corporate greed and negligence. Beauvois, who used to be the head of Homicide in Quebec, a job now held by Armand, is enlisted to help.
Soon, as some of the mystery unravels, it becomes even more complicated. A rare earth mineral is involved and it has put all of the members of the family in danger. Has corruption invaded the Police Department in Paris? Can Armand solve this mystery in time to save them all from unknown threats? Will family disputes and misunderstanding impact the investigation? What is the connection between the bank and the risk management company? Can Beauvois and Daniel be involved somehow? How is their connection tied to Stephen and his accident? What was Stephen trying to tell Armand? Slowly, the story unfolds and its tentacles reach far and wide.
Without using crude sex or language meant just to titillate the reader, Penny creates an atmosphere of honor and good will throughout the investigatory process. All of her books are heartwarming and are clean good fun. Even as jealousy and long held bitter grudges come to life, the overriding feeling imparted is that of a loving family working together, not at odds with each other.
I eagerly await the next book in this series. Each and every character invites me into their life as a member of the family. I truly enjoy visiting with them.