In How the Light Gets In, the Christmas season is approaching: 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. Is there peace to be found in Three Pines, and at what cost to Gamache and the people he holds dear? If it’s been awhile since you’ve read the ninth book in the series, we invite you to refresh your memory of the novel with our Re-Read led by Lesa Holstine. You can also learn more about the real-life inspirations behind the settings and cultural references in the book, try a recipe the characters enjoy in How the Light Gets In, and explore more of all things How the Light Gets In here at GamacheSeries.com. 

But, like peace, comfort didn’t come from hiding away or running away. Comfort first demanded courage. In the comments, join us to discuss examples of Gamache’s courage – both in How the Light Gets In and from other books in the series.

In The Beautiful Mystery, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and Jean-Guy Beauvoir of the Sûreté du Québec are admitted to the monastery of Saint-Gilbert-Entre-les-Loups, hidden deep in the wilderness of Quebec, where they discover disquiet beneath the silence, discord in the apparent harmony. If it’s been awhile since you’ve read the eighth book in the series, we invite you to refresh your memory of the novel with our Re-Read led by Barbara Peters. You can also learn more about the real-life inspirations behind the settings and cultural references in the book, try a recipe the characters enjoy in The Beautiful Mystery, and explore more of all things The Beautiful Mystery here at GamacheSeries.com. 

Privacy. And with privacy, of course, came something else. Safety. That was, Gamache knew, what people valued most of all.  Do you see a correlation between privacy and safety? Let us know in the comments!

In the fifth book in the series, the peace of Three Pines is shattered – and Gamache must follow a trail of clues and treasures into the woods and across the continent, before returning to Three Pines to confront the truth. If it’s been awhile since you’ve read the seventh book in the series, we invite you to refresh your memory of the novel with our Re-Read lead by Jamie Broadhursti. You can also learn more about the real-life inspirations behind the settings and cultural references in the book, try a recipe the characters enjoy in The Brutal Telling, and explore more of all things A Brutal Telling here at GamacheSeries.com. 

She wasn’t afraid to be wrong. And that, the Chief knew, was a great strength. In the comments, talk about times when Gamache wasn’t afraid to be wrong. What about yourself?

Bury Your Dead is a novel about life and death—and all the mystery that remains. If it’s been awhile since you’ve read the sixth book in the series, we invite you to refresh your memory of the novel with our Re-Read lead by Annette Jones. You can also learn more about the real-life inspirations behind the settings and cultural references in the book, try a recipe the characters enjoy in Bury Your Dead, and explore more of all things Bury Your Dead here at GamacheSeries.com. 

That was the danger. Not that betrayals happened, not that cruel things happened, but that they could outweigh all the good. That we could forget the good and only remember the bad. This quote reminds us of the village of Three Pines! Despite the cruel things that often happen in and around the village, we would move there in a heartbeat. Do you agree? Let us know in the comments! 

In the fifth book in the series, the peace of Three Pines is shattered – and Gamache must follow a trail of clues and treasures into the woods and across the continent, before returning to Three Pines to confront the truth. If it’s been awhile since you’ve read this one, we invite you to refresh your memory of the novel with our Re-Read lead by John Kwiatkowski. You can also learn more about the real-life inspirations behind the settings and cultural references in the book, try a recipe the characters enjoy in The Brutal Telling, and explore more of all things A Brutal Telling here at GamacheSeries.com. 

It was vital to be aware of actions in the present. Because the present became the past, and the past grew. And got up, and followed you. This piece of wisdom reminds us of the famous quote by George Santayana: ‘Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Do you agree? Let us know in the comments!

In A Rule Against Murder, it is the height of summer, and Armand and Reine-Marie Gamache are celebrating their wedding anniversary at the luxurious Manoir Bellechasse. But while Manoir Bellechasse might be surrounded by nature, there is something unnatural looming. If it’s been awhile since you’ve read the fourth book in the series, we invite you to refresh your memory of the novel with our Re-Read lead by Sarah Melnyk. You can also learn more about the real-life inspirations behind the settings and cultural references in the book, try a recipe the characters enjoy in A Rule Against Murder, and explore more of all things A Rule Against Murder here at GamacheSeries.com. 

Not everything needed to be brought into the light, he knew. Not every truth needed to be told. Do you agree with this statement? Let us know in the comments!

In The Cruelest Month, it’s spring in Three Pines; buds are on the trees and the first flowers are struggling through the newly thawed earth. But not everything is meant to return to life. . . If it’s been awhile since you’ve read the third book in the series, we invite you to refresh your memory of the novel with our Re-Read lead by Robin Agnew. You can also learn more about the real-life inspirations behind the settings and cultural references in the book, try a recipe the characters enjoy in The Cruelest Month, and explore more of all things The Cruelest Month here at GamacheSeries.com. 

Gamache knew people were like homes. Some were cheerful and bright, some gloomy. Some could look good on the outside but feel wretched on the interior. And some of the least attractive homes, from the outside, were kindly and warm inside. He also knew the first few rooms were for public consumption. It was only in going deeper that he’d find the reality. And finally, inevitably, there was the last room, the one we keep locked, and bolted and barred, even from ourselves. Especially from ourselves. Does this quote remind you of any of the characters in the series? Let us know in the comments!

In Still Life, Louise Penny introduces Inspector Armand Gamache of the Surêté du Québec for the very first time. If it’s been awhile since you’ve read the first book in the series, we invite you to refresh your memory of the novel with our Re-Read lead by Lesa Holstine. You can also learn more about the real-life inspirations behind the settings and cultural references in the book, try a recipe the characters enjoy in Still Life, and explore more of all things Still Life here at GamacheSeries.com.

“They are four sentences we learn to say, and mean.” Gamache held up his hand as a fist and raised a finger with each point. “I don’t know. I need help. I’m sorry. I was wrong.” Is there a set of rules you live by? Let us know in the comments!