Cloistered in a remote Northern Quebec monastery, 24 monks of the Gilbertine order, long thought to have vanished altogether, sing glorious Gregorian plainchants and exist happily with minimal contact from the outside world. For hundreds of years, they have remained hidden away, quietly recruiting new members as the need arises. Ironically, given the monks’ vow of silence, music is their focus, their outlet, and their connection to God. The release of a simple, roughly made recording of their chants draws the attention of the world they have secluded themselves from, and drastically changes the climate inside the monastery. When the choirmaster is found murdered in the abbot’s private garden, the reluctant monks have no choice but to call in the police, opening doors long ago sealed shut.

In the eighth instalment of Louise Penny’s Chief Inspector Gamache series, the Arthur Ellis Award–winning author once again adds depth to intrigue by exploring the psychological undercurrents of her protagonists. Not even the monastery’s remote location can prevent the past, riddled with troubles and conspiracies, from impinging upon Gamache and his partner, Inspector Jean-Guy Beauvoir.

Interwoven through the murder investigation are deeper, darker, and more personal mysteries. For readers who are new to the series, Penny deftly incorporates the background histories of her two detectives, allowing details from previous books to appear in a manner that is both comprehensive and pleasingly subtle.

Penny has done her research, and weaves a captivating tale that reaches the very heart of what makes us human: our deep, ancient connection to the sublime, here expressed in music. Through her prose, the essence of the monks’ music comes to life, creating a novel that is rich, beautiful, and difficult to put down.