The latest Chief Inspector Gamache novel by Louise Penny, A TRICK OF THE LIGHT, is available today and if you or your patrons are as thrilled as we are, you might already be worried about what to read next. Well, worry not!
We were inspired by the excellent librarians on The Great Read-a-Like panel at BEA to offer a read-a-like of our own: a Louise Penny read-a-like. We've picked three books sure to offer the Penny fix you'll need.
1. WICKED AUTUMN by G. M. Malliet, available September 2011 from Minotaur/Thomas Dunne Books.
Library Journal made WICKED AUTUMN Debut of the Month and in their starred review said, "Malliet’s hero shows his dogged determination to bring justice to his people. You’ll marvel at the author’s low-key humor and crystal-clear depictions of small-town life. Yes, this is a true homage to Agatha Christie, but Malliet, like Louise Penny, brings a contemporary freshness to the traditional mystery."
2. A MURDER IN TUSCANY by Christobel Kent, now available from Minotaur Books.
Publishers Weekly gave A MURDER IN TUSCANY a starred review and said, "Kent combines rich atmospherics and fully realized characters with a deceptively simple puzzle in her outstanding second mystery featuring Italian PI Sandro Cellini (after 2010's THE DROWNING RIVER). [...] The sleuth's ingenious detection of evidence pointing toward foul play portends a long and successful series run. Louise Penny fans will find a lot to like."
3. DEADLY THREADS by Jane Cleland, now available from Minotaur Books.
Kirkus Reviews introduces their review to DEADLY THREADS as follows: "The coastal town of Rocky Point, N.H., would be a perfect site for a thriving antiques business if it weren’t for the sky-high homicide rate." Sound a little like Three Pines to anyone else? And yes, I may have really wanted to post the cover for this book again, but this small-town cozy by two-time Agatha Award-finalist Jane Cleland will have you curled up and lost in the story before you turn the first page.
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