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Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #21
Miss Wolcott's Ghost
Not yet published
Expected 20 Oct 26Armand Gamache returns!
“There’s a body in Lost Nation.”
“Where?” demands Armand as he scribbles on the pad by his bed.
But the line goes dead before Chief Inspector Gamache can question the caller.
The head of homicide for the Sûreté du Québec has no idea where Lost Nation is, or who woke him in the small hours of the morning at his home in Three Pines. What he does know is that the man was terrified.
And so Armand is thrust out of a deep sleep and into the surrounding forests in search of the mythical Lost Nation. And a body.
When he and his team of Jean-Guy Beauvoir and Isabelle Lacoste find both, the situation only grows more bizarre. The unidentified dead man appears to be from an era more than a century old. He’s lying in a long-abandoned cemetery, on top of a grave with a date, but no name.
Adding to the mystery, the early morning call appears to have come from Gamache’s friend and neighbor, Clara Morrow. While she denies any knowledge of it, it becomes clear there is some connection between her, the Morrow family, and Lost Nation.
Soon, Gamache and his team are faced with tracking down not just the legend of Lost Nation, but a lost ship, lost documents belong to an eccentric Victorian botanist, , and a mysterious plant not seen in a century, that might save, or take, countless lives.
As the murder investigation deepens, nightmarish spectres from the past begin to haunt the Sûreté officers, only heightened by the appearance of one of Gamache’s former and now disgraced proteges, with whom he must form an uneasy alliance.
As the ghosts begin to gather, Gamache, Beauvoir, and Lacoste, with the help of Reine-Marie, Clara, and the other villagers of Three Pines, realize that the body on the grave is far from the only death. To solve the crime and avert catastrophe they must look to rancid secrets and old lies no longer dead and buried.
“There’s a body in Lost Nation.”
“Where?” demands Armand as he scribbles on the pad by his bed.
But the line goes dead before Chief Inspector Gamache can question the caller.
The head of homicide for the Sûreté du Québec has no idea where Lost Nation is, or who woke him in the small hours of the morning at his home in Three Pines. What he does know is that the man was terrified.
And so Armand is thrust out of a deep sleep and into the surrounding forests in search of the mythical Lost Nation. And a body.
When he and his team of Jean-Guy Beauvoir and Isabelle Lacoste find both, the situation only grows more bizarre. The unidentified dead man appears to be from an era more than a century old. He’s lying in a long-abandoned cemetery, on top of a grave with a date, but no name.
Adding to the mystery, the early morning call appears to have come from Gamache’s friend and neighbor, Clara Morrow. While she denies any knowledge of it, it becomes clear there is some connection between her, the Morrow family, and Lost Nation.
Soon, Gamache and his team are faced with tracking down not just the legend of Lost Nation, but a lost ship, lost documents belong to an eccentric Victorian botanist, , and a mysterious plant not seen in a century, that might save, or take, countless lives.
As the murder investigation deepens, nightmarish spectres from the past begin to haunt the Sûreté officers, only heightened by the appearance of one of Gamache’s former and now disgraced proteges, with whom he must form an uneasy alliance.
As the ghosts begin to gather, Gamache, Beauvoir, and Lacoste, with the help of Reine-Marie, Clara, and the other villagers of Three Pines, realize that the body on the grave is far from the only death. To solve the crime and avert catastrophe they must look to rancid secrets and old lies no longer dead and buried.
416 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication October 20, 2026
About the author
Louise Penny
94 books27.4k followersLOUISE PENNY is the author of the #1 New York Times and Globe and Mail bestselling series of Chief Inspector Armand Gamache novels. She has won numerous awards, including a CWA Dagger and the Agatha Award (seven times), and was a finalist for the Edgar Award for Best Novel. In 2017, she received the Order of Canada for her contributions to Canadian culture. Louise lives in a small village south of Montréal.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
It’s been a while. I wasn’t a huge fan of the last two Gamache books, or of the more recent thriller co-written with Melissa Fung, but with Miss Wolcott’s Ghost Louise Penny has returned to the form that has made me a giant supporter of her work. I’ll never forget the spell put on me by her first novel, Still Life, and that reading rapture was gifted to me again with this book. When I hit the three-quarter mark, I was glued to the pages and didn’t leave my chair.
Readers have come to expect many things from Penny’s novels – a complicated, thoughtful plot; wonderful characters; and a resolution that often leaves a lump in your throat (for this reader, in any case). This book does not disappoint on any of these fronts. Set again in Three Pines, the story focuses in on Gamache, Beauvoir, and another character who appears to be despised by both men. His story is teased out through the book, and I won’t provide a spoiler.
The basics: Gamache gets a panicked phone call in the middle of the night, with a caller saying merely “There’s a body in Lost Nation.” That of course is a sentence to launch a good story and it does. First Gamache has to find “Lost Nation” and when he does find it there is indeed a dead body on top of a grave, and the body has plants growing through it.
The plant is as big a mystery as the body itself. It appears to be a plant thought to be extinct, and with great care (and the help of a botanist) Armand transplants it to his own garden. The plant and the body are linked, but it takes the majority of the novel for Gamache and his team to discover exactly how they are connected. Along the way the team also discovers a marine disaster – worse than that of the Titanic – occurring just two years later. The investigation also involves this tragedy. It’s a real occurrence, and you’ll want to look it up as you read. It’s remarkable that it’s been so forgotten.
To tell much more would be to give away the delights of this plot. Always, the revelations are made via Gamache’s conversations with suspects and other people he encounters during his investigation. In this way, Penny very much reminds me of the great P.D. James, though Penny’s spirit is ultimately a more optimistic one than James’. These conversations and discoveries are the heart of this deeply complex and moving novel.
Penny also gifts the reader with some short visits with her series “regulars” – Reine-Marie, Ruth, Clara, Myrna, Gabri and Olivier, and even Rosa the duck. But for all it’s breadth of storytelling this is a focused book. It’s focused on Gamache’s and Beauvoir’s investigation, as well as their memories of the character despised by them both. This tighter focus makes the novel a very strong entry in this series, perhaps one of my favorites to date.
Readers have come to expect many things from Penny’s novels – a complicated, thoughtful plot; wonderful characters; and a resolution that often leaves a lump in your throat (for this reader, in any case). This book does not disappoint on any of these fronts. Set again in Three Pines, the story focuses in on Gamache, Beauvoir, and another character who appears to be despised by both men. His story is teased out through the book, and I won’t provide a spoiler.
The basics: Gamache gets a panicked phone call in the middle of the night, with a caller saying merely “There’s a body in Lost Nation.” That of course is a sentence to launch a good story and it does. First Gamache has to find “Lost Nation” and when he does find it there is indeed a dead body on top of a grave, and the body has plants growing through it.
The plant is as big a mystery as the body itself. It appears to be a plant thought to be extinct, and with great care (and the help of a botanist) Armand transplants it to his own garden. The plant and the body are linked, but it takes the majority of the novel for Gamache and his team to discover exactly how they are connected. Along the way the team also discovers a marine disaster – worse than that of the Titanic – occurring just two years later. The investigation also involves this tragedy. It’s a real occurrence, and you’ll want to look it up as you read. It’s remarkable that it’s been so forgotten.
To tell much more would be to give away the delights of this plot. Always, the revelations are made via Gamache’s conversations with suspects and other people he encounters during his investigation. In this way, Penny very much reminds me of the great P.D. James, though Penny’s spirit is ultimately a more optimistic one than James’. These conversations and discoveries are the heart of this deeply complex and moving novel.
Penny also gifts the reader with some short visits with her series “regulars” – Reine-Marie, Ruth, Clara, Myrna, Gabri and Olivier, and even Rosa the duck. But for all it’s breadth of storytelling this is a focused book. It’s focused on Gamache’s and Beauvoir’s investigation, as well as their memories of the character despised by them both. This tighter focus makes the novel a very strong entry in this series, perhaps one of my favorites to date.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I say this all the time- Louise Penny’s Three Pines series are the best mystery books of all time. Filled with wonderful characters that have depth, complex mysteries that are wrapped in a cloak of compassion and humanity, I can never get enough of them.They dealt with the mafia and that just doesn’t interest me. So I was thrilled that her upcoming book Miss Wolcott’s Ghost returns to the series roots.
The book opens with Chief Inspector Armand Gamache receiving an early morning phone call from an unidentified and terrified caller proclaiming, “there’s a body in lost nation”. The only problem is that Armand has never heard of Lost Nation. What follows is a scramble to find the body and the mysterious Lost Nation. What Armand and his team uncover is a cemetery located in the mysterious Quebec forest and the body of a man on top of a grave marked with a tombstone with a date but no name. And most puzzling of all is that the body is clad in clothing from another century, but this is most assuredly a recent murder.
This book is classic Penny. A mystery possibly involving one of the inhabitants of Three Pines with ties to the past. Add in a dose of little known Quebec history involving a ship wreck that rivals the tragedy of the Titanic, and the complex puzzle for Armand, Jean Guy and Isabelle to unravel and you have the perfect mystery to cozy up with on a rainy day. Yes, these books have a cozy factor, but they also have an edge and an underlying brutality that lets you know that you are in the hands of a master storyteller. You can read this book as a stand alone and not be disappointed, but if you want to have one of the best reading journeys of your life start at the beginning and read the series in order. But whatever you do please read at least one of these books!
I listened to this one on audio and it was sublime. Narrated by Alfred Molina, who portrayed Gamache in the series, the character is perfectly brought to life. I was transported and it was a magical experience that I highly recommend. Thanks to @netgalley for this audio arc
The book opens with Chief Inspector Armand Gamache receiving an early morning phone call from an unidentified and terrified caller proclaiming, “there’s a body in lost nation”. The only problem is that Armand has never heard of Lost Nation. What follows is a scramble to find the body and the mysterious Lost Nation. What Armand and his team uncover is a cemetery located in the mysterious Quebec forest and the body of a man on top of a grave marked with a tombstone with a date but no name. And most puzzling of all is that the body is clad in clothing from another century, but this is most assuredly a recent murder.
This book is classic Penny. A mystery possibly involving one of the inhabitants of Three Pines with ties to the past. Add in a dose of little known Quebec history involving a ship wreck that rivals the tragedy of the Titanic, and the complex puzzle for Armand, Jean Guy and Isabelle to unravel and you have the perfect mystery to cozy up with on a rainy day. Yes, these books have a cozy factor, but they also have an edge and an underlying brutality that lets you know that you are in the hands of a master storyteller. You can read this book as a stand alone and not be disappointed, but if you want to have one of the best reading journeys of your life start at the beginning and read the series in order. But whatever you do please read at least one of these books!
I listened to this one on audio and it was sublime. Narrated by Alfred Molina, who portrayed Gamache in the series, the character is perfectly brought to life. I was transported and it was a magical experience that I highly recommend. Thanks to @netgalley for this audio arc
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
Thank you so much to Goodreads Giveaway and MacMillan Publishing for the ARC! As a longtime Louise Penny fan, I was so excited to win this one and I started it right away!
I liked Miss Wolcott’s Ghost, but it definitely wasn’t my favorite Inspector Gamache novel.
There was a LOT to keep up with in this one — people, details, backstories, flashbacks, and several different threads. That can be challenging when you don’t even fully understand the murder yet and you’re being asked to remember all these little pieces along the way. I kept waiting for some of those pieces to start connecting, but for me, they didn’t come together until very late in the book.
And then there was the murder itself. Gamache’s books are known for their strange and unusual murders, and honestly, that’s part of the charm. But when the reason behind this particular murder was finally revealed, I had a hard time buying it. It felt pretty far-fetched to me. There also weren’t many clues throughout the book that allowed me to put the pieces together myself even slightly so that I could make some sense of it all. I want to have that moment of, “Ohhh! I should have seen that!” — and I didn’t get that here.
At times, it almost felt like I was reading several different stories. There were flashbacks from different characters’ perspectives about a past standoff and shooting, a historical ship wreck, and Jean-Guy's traumatic dreams/daydreams woven throughout the story. I understood that these pieces were supposed to matter, but I often found myself wondering why they were there and how they connected to the bigger story. The jumping back and forth was also sometimes confusing because there wasn’t always a clear divider or indication that we had shifted in time or perspective.
The wrap-up came right at the very end, and even then I found myself having to work to follow how everything connected.
There were a few appearances from our favorite Three Pines characters, which I always enjoy, but they were not as prominent. They mostly brought the Gamache, Beauvoir, and Lacoste trio food and drinks or them at the bistro. I wouldn't say Three Pines was really the heart of this book. It was mostly the trio.
That said, if you love Gamache, you’ll probably love this book. Louise Penny still gives us the characters, relationships, and atmosphere that make these books so enjoyable. For me, though, the mystery itself just didn’t resonate the way some of the others have. I learned a lot. I found myself putting the book down to research things. I learned about a historical event that I didn't even know happened.
I liked Miss Wolcott’s Ghost, but it definitely wasn’t my favorite Inspector Gamache novel.
There was a LOT to keep up with in this one — people, details, backstories, flashbacks, and several different threads. That can be challenging when you don’t even fully understand the murder yet and you’re being asked to remember all these little pieces along the way. I kept waiting for some of those pieces to start connecting, but for me, they didn’t come together until very late in the book.
And then there was the murder itself. Gamache’s books are known for their strange and unusual murders, and honestly, that’s part of the charm. But when the reason behind this particular murder was finally revealed, I had a hard time buying it. It felt pretty far-fetched to me. There also weren’t many clues throughout the book that allowed me to put the pieces together myself even slightly so that I could make some sense of it all. I want to have that moment of, “Ohhh! I should have seen that!” — and I didn’t get that here.
At times, it almost felt like I was reading several different stories. There were flashbacks from different characters’ perspectives about a past standoff and shooting, a historical ship wreck, and Jean-Guy's traumatic dreams/daydreams woven throughout the story. I understood that these pieces were supposed to matter, but I often found myself wondering why they were there and how they connected to the bigger story. The jumping back and forth was also sometimes confusing because there wasn’t always a clear divider or indication that we had shifted in time or perspective.
The wrap-up came right at the very end, and even then I found myself having to work to follow how everything connected.
There were a few appearances from our favorite Three Pines characters, which I always enjoy, but they were not as prominent. They mostly brought the Gamache, Beauvoir, and Lacoste trio food and drinks or them at the bistro. I wouldn't say Three Pines was really the heart of this book. It was mostly the trio.
That said, if you love Gamache, you’ll probably love this book. Louise Penny still gives us the characters, relationships, and atmosphere that make these books so enjoyable. For me, though, the mystery itself just didn’t resonate the way some of the others have. I learned a lot. I found myself putting the book down to research things. I learned about a historical event that I didn't even know happened.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
I received an advance reader copy of Miss Wolcott’s Ghost, and there are few books I could have been happier to receive. Louise Penny’s Chief Inspector Gamache novels are among my favorite series of all time, and the arrival of a new one each fall has become something of an annual event for me. So, I spent the weekend cozied up by the fire and happily devoured this one.
Twenty-one books into a series, you might expect some of the magic to have worn off. It hasn’t.
Miss Wolcott’s Ghost contains so much of what I love about the Gamache novels. There is, of course, an engrossing mystery, but these books have never really been just about solving murders. Penny writes about leadership, friendship, history, courage, loyalty, forgiveness, and the difficult business of trying to be a decent human being. Gamache remains one of my favorite characters in fiction because his strength comes not from being the toughest or loudest person in the room, but from his curiosity, patience, humility, and fundamental belief in the worth of other people.
And then there is Three Pines.
After 21 books, returning there feels a little like returning to a place I know. The characters are flawed, occasionally exasperating, frequently very funny, and deeply human. Penny has somehow created a fictional community that feels warm and familiar without ever becoming sentimental or losing sight of the darkness that makes these mysteries work.
For longtime readers, Miss Wolcott’s Ghost is a wonderful return to the people and place we have come to love. But I also think this would be a surprisingly good book for someone curious about Louise Penny who isn't quite ready to commit to twenty previous novels. You can read this one, get a very good sense of what makes the series special, and then decide whether you want to go back to Still Life and begin the whole delightful journey from the start. I suspect many readers will.
As for me, I would happily retire to Three Pines. Despite considerable effort, I have so far been unable to locate it on a map. Until I do, I suppose I'll have to settle for trying to make my own community a little kinder, more welcoming, and more like Three Pines.
Sans the murders, obviously.
Highly recommended.
Twenty-one books into a series, you might expect some of the magic to have worn off. It hasn’t.
Miss Wolcott’s Ghost contains so much of what I love about the Gamache novels. There is, of course, an engrossing mystery, but these books have never really been just about solving murders. Penny writes about leadership, friendship, history, courage, loyalty, forgiveness, and the difficult business of trying to be a decent human being. Gamache remains one of my favorite characters in fiction because his strength comes not from being the toughest or loudest person in the room, but from his curiosity, patience, humility, and fundamental belief in the worth of other people.
And then there is Three Pines.
After 21 books, returning there feels a little like returning to a place I know. The characters are flawed, occasionally exasperating, frequently very funny, and deeply human. Penny has somehow created a fictional community that feels warm and familiar without ever becoming sentimental or losing sight of the darkness that makes these mysteries work.
For longtime readers, Miss Wolcott’s Ghost is a wonderful return to the people and place we have come to love. But I also think this would be a surprisingly good book for someone curious about Louise Penny who isn't quite ready to commit to twenty previous novels. You can read this one, get a very good sense of what makes the series special, and then decide whether you want to go back to Still Life and begin the whole delightful journey from the start. I suspect many readers will.
As for me, I would happily retire to Three Pines. Despite considerable effort, I have so far been unable to locate it on a map. Until I do, I suppose I'll have to settle for trying to make my own community a little kinder, more welcoming, and more like Three Pines.
Sans the murders, obviously.
Highly recommended.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
Thankyou #GoodreadsGiveaway for the opportunity to read this historical fiction ARC
As Homicide Inspector, Armand Gamache is awakened at 3:17 a m. by a anonymous call to his home from a familiar-sounding male voice, informing him that there is a body in Lost Nation, the questions multiply. Gamache learns the call came from a number belonging to his artist friend and neighbor Clara Morrow in the small community of Three Pines, Quebec. Gamache and his team also learn that the Lost Nation is an abandoned cemetery, and arrive there to find a victim who’s been bludgeoned to death and left near a plant long believed to be extinct known as Miss Wolcott’s Ghost. As they now unravel a historical tragedy of the RMS Empress of Ireland, a British-built luxury passenger ocean liner heading for Liverpool sank in the St. Lawrence River in Canada on May 29, 1914, one of the worst maritime disaster in Canadian history, while investigating a murder that might be connected.
As Homicide Inspector, Armand Gamache is awakened at 3:17 a m. by a anonymous call to his home from a familiar-sounding male voice, informing him that there is a body in Lost Nation, the questions multiply. Gamache learns the call came from a number belonging to his artist friend and neighbor Clara Morrow in the small community of Three Pines, Quebec. Gamache and his team also learn that the Lost Nation is an abandoned cemetery, and arrive there to find a victim who’s been bludgeoned to death and left near a plant long believed to be extinct known as Miss Wolcott’s Ghost. As they now unravel a historical tragedy of the RMS Empress of Ireland, a British-built luxury passenger ocean liner heading for Liverpool sank in the St. Lawrence River in Canada on May 29, 1914, one of the worst maritime disaster in Canadian history, while investigating a murder that might be connected.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
The male voice on a 3a.m. call sounds familiar, but Gamache cannot identify it. “There is a body in Lost Nation.” Is Lost Nation in Three Pines? Is it real? Who was that? How did he get my phone number? No more information before the call ended.
Gamache and his team have much to untangle in Louise Penny’s newest mystery, Miss Wolcott’s Ghost, and I loved every moment reading it. When they finally find the body, it is more than a century old, in an abandoned cemetery, and with connections to a mysterious plant and a lost ship. Gamache does a bit of traveling through Canada and Europe to solve this one, but fear not, the Three Pine characters are back.
As always, her latest release is captivating. I highly recommend it.
Gamache and his team have much to untangle in Louise Penny’s newest mystery, Miss Wolcott’s Ghost, and I loved every moment reading it. When they finally find the body, it is more than a century old, in an abandoned cemetery, and with connections to a mysterious plant and a lost ship. Gamache does a bit of traveling through Canada and Europe to solve this one, but fear not, the Three Pine characters are back.
As always, her latest release is captivating. I highly recommend it.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
I was delighted to receive this book as part of a GoodReads giveaway. I am a fan of Louise Penny and eagerly await the return to Three Pines when the next book is released. Penny crafts her books carefully, following the threads, the leads, and even the inner thoughts of the investigators as they seek to unravel the mystery. This quote from page 148 says it well. Armand Gamache is explaining the investigation to a person of interest, and says “A murder investigation is never linear…We need to follow up on all sorts of leads, however tenuous.”
And the leads they follow lead to before the First World War as the motive for the murder slowly unfolds.
An engaging read.
And the leads they follow lead to before the First World War as the motive for the murder slowly unfolds.
An engaging read.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
Miss Wolcott's Ghost by Louise Penny
The story moves at a steady pace with a complex plot, attention to detail, and well-developed characters. Engaging dialogue, secrets revealed slowly, building tension, and left me yearning for more. I was engrossed from the first page until the last.
Overall, I found Miss Wolcott's Ghost quite enjoyable. A great addition to the Inspector Gamache series. Fans of Louise Penny will not be disappointed. I look forward to more in this series. I highly recommend this good read.
The story moves at a steady pace with a complex plot, attention to detail, and well-developed characters. Engaging dialogue, secrets revealed slowly, building tension, and left me yearning for more. I was engrossed from the first page until the last.
Overall, I found Miss Wolcott's Ghost quite enjoyable. A great addition to the Inspector Gamache series. Fans of Louise Penny will not be disappointed. I look forward to more in this series. I highly recommend this good read.
September 13, 2026
Such a joy to read another well written novel by Louise Penny. Love the characters, setting and impressive plot. Reading her books are like returning to a welcoming home.
September 15, 2026
I was thrilled to win an advanced copy from the publisher — thanks @Minotaur_Books! This was a delightful read, full of the complex humanity that @LouisePennyAuthor depicts so compassionately.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews