Louise Penny Books in Order

Louise Penny has written 24 books, published between 2005 and 2026. The first book is Still Life (2005) and the newest is Miss Wolcott's Ghost (2026). Publication order is the reading order below. 21 of the 24 books listed here are in the Inspector Gamache series, which has its own page: Inspector Gamache books in order.

Books
24
Published
2005–2026
Confirmed
24 of 24 titles
Pages on record
599 in 2 of 24 books
Photo of Louise Penny, author

Louise Penny, born in 1958, is a Canadian writer of crime fiction, best known for the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache novels set in Quebec. The catalogue holds 24 of her books, running from Still Life (2005) to Miss Wolcott's Ghost (2026), and the Gamache series continues. Her other listings are standalone novels and a set of Gamache short stories and novellas. Hillary Rodham Clinton shares the credit on 1 of the 24 books. Penny's novels appear in more than 23 languages, and her honours include Agatha and Anthony Awards plus 2017 appointments to the Order of Canada and the National Order of Quebec.

Three Pines, a fictional village, provides the setting for the mystery series.

How many Louise Penny books are there?

Louise Penny has 24 books, released between 2005 and 2026. 21 of them belong to the Inspector Gamache series.

Louise Penny Books in Publication Order

The table lists all 24 Louise Penny books in the order they were released, with the release year, the page count where one is on record, and how many independent book listings confirm each title. Catalogue data as of September 2026.

  1. 1
    Still LifeInspector Gamache #12005 · confirmed 3/4
    2005
  2. 22006
  3. 3
    The Cruellest MonthInspector Gamache #32007 · confirmed 3/4
    2007
  4. 42008
  5. 5
    The Brutal TellingInspector Gamache #52009 · confirmed 3/4
    2009
  6. 6
    The HangmanInspector Gamache Short Stories/Novellas #12010 · 87 pages · confirmed 4/4
    201087
  7. 7
    Bury Your DeadInspector Gamache #62010 · confirmed 3/4
    2010
  8. 82011
  9. 92012
  10. 102013
  11. 11
    The Long Way HomeInspector Gamache #102014 · confirmed 3/4
    2014
  12. 122015
  13. 13
    A Great ReckoningInspector Gamache #122016 · confirmed 3/4
    2016
  14. 14
    Glass HousesInspector Gamache #132017 · confirmed 3/4
    2017
  15. 15
    Kingdom of the BlindInspector Gamache #142018 · confirmed 3/4
    2018
  16. 16
    A Better ManInspector Gamache #152019 · confirmed 3/4
    2019
  17. 172020
  18. 18
    State of TerrorLouise Penny Standalone Novels #12021 · 512 pages · confirmed 4/4
    2021512
  19. 192021
  20. 202022
  21. 21
    The Grey WolfInspector Gamache #192024 · confirmed 4/4
    2024
  22. 22
    The Black WolfInspector Gamache #202025 · confirmed 4/4
    2025
  23. 23
    The Last MandarinLouise Penny Standalone Novels #22026 · confirmed 3/4
    2026
  24. 24
    Miss Wolcott's GhostInspector Gamache #212026 · confirmed 4/4
    2026

Louise Penny series in order

The series linked below has its own reading-order page.

Louise Penny books grouped by series

Each title below is a row in the publication-order table above. None of these groups has a reading-order page of its own on this site.

Louise Penny Standalone Novels

2 books

2 titles published under this heading without a numbered place in a series.

Inspector Gamache Short Stories/Novellas

1 book

1 title published under this heading without a numbered place in a series.

Louise Penny Books in Chronological Order

By publication date, the Louise Penny books run from Still Life (2005) to Miss Wolcott's Ghost (2026), the sequence in the table above. No separate story order is recorded for Louise Penny in the book listings this catalogue merges, so publication order is the only order on record.

Do you have to read Louise Penny books in order?

You only need to read Louise Penny books in order within the Inspector Gamache series, which holds 21 of the 24 Louise Penny books listed here. The numbered table above gives every book in publication order.

What order should you read Louise Penny books in?

Read them in publication order, starting with Still Life (2005), the first Inspector Gamache book. It is also the earliest catalogued title.

What is the first Louise Penny book?

Still Life (2005) is the first Louise Penny book, and the numbered table above starts with it.

What is the newest Louise Penny book?

Miss Wolcott's Ghost (2026) is the newest Louise Penny book released so far.

Is there a new Louise Penny book coming?

No next Louise Penny book is announced in the catalogue, which is a gap in the listings it merges rather than a sign that the run has ended.

Awards Louise Penny has won

Wikidata records 14 awards and 2 nominations for Louise Penny. The most recent 12 are listed here. Each row states whether the title won or was shortlisted, and the year the award was given.

  • Macavity Awards2023Won
  • Barry Award for Best Novel2017Won
  • Anthony Award for Best Novel2017Won
  • Macavity Awards2013Won
  • Anthony Award for Best Novel2013Won
  • Anthony Award for Best Novel2012Wonfor A Trick of the Light
  • Agatha Award for Best Novel2012Won
  • Anthony Award for Best Novel2011Wonfor Bury Your Dead
  • Nero Award2011Wonfor Bury Your Dead
  • Anthony Award for Best Novel2010Wonfor The Brutal Telling
  • Dilys Award2007Won
  • Barry Award for Best First Novel2007Won

Printable Louise Penny Books in Order Checklist

A printable checklist of all 24 books in publication order is on the Louise Penny reading checklist, with a tick box beside each title.

Louise Penny at a glance

Still publishing
Louise Penny published a book as recently as 2026.
Release pace
Louise Penny books have appeared about one a year on average.
Length
599 pages across the 2 of 24 books with a recorded length, a median of 300 pages each.
Busiest decade
Most Louise Penny books, 11 of 24, were published in the 2010s.
Corroboration
5 of the 24 titles appear in all four independent book listings, and every one of them in at least three.

What the Louise Penny books are about

2 of the 24 Louise Penny books carry subject tags in Open Library's catalogue. No subject is tagged on more than one of them, so each one below describes a single book. The subjects are cataloguers’ headings, not a plot summary.

  • Armand Gamache (Fictitious character) 1 of 2 books
  • Canadian fiction 1 of 2 books
  • Conspiracy 1 of 2 books
  • Diplomacy 1 of 2 books
  • Police 1 of 2 books
  • Political thriller 1 of 2 books
  • Readers for new literates 1 of 2 books
  • Secretary of state 1 of 2 books
  • Terrorism 1 of 2 books
  • Treachery 1 of 2 books