Join us here in The Bistro for a discussion on the entire Gamache series. Feel free to ask or answer any questions about any of the books or the series as a whole.
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3,639 replies on “The Bistro”
Aimee, the last paragraph of A Trick of the Light.
Thanks! I have requested it from the library again.
Wondering what happened to Thérèse Brunel? Did I miss something? She was head of the Sûreté and then she disappeared?
Did you ever figure this out? Have been wondering the same thing. Seemed like she just unceremoniously disappeared…
Hey — I’ve been rationing my Gamache intake so I can make it last. My strategy has been to read the books in the season the book takes place. So, I’m up to Bury your Dead and want to find out what season or month Trick of Light and the other books are set (without having to get spoilers). Can someone clue me in?
I missed when Rosa returned. What book and chapter please?
I was disappointed in how the conflict between Gamache and Olivier was resolved (not completely) in “A Trick of the Light”. The reader was left with Olivier extremely upset at Gamache, but in the next novels, he’s friends? I would have liked to see more on that relationship.
After reading Kingdom, I can’t figure out how Hugo set up the fraud with clients who thought they were hiring his brother w/o his brother knowing. Remember Tony found out because one of his fake clients thanked him. So the client knew who Tony was. How did Hugo manage this, when he is not even at the same firm? Am I missing something?
My question has been posted for over a month w/no answer. I guess the answer is a mistake in the plot. Many of the books have complicated and over the top plots but they usually follow logic. This one requires you to suspend disbelief, oh well.
I believe that Hugo set up a “partnership” with Tony’s ex-lover Bernard at first but Hugo also admitted that he knew how to set up off-shore accounts so he could spot them if a client did so. I think that was really to make it sound believable
Could Hugo of gotten that information from the fired Assistant? Tony’s ex-lover?
I have just finished the series of these fantastic books, but I did not read them in the order written. Somewhere I have missed what happened to Peter. I know he and Clara were separating for a year, but what happened after the year? Can anyone let me know which book his final story is in?
It was in the last two chapters of The Long Way Home.
My great mistake, I was looking at the wrong page, I now see the last post was less than 2 weeks ago. Love the posts I’m reading!
Hello, I’m new to this blog, not sure it is even still up as the last post seems to be 4 yrs old. I’m going to try anyway. I just finished Trick of the Light and was wondering if anyone knew what was meant by the line on page 320 that says, “ he also wondered if anyone else had caught what he had.” It is Gamache doing the wondering after Pinneault has spoken. What did he notice?
Thanks Annie
My copy is on my iPad which has location, not page, numbers. What chapter was this in?
Hello All,
So glad I am not the only one wondering about the young girl in the red cap! At first I thought it was a figment of Amelia’s imagination, but then Gamache rescues her. Still wondering about her.
Anyone else think she may be the daughter of Anita Facial?
I thought the little girl was imaginary at first too. I still think she represents the tragedy of how drug addiction destroys youth and innocence, maybe specifically Amelia’s youth and innocence, though I realize that she is also a real character. I don’t think she is Anita Facial’s daughter, since Anita did not ask Gamache to save her when he asked Anita what he could do to help, then he later paid Anita to find her and keep her safe until he could rescue her. Knowing how Penny’s plots work, I do think the little girl will turn out to have a connection to someone in the books that we already know. I’m curious about why Isabelle is fostering her and where that will lead.
I think Isabel is fostering her because she wanted to take care of her, just like Gamache wanted to take care of her when he saw her. I think it is a natural human emotion to rescue a helpless child.
I think Anita is a guy
good site
love to hear some thoughts on the lemon meringue pie, billy williams, divine intervention theme that has turned up in a few books. Why lemon meringue pie?
Kingdom of the Blind
Who is the young girl with red cap who is on the Montreal streets with
the druggies. Why is she there. Who does she belong to? Amelia first
notices her/Gamache rescues her.
Whose daughter is the little girl in Kingdom of the Blind and why is Gamache so consumed with her. Will this be developed more in the next book, or will she be a minor character,0.
What is the connection of the girl in the red hat and isabelle lacoste? (kingdom of the blind)
Hello: I am a native Northern Californian and unfamiliar with the French Canadian language. I would like to know how to send a request to the author/publisher to add a page to the books with illustrations as how to pronounce the characters’ names and a glossary to the most commonly used French words/phrases used in the books.
I read at night snuggled warmly in my bed and do not want to trek to my laptop in my office to google the words. In fact, I googled “whale oil beef hooked” and found nothing. I am unfamiliar with the colloquialism of Canadian provinces. Thank you!
P.S. Just finished Kingdom of the Blind and cannot wait for the next Gamache story. Is it pronounced GA-MA-SHAY?
I think I answered my own question: “Well I’ll be $@#%&#” I could not write the word on a public board.
This may help: https://www.louisepenny.com/pronunciation_guide.htm
Thanks so very much, the link is very helpful.
Its pronounced GAM-ASH
Whale oil beef hooked.
Well I’ll be f**ked.
pretend you’re speaking north yorkshire or perhaps cockney accent
Hi. I am new to the site (just found it today). Never order audio books but you folks have convinced me to maybe give it a try.
Hello Bistro friends! I’m new to this conversation but not new to Three Pines. I just finished Kingdom of the Blind….breathtaking! I wanted to ask here if anyone would please remind me of Armand’s ‘4 truths or confidences?’….I don’t know, I need help, I’m sorry, and…..? I’m stumped. And oh how Matthew 10:36 rings so true, sadly too many times. Where did Louise get these two unique mantras? Thanks for help and so nice to meet you all.
the third one is I was wrong
In some of the books, Chief Inspector Gamache tells new agents the four sayings that can lead to wisdom – four sentences his own mentor taught him. What are they?
I was wrong
I’m sorry
I don’t know
I need help
I copied that piece from a page. I too would love to know how or why these statements and 10:36 are so important to Gamache, and therefore Louise.
Easy to lose my way between the books. Amazing how a new book brings me back to a stable path to follow. Those mantra’s ring too true.
I am listening to Kingdom of the Blind and must have missed the reason Gamache has difficulty understand Billy Williams. Others seem ot understand him. Thank you for any insight.
I wondered about that as well, particularly since Billy obviously understands him quite well. I thought maybe if Billy lived in the country, his accent was different enough for a non-native speaker to have difficulty. I am relatively fluent in French but can have enormous difficulties understand some accents…..including Quebecois! Especially if the speaker does not live in a city…….
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