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A review by kathywadolowski
All the Devils Are Here by Louise Penny
5.0
Well I'm 16 books in and I've finally found it—the best entry of the Armand Gamache series.
"All the Devils Are Here" revealed a lot to me. At the top of the list is the fact that, for me, the Gamache family (now including Jean Guy Beauvoir ofc) is the unequivocal heart and soul of the series. Many Three Pines loyalists might disagree, but I think they're holding on to what was. The villagers were charming and fun to explore in initial iterations, but they're a little too quirky to hold shape as permanent fixtures; at risk of them becoming caricatures, I think Penny has rightfully sidelined them for a bit into supporting roles, and the series is much better for it (evidenced by the fact that I didn't miss any of them for a minute in the throes of book #16).
We instead had the space to hone in on the Gamache family, the intricacies of their relationships, and the trauma that's both forced them apart and ultimately held them together. Armand Gamache—whatever his title is by now—here is... dare I say... sexy?! He is the star, and he's so complex in this book: he's a brilliant thinker, an unfailingly loyal godson, a father devastated by misunderstandings but still fiercely protective, an incorruptible dreamer, and a tender husband and grandfather. He is EVERYTHING and I'm shook. Over a series, Penny has crafted an absolute masterpiece of a character—Gamache feels perfect but is still flawed, in both realistic and idealistic ways. He's too good to be true but also human enough to be real, and if this paragraph didn't make it clear I'm pretty much obsessed with him.
And the family that surrounds him is just as compelling, which "All the Devils Are Here" repeatedly proved. This book is about a number of things: the [im]morality of giant corporations and the lengths they'll go to for profit, the duty we have to our fellow men, and the sacrifices sometimes required to do what's right, to name a few. Such an meaty plot is driven by some seriously wonderful and equally intricate characters. Armand's mysterious godfather Stephen, for instance, gets some real depth here after being introduced a few times prior, and the deep dive was very much worth the wait. As Armand and co. dissect Stephen's past to try and piece together who tried to kill him, we're also finally allowed behind the scenes of the tension between Armand and his kind-of-annoying son Daniel. Daniel's rejection of his father was heartbreaking, knowing the depth of Armand's devotion, but was every bit as layered as promised. We even get more of Annie here and her adorable coupling with Jean Guy, and we can see all the ways he's grown (thanks in large part to Gamache) through the course of the series. The exploration of these characters and relationships was just as central to the book as the mystery propelling it, and I have to say I was equally invested in both ends. I just love how Penny put this book together—concocting a mystery that would also allow us to understand the inner workings of the Gamaches was the treat I didn't know I needed.
AND THAT ENDING. After, I was racing to end just as quickly as Gamache was. The emotions were high and my blood pressure was higher, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
I'm so sad to be closing in on the current end of the series—though I hope Penny never stops writing it—but so gratified to have found a near-perfect gem in my binge-reading. In a weird way, I'm already excited to re-read the series and gain an even deeper appreciation for the world of Gamache.
Sidenote: Robert Bathurst has really come into his own as narrator of the audiobooks, and I think his reading and interpretation of Gamache in particular has contributed to my continued feelings about the series' main character. Hats off.
"All the Devils Are Here" revealed a lot to me. At the top of the list is the fact that, for me, the Gamache family (now including Jean Guy Beauvoir ofc) is the unequivocal heart and soul of the series. Many Three Pines loyalists might disagree, but I think they're holding on to what was. The villagers were charming and fun to explore in initial iterations, but they're a little too quirky to hold shape as permanent fixtures; at risk of them becoming caricatures, I think Penny has rightfully sidelined them for a bit into supporting roles, and the series is much better for it (evidenced by the fact that I didn't miss any of them for a minute in the throes of book #16).
We instead had the space to hone in on the Gamache family, the intricacies of their relationships, and the trauma that's both forced them apart and ultimately held them together. Armand Gamache—whatever his title is by now—here is... dare I say... sexy?! He is the star, and he's so complex in this book: he's a brilliant thinker, an unfailingly loyal godson, a father devastated by misunderstandings but still fiercely protective, an incorruptible dreamer, and a tender husband and grandfather. He is EVERYTHING and I'm shook. Over a series, Penny has crafted an absolute masterpiece of a character—Gamache feels perfect but is still flawed, in both realistic and idealistic ways. He's too good to be true but also human enough to be real, and if this paragraph didn't make it clear I'm pretty much obsessed with him.
And the family that surrounds him is just as compelling, which "All the Devils Are Here" repeatedly proved. This book is about a number of things: the [im]morality of giant corporations and the lengths they'll go to for profit, the duty we have to our fellow men, and the sacrifices sometimes required to do what's right, to name a few. Such an meaty plot is driven by some seriously wonderful and equally intricate characters. Armand's mysterious godfather Stephen, for instance, gets some real depth here after being introduced a few times prior, and the deep dive was very much worth the wait. As Armand and co. dissect Stephen's past to try and piece together who tried to kill him, we're also finally allowed behind the scenes of the tension between Armand and his kind-of-annoying son Daniel. Daniel's rejection of his father was heartbreaking, knowing the depth of Armand's devotion, but was every bit as layered as promised. We even get more of Annie here and her adorable coupling with Jean Guy, and we can see all the ways he's grown (thanks in large part to Gamache) through the course of the series. The exploration of these characters and relationships was just as central to the book as the mystery propelling it, and I have to say I was equally invested in both ends. I just love how Penny put this book together—concocting a mystery that would also allow us to understand the inner workings of the Gamaches was the treat I didn't know I needed.
AND THAT ENDING. After
Spoiler
Daniel was kidnappedSpoiler
Forcing Gamache to miss the birth of his granddaughter while fighting to save Daniel—with his brain power and then some gruff yelling #swoon—was a particularly cruel setup by Penny, but also the perfect demonstration of his character. And though I knew that of course our heroes were not going to die, I was nevertheless gripped by the tension and couldn't have been more satisfied by the comeuppance of the takedown.I'm so sad to be closing in on the current end of the series—though I hope Penny never stops writing it—but so gratified to have found a near-perfect gem in my binge-reading. In a weird way, I'm already excited to re-read the series and gain an even deeper appreciation for the world of Gamache.
Sidenote: Robert Bathurst has really come into his own as narrator of the audiobooks, and I think his reading and interpretation of Gamache in particular has contributed to my continued feelings about the series' main character. Hats off.