🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About Louise Penny
Louise Penny is a Canadian New York Times bestselling author of mystery. Louise Penny was born in Toronto and she was introduced to mystery novels at a young age because her mother read many works fiction, non-fiction, and crime. She enjoyed reading works from authors such as Agatha Chrisitie, Michael Innes, and many more. She’s always dreamed of writing and when the opportunity was given to pursue that dream she took it, and never looked back. Louise Penny started off as a radio host, journalist after obtaining a Bachelors Degree at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute which is also known as (Ryerson University). She maintained an eighteen year career as a radio host and journalist with the Canadian Broadcast Company (CBC) and turned to writing.
All Book Series by Louise Penny
State of Terror
Series opener · book 1 of 2 · published 2021 Co-authored · Hillary Rodham Clinton
The Last Mandarin
Latest in the series · book 2 of 2 · published 2026 Co-authored · Mellissa Fung
Mysterious Writers: The Many Facets of Mystery Writing
Series opener · book 1 of 2 · published 2010
The Best American Mystery Stories 2018
Latest in the series · book 2 of 2 · published 2018
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Louise Penny?
Louise Penny is a Canadian New York Times bestselling author of mystery. Louise Penny was born in Toronto and she was introduced to mystery novels at a young age because her mother read many works fiction, non-fiction, and crime. She enjoyed reading works from authors such as Agatha Chrisitie, Michael Innes, and many more.
Which Louise Penny series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Inspector Gamache series, the earliest of Louise Penny's multi-book series: it opens with Still Life (2005) and runs to 21 books across 2005–2026, ending with Miss Wolcott's Ghost (2026).
How many books has Louise Penny written?
Louise Penny has 26 books catalogued in this guide, published between 2005 and 2026. 22 of them belong to 2 named series — the largest being the Inspector Gamache series with 21 books — and 4 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Louise Penny's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Louise Penny's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Inspector Gamache (2005–2026, 21 books) and Inspector Gamache Short Stories/Novellas (2010, 1 book).
How are Louise Penny's books organised into series?
This guide splits Louise Penny's 26 books into 2 named series and 4 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Inspector Gamache (21 books, 2005–2026); Inspector Gamache Short Stories/Novellas (1 book, 2010).