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{{Short description|Canadian author}}
{{Short description|Canadian author (born 1958)}}
{{Infobox writer <!-- for more information see [[:Template:Infobox writer/doc]] -->
{{Infobox writer <!-- for more information see [[:Template:Infobox writer/doc]] -->
| name = Louise Penny
| name = Louise Penny
|honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=CAN|CM|OQ|size=100%}}
| image = LouisePenny2.jpg
| image = LouisePenny2.jpg
| caption = Louise Penny in 2009
| caption = Louise Penny in 2009.
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1958|7|1|mf=yes}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1958|7|1}}<ref name="CanEnc" />
| birth_place = [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]], Canada
| birth_place = [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]], Canada
| nationality = [[Canadians|Canadian]]
| nationality = [[Canadians|Canadian]]
| education = Bachelor of Applied Arts
| education = Bachelor of Applied Arts
| alma_mater = [[Ryerson University]]
| alma_mater = [[Ryerson Polytechnical Institute]]
| occupation = [[Novelist]]
| occupation = [[Novelist]]
| language = [[English language|English]]
| language = [[English language|English]]
| period = 2005–present
| period = 2005–present
| genre = [[Mystery fiction]]
| genre = [[Mystery fiction]]
| notableworks = [[Chief Inspector Armand Gamache|Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series]]
| notableworks = [[Chief Inspector Armand Gamache|''Chief Inspector Armand Gamache'' (''Three Pines Mysteries'') series]]
| spouse = Michael Whitehead
| spouse = Michael Whitehead
| website = {{URL|http://www.louisepenny.com}}
| website = {{URL|http://www.louisepenny.com}}
}}
}}
⚫
'''Louise Penny''' (born July 1, 1958)<ref name="CanEnc" /> {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|CM}} {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|OQ}} is a Canadian [[author]] of [[mystery novel]]s set in the Canadian province of [[Quebec]] centred on the work of [[francophone]] [[Chief Inspector Armand Gamache]] of the [[Sûreté du Québec]]. Penny's first career was as a radio broadcaster for the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] (CBC). After she turned to writing, she won numerous awards for her work, including the [[Agatha Award]] for best mystery novel of the year five times, including four consecutive years (2007–2010), and the [[Anthony Awards|Anthony Award]] for best novel of the year five times, including four consecutive years (2010–2013). Her novels have been published in 23 languages.


⚫
==Early life and career with the CBC==
⚫
'''Louise Penny''' {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|CM}} {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|OQ}} (born July 1, 1958) is a Canadian [[author]] of [[mystery novel]]s set in the Canadian province of [[Quebec]] centred on the work of [[francophone]] [[Chief Inspector Armand Gamache]] of the [[Sûreté du Québec]]. Penny's first career was as a radio broadcaster for the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] (CBC). After she turned to writing, she won numerous awards for her work, including the [[Agatha Award]] for best mystery novel of the year five times, including four consecutive years (2007–2010), and the [[Anthony Awards|Anthony Award]] for best novel of the year five times, including four consecutive years (2010–2013). Her novels have been published in 23 languages.
⚫
Penny was born in Toronto, Canada,<ref name="Penny">{{cite web|title=About Louise Penny|year=2008|publisher=LouisePenny.com| url=http://www.louisepenny.com/louise.htm}}</ref> on July 1, 1958.<ref name="CanEnc">{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Louise Penny |encyclopedia=The Canadian Encyclopedia |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/louise-penny |last=Napier |first=Jim}}</ref><ref name="fantastic">{{cite web|title=Louise Penny|year=2008|publisher=Fantastic Fiction| url=http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/p/louise-penny/}}</ref> Her mother was an avid reader of both fiction and non-fiction, with a particular liking for crime fiction,<ref name=wagner>{{Cite news|last=Wagner |first=Vit |title=What led them to a life of crime |newspaper=Toronto Star |location=Toronto ON, Canada |publisher=Torstar Inc. |date=October 15, 2010|url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/books/article/875817--what-led-them-to-a-life-of-crime |access-date=October 18, 2010}}</ref>

⚫
==Early life and career with CBC==
⚫
Penny was born in Toronto, Canada,<ref name="Penny">{{cite web|title=About Louise Penny|year=2008|publisher=LouisePenny.com| url=http://www.louisepenny.com/louise.htm}}</ref> in 1958.<ref name="fantastic">{{cite web|title=Louise Penny|year=2008|publisher=Fantastic Fiction| url=http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/p/louise-penny/}}</ref> Her mother was an avid reader of both fiction and non-fiction, with a particular liking for crime fiction,<ref name=wagner>{{Cite news|last=Wagner |first=Vit |title=What led them to a life of crime |newspaper=Toronto Star |location=Toronto ON, Canada |publisher=Torstar Inc. |date=October 15, 2010|url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/books/article/875817--what-led-them-to-a-life-of-crime |access-date=October 18, 2010}}</ref>
and Louise grew up reading mystery writers such as [[Agatha Christie]], [[Georges Simenon]], [[Dorothy L. Sayers]], and [[Michael Innes]].<ref name=wagner />
and Louise grew up reading mystery writers such as [[Agatha Christie]], [[Georges Simenon]], [[Dorothy L. Sayers]], and [[Michael Innes]].<ref name=wagner />


Penny earned a Bachelor of Applied Arts (Radio and Television) from [[Ryerson Polytechnical Institute]] (now [[Toronto Metropolitan University]]) in 1979.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Agony and the Ecstacy: 1979 RTA Yearbook|year=1979 |location=Toronto}}</ref> After graduation, aged 21, she embarked on an 18-year career as a radio host and journalist with the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] (CBC).<ref name="CBC">{{cite news|title=Louise Penny up for best crime novel award|publisher=CBC News| url=http://www.cbc.ca/arts/books/story/2008/04/30/crimewriting-awards.html|date=April 30, 2008}}</ref> At the start of her broadcasting career, Penny took postings at locations far from friends and family, and to help deal with feelings of loneliness and isolation, she increasingly turned to alcohol. At the age of 35, she admitted to an alcohol problem, and has been sober since.<ref name=quill>{{Cite web |last=Yanofsky |first=Joel |title=Louise Penny's second chance: How a troubled past gives her mystery novels an edge |website=[[Quill & Quire]] |date=November 2007 |url=http://www.quillandquire.com/authors/profile.cfm?article_id=8086 |access-date=August 12, 2010}}</ref> Shortly afterwards, she met her future husband, Michael Whitehead, head of [[hematology]] at [[Montreal Children's Hospital]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://publications.mcgill.ca/medenews/2016/09/29/in-memoriam-v-michael-whitehead-1934-2016/|title=In Memoriam: V. Michael Whitehead (1934-2016)|work=McGill Med e-news|access-date=June 18, 2018}}</ref> on a [[dating|blind date]].<ref name=quill />
Penny earned a Bachelor of Applied Arts (Radio and Television) from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute (now [[Toronto Metropolitan University]]) in 1979.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Agony and the Ecstacy: 1979 RTA Yearbook|year=1979 |location=Toronto}}</ref> After graduation, aged 21, she embarked on an 18-year career as a radio host and journalist with the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] (CBC).<ref name="CBC">{{cite news|title=Louise Penny up for best crime novel award|publisher=CBC News| url=http://www.cbc.ca/arts/books/story/2008/04/30/crimewriting-awards.html|date=April 30, 2008}}</ref>


==Literary career==
==Literary career==
Penny left the CBC after 18 years to take up writing.<ref name="quill"/> She started a historical novel but had difficulty finishing it, and eventually switched to mystery writing.<ref name=quill /> She entered her first novel, ''Still Life'', in the "Debut Dagger" competition in the United Kingdom, placing second out of 800 entries.<ref name=quill /> The novel won other awards, including the "New Blood" [[Crime Writers' Association|Dagger]] award in the United Kingdom, the [[Arthur Ellis Award]] in Canada for best first crime novel, the [[Dilys Award]],<ref name="Books">{{cite web|title=Louise Penny Books|year=2008|publisher=LouisePenny.com| url=http://www.louisepenny.com/books.htm}}</ref> the [[Anthony Award]] and the [[Barry Award (for crime novels)|Barry Award]] for Best First Novel in the United States.
Penny left the CBC in 1996 to take up writing.<ref name="quill"/> She started a historical novel but had difficulty finishing it, and eventually switched to mystery writing.<ref name=quill /> She entered her first novel, ''Still Life'', in the "Debut Dagger" competition in the United Kingdom, placing second out of 800 entries.<ref name=quill /> The novel won other awards, including the "New Blood" [[Crime Writers' Association|Dagger]] award in the United Kingdom, the [[Arthur Ellis Award]] in Canada for best first crime novel, the [[Dilys Award]],<ref name="Books">{{cite web|title=Louise Penny Books|year=2008|publisher=LouisePenny.com| url=http://www.louisepenny.com/books.htm}}</ref> the [[Anthony Award]] and the [[Barry Award (for crime novels)|Barry Award]] for Best First Novel in the United States.


Penny continues to write, garnering major crime novel award nominations for almost every one of her novels and subsequently winning several of those awards.<ref name=Books />
Penny continues to write, garnering major crime novel award nominations for almost every one of her novels and subsequently winning several of those awards.<ref name=Books />
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In 2009, Penny helped to launch a new award for aspiring Canadian mystery writers, the Unhanged Arthur for Best Unpublished First Novel.<ref name="quill"/>
In 2009, Penny helped to launch a new award for aspiring Canadian mystery writers, the Unhanged Arthur for Best Unpublished First Novel.<ref name="quill"/>

==Personal life==
Penny currently lives in [[Knowlton, Quebec|Knowlton]], a small village in Quebec's [[Eastern Townships]] about 100&nbsp;km from [[Montreal]], Quebec.<ref name="Penny"/> Her husband, Michael, died on September 18, 2016.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/michael-whitehead-obit-1.3769676 |title=Dr. Michael Whitehead, husband of author Louise Penny, dead at 82 |first1=Sabrina |last1=Marandola |date=September 19, 2016 |website=CBC News |access-date=January 14, 2019}}</ref>
At the start of her broadcasting career, Penny took postings at locations far from friends and family, and to help deal with feelings of loneliness and isolation, she increasingly turned to alcohol. At the age of 35, she admitted to an alcohol problem and has been sober since.<ref name=quill>{{Cite web |last=Yanofsky |first=Joel |title=Louise Penny's second chance: How a troubled past gives her mystery novels an edge |website=[[Quill & Quire]] |date=November 2007 |url=http://www.quillandquire.com/authors/profile.cfm?article_id=8086 |access-date=August 12, 2010 |archive-date=December 29, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071229171606/http://www.quillandquire.com/authors/profile.cfm?article_id=8086 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Shortly afterwards, she met her future husband, Michael Whitehead, head of [[hematology]] at [[Montreal Children's Hospital]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://publications.mcgill.ca/medenews/2016/09/29/in-memoriam-v-michael-whitehead-1934-2016/|title=In Memoriam: V. Michael Whitehead (1934-2016)|work=McGill Med e-news|access-date=June 18, 2018|archive-date=April 29, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170429200800/http://publications.mcgill.ca/medenews/2016/09/29/in-memoriam-v-michael-whitehead-1934-2016/|url-status=dead}}</ref> on a [[blind date]].<ref name=quill /> Whitehead was diagnosed with dementia in 2013 and Penny took on the role as his primary caregiver.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Schwartz |first=Susan |date=October 18, 2019 |title=Author Louise Penny gets personal about life, loss and death |url=https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/author-louise-penny-gets-very-personal-about-her-husbands-death |access-date=January 29, 2024 |work=Montreal Gazette}}</ref> He died on September 18, 2016.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/michael-whitehead-obit-1.3769676 |title=Dr. Michael Whitehead, husband of author Louise Penny, dead at 82 |first1=Sabrina |last1=Marandola |date=September 19, 2016 |website=CBC News |access-date=January 14, 2019}}</ref>

Penny currently lives in [[Knowlton, Quebec|Knowlton]], a small village in Quebec's [[Eastern Townships]] about 100&nbsp;km from [[Montreal]], Quebec.<ref name="Penny"/>


==Honours==
==Honours==
In 2013, she was made a Member of the [[Order of Canada]] "for her contributions to Canadian culture as an author shining a spotlight on the Eastern Townships of Quebec".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gg.ca/document.aspx?id=15482&lan=eng|title=Governor General Announces 90 New Appointments to the Order of Canada|date=December 30, 2013}}</ref> In 2017 she was made a Member of the [[Order of Quebec]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ordre-national.gouv.qc.ca/membres/membre.asp?id=3364|title=Louise Penny – Ordre national du Québec}}</ref>
In 2013, she was made a Member of the [[Order of Canada]] "for her contributions to Canadian culture as an author shining a spotlight on the Eastern Townships of Quebec".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gg.ca/document.aspx?id=15482&lan=eng|title=Governor General Announces 90 New Appointments to the Order of Canada|date=December 30, 2013}}</ref> In 2017 she was made a Member of the [[Order of Quebec]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ordre-national.gouv.qc.ca/membres/membre.asp?id=3364|title=Louise Penny – Ordre national du Québec}}</ref>


==Movie adaptations==
==Adaptations{{anchor|Movie adaptations}}==
For several years, Penny resisted selling the TV or movie rights to her books, afraid of losing creative control of her characters.<ref name=gazette >{{cite news|last=Kelly|first=Brendan|title=Louise Penny's detective novels get small-screen treatment from CBC-TV|newspaper=Montreal Gazette|location=Montreal|date=November 2, 2012|url= https://montrealgazette.com/Louise+Penny+detective+novels+small+screen+treatment+from/7491026/story.html|access-date=November 3, 2012}}</ref> However, when approached by PDM Entertainment and Attraction Images and offered a position as executive producer during film production, she changed her mind and agreed to sell them the rights to her first two novels.<ref name=gazette /> ''Still Life'' went into production in the fall of 2012, with British actor [[Nathaniel Parker]] cast as Chief Inspector Gamache.<ref name=gazette /> The movie aired on [[CBC Television|CBC TV]] in 2013.<ref name=gazette /> In September 2021, production of ''Three Pines'' began in Montreal and rural Quebec, starring [[Alfred Molina]].<ref>{{cite web | title=Amazon Prime Video and Left Bank Pictures Begin Production on the Scripted Canadian Amazon Original Drama Series Three Pines | website=Yahoo Finance | url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/amazon-prime-video-left-bank-160000539.html | access-date=September 2, 2021}}</ref>
For several years, Penny resisted selling the TV or movie rights to her books, afraid of losing creative control of her characters.<ref name=gazette >{{cite news|last=Kelly|first=Brendan|title=Louise Penny's detective novels get small-screen treatment from CBC-TV|newspaper=Montreal Gazette|location=Montreal|date=November 2, 2012|url=https://montrealgazette.com/Louise+Penny+detective+novels+small+screen+treatment+from/7491026/story.html|access-date=November 3, 2012}}{{Dead link|date=March 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> However, when approached by PDM Entertainment and Attraction Images and offered a position as executive producer during film production, she changed her mind and agreed to sell them the rights to her first two novels.<ref name=gazette /> ''Still Life'' went into production in the fall of 2012, with British actor [[Nathaniel Parker]] cast as Chief Inspector Gamache.<ref name=gazette /> The movie aired on [[CBC Television|CBC TV]] in 2013.<ref name=gazette /> In September 2021, production of ''[[Three Pines]]'' began in Montreal and rural Quebec, starring [[Alfred Molina]].<ref>{{cite web | title=Amazon Prime Video and Left Bank Pictures Begin Production on the Scripted Canadian Amazon Original Drama Series Three Pines | website=Yahoo Finance | url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/amazon-prime-video-left-bank-160000539.html | access-date=September 2, 2021}}</ref> After airing only one season, the series was cancelled by [[Amazon Prime Video|Prime Video]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dowling |first1=Amber |title=Prime Video Cancels Alfred Molina-Led 'Three Pines' After One Season |url=https://variety.com/2023/tv/global/three-pines-season-2-canceled-amazon-prime-video-1235552429/ |access-date=2023-04-23 |website=Variety |date=13 March 2023 |publisher=Penske Media Corporation}}</ref>


== Works ==
== Works ==
=== Inspector Gamache series ===
{{main|Chief Inspector Armand Gamache}}
{{main|Chief Inspector Armand Gamache}}
* ''[[Still Life (novel)|Still Life]]'' (2005) – Winner of the [[CWA New Blood Dagger|New Blood Dagger]] award, the [[Arthur Ellis Award]], the [[Dilys Award]],<ref name="Books"/> the [[Bouchercon XXXVIII|2007 Anthony Award]], and the [[Barry Award (for crime novels)|Barry Award]]
* ''[[Still Life (Penny novel)|Still Life]]'' (2005) – Winner of the [[CWA New Blood Dagger|New Blood Dagger]] award, the [[Arthur Ellis Award]], the [[Dilys Award]],<ref name="Books"/> the [[Bouchercon XXXVIII|2007 Anthony Award]], and the [[Barry Award (for crime novels)|Barry Award]]
* ''[[A Fatal Grace (Novel)|A Fatal Grace]]'' (Alternate title: ''Dead Cold'')<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.louisepenny.com/books.htm|title=Louise Penny Author - Official site|website=www.louisepenny.com|access-date=January 14, 2019}}</ref> (2007) – Winner of the 2007 [[Agatha Award]]<ref name="agatha">{{cite web|title=Agatha Awards |year=2008 |publisher=Malice Domestic |url=http://www.malicedomestic.org/agathaawards.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170121111008/http://www.malicedomestic.org/agathaawards.html |archive-date=January 21, 2017 }}</ref>
* ''[[A Fatal Grace (Novel)|A Fatal Grace]]'' (Alternate title: ''Dead Cold'' and ''White Out'' as the television episode)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.louisepenny.com/books.htm|title=Louise Penny Author - Official site|website=www.louisepenny.com|access-date=January 14, 2019}}</ref> (2007) – Winner of the 2007 [[Agatha Award]]<ref name="agatha">{{cite web|title=Agatha Awards |year=2008 |publisher=Malice Domestic |url=http://www.malicedomestic.org/agathaawards.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170121111008/http://www.malicedomestic.org/agathaawards.html |archive-date=January 21, 2017 }}</ref>
* ''[[The Cruelest Month]]'' (2008) – Winner of the 2008 [[Agatha Award]];<ref name=Penny /> nominated for the [[Bouchercon XL|2009 Anthony]], the 2008 [[Macavity Awards|Macavity Award]], and the 2008 [[Barry Award (for crime novels)|Barry Award]]
* ''[[The Cruelest Month]]'' (2008) – Winner of the 2008 [[Agatha Award]];<ref name=Penny /> nominated for the [[Bouchercon XL|2009 Anthony]], the 2008 [[Macavity Awards|Macavity Award]], and the 2008 [[Barry Award (for crime novels)|Barry Award]]
* ''The Murder Stone'' (''A Rule Against Murder'' in U.S.) (2009) – Nominated for an [[Arthur Ellis Award]]<ref>{{cite news|title=Linwood Barclay, Louise Penny touted for best Canadian crime novel |publisher=CBC News |date=April 24, 2009|url= http://www.cbc.ca/arts/books/story/2009/04/23/canadian-mystery-awards.html?ref=rss |access-date=April 24, 2009}}</ref>
* ''The Murder Stone'' (''A Rule Against Murder'' in U.S.) (2009) – Nominated for an [[Arthur Ellis Award]]<ref>{{cite news|title=Linwood Barclay, Louise Penny touted for best Canadian crime novel |publisher=CBC News |date=April 24, 2009|url= http://www.cbc.ca/arts/books/story/2009/04/23/canadian-mystery-awards.html?ref=rss |access-date=April 24, 2009}}</ref>
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* ''[[Bury Your Dead (novel)|Bury Your Dead]]'' (2010) – Winner of the 2010 [[Agatha Award]],<ref>{{cite news|title=Quebec's Louise Penny 'thrilled' by 4th Agatha Award|publisher=CBC News |date=May 2, 2011|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/story/2011/05/01/penny-agatha-award.html |access-date=May 2, 2011}}</ref> the [[Bouchercon XLII|2011 Anthony Award]], the 2011 [[Macavity Awards|Macavity Award]], the 2011 [[Arthur Ellis Award]],<ref>{{cite news|title=Louise Penny nabs crime-writing prize|publisher=CBC News |date=June 3, 2011|url= http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/06/02/crime-writing-awards.html |access-date=June 3, 2011}}</ref> and the 2011 [[Nero Award]]
* ''[[Bury Your Dead (novel)|Bury Your Dead]]'' (2010) – Winner of the 2010 [[Agatha Award]],<ref>{{cite news|title=Quebec's Louise Penny 'thrilled' by 4th Agatha Award|publisher=CBC News |date=May 2, 2011|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/story/2011/05/01/penny-agatha-award.html |access-date=May 2, 2011}}</ref> the [[Bouchercon XLII|2011 Anthony Award]], the 2011 [[Macavity Awards|Macavity Award]], the 2011 [[Arthur Ellis Award]],<ref>{{cite news|title=Louise Penny nabs crime-writing prize|publisher=CBC News |date=June 3, 2011|url= http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/06/02/crime-writing-awards.html |access-date=June 3, 2011}}</ref> and the 2011 [[Nero Award]]
* ''[[A Trick of the Light (novel)|A Trick of the Light]]'' (2011) – Nominated for a [[Macavity]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bookreporter.com/features/awards/the-macavity-awards-2012-nominees |title=The Macavity Awards 2012 Nominees |website=Book Reporter.com}}</ref> an [[Anthony Award]],<ref>[http://www.bouchercon.info/nominees.html#2012 Anthony Awards Winners and Nominees] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207060829/http://www.bouchercon.info/nominees.html |date=February 7, 2012 }}, Bouchercon info</ref> and an [[Agatha Award]]<ref>[http://www.malicedomestic.org/agathaawards.html#a2011 Agatha Award nominees] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170121111008/http://www.malicedomestic.org/agathaawards.html |date=January 21, 2017}}, Malice Domestic.com.</ref>
* ''[[A Trick of the Light (novel)|A Trick of the Light]]'' (2011) – Nominated for a [[Macavity]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bookreporter.com/features/awards/the-macavity-awards-2012-nominees |title=The Macavity Awards 2012 Nominees |website=Book Reporter.com}}</ref> an [[Anthony Award]],<ref>[http://www.bouchercon.info/nominees.html#2012 Anthony Awards Winners and Nominees] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207060829/http://www.bouchercon.info/nominees.html |date=February 7, 2012 }}, Bouchercon info</ref> and an [[Agatha Award]]<ref>[http://www.malicedomestic.org/agathaawards.html#a2011 Agatha Award nominees] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170121111008/http://www.malicedomestic.org/agathaawards.html |date=January 21, 2017}}, Malice Domestic.com.</ref>
* ''The Hangman'' (2011) – [[novella]]
* ''The Hangman'' (2011) – A novella in the Inspector Gamache series, written at a third grade level for emerging adult readers.
* ''The Beautiful Mystery'' (2012) – Winner of the 2013 [[Macavity Award]] for Best Mystery<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bookreporter.com/features/awards/macavity-awards-2013 |title=Macavity Awards 2013 |website=Book Reporter.com}}</ref>
* ''The Beautiful Mystery'' (2012) – Winner of the 2013 [[Macavity Award]] for Best Mystery<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bookreporter.com/features/awards/macavity-awards-2013 |title=Macavity Awards 2013 |website=Book Reporter.com}}</ref>
* ''How the Light Gets In'' (2013) – Nominated for an [[Edgar Award]]<ref>{{cite news|title=Louise Penny, Quebec crime writer, shortlisted for the Edgars|publisher=CBC News |date=January 17, 2014|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/louise-penny-quebec-crime-writer-shortlisted-for-the-edgars-1.2500588 |access-date=January 17, 2014}}</ref> and an [[Agatha Award]]<ref name = agatha />
* ''How the Light Gets In'' (2013) – Nominated for an [[Edgar Award]]<ref>{{cite news|title=Louise Penny, Quebec crime writer, shortlisted for the Edgars|publisher=CBC News |date=January 17, 2014|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/louise-penny-quebec-crime-writer-shortlisted-for-the-edgars-1.2500588 |access-date=January 17, 2014}}</ref> and an [[Agatha Award]]<ref name = agatha />
* ''The Long Way Home'' (2014) – Inspector Gamache's friend Clara enlists him to find her missing husband, Peter.
* ''The Long Way Home'' (2014) – Inspector Gamache's friend Clara enlists him to find her missing husband, Peter.
* ''The Nature of the Beast'' (2015) – Quebec ballistics scientist and international artillery expert [[Gerald Bull]]'s assassination and his supergun are central plot elements.
* ''The Nature of the Beast'' (2015) – Quebec ballistics scientist and international artillery expert [[Gerald Bull]]'s assassination and his supergun are central plot elements – Nominated for an [[Anthony Awards|Anthony Award]], an [[Agatha Award]], and winner of [[Left Coast Crime]]'s<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lefty Award Archives |url=https://leftcoastcrime.org/LeftyArchives.html |access-date=2024-01-29 |website=leftcoastcrime.org}}</ref> Best World Mystery
* ''A Great Reckoning'' (2016) – A map found in the walls of the local Three Pines bistro leads Gamache to shattering secrets on his new job as the superintendent of the Surete Academy.
* ''A Great Reckoning'' (2016) – A map found in the walls of the local Three Pines bistro leads Gamache to shattering secrets on his new job as the superintendent of the [[Sûreté du Québec|Sûreté Academy]].
* ''Glass Houses'' (2017) – A dark figure appears in Three Pines and leads Gamache to an old wives tale and murder.
* ''Glass Houses'' (2017) – A dark figure appears in Three Pines and leads Gamache to an old wives' tale and murder.
* ''Kingdom of the Blind'' (2018) – Gamache, Myrna and a young builder are named executors of a will for a woman none of them has ever met.
* ''Kingdom of the Blind'' (2018) – Gamache, Myrna and a young builder are named executors of a will for a woman none of them has ever met.
*''A Better Man'' (2019)
*''A Better Man'' (2019)
* ''All the Devils Are Here'' (2020) – set in Paris – Winner of the 2020 [[Agatha Award]] for Best Contemporary Novel<ref>{{Cite news |last=Qiao |first=Vicky |date=July 21, 2021 |title=Louise Penny wins Agatha Award for best contemporary mystery novel for All the Devils Are Here |url=https://www.cbc.ca/books/louise-penny-wins-agatha-award-for-best-contemporary-mystery-novel-for-all-the-devils-are-here-1.6111435 |access-date=January 29, 2024 |work=CBC}}</ref>
* ''All the Devils Are Here'' (2020) -- set in Paris.
* ''The Madness of Crowds'' (2021)
* ''The Madness of Crowds'' (2021)
⚫
* ''[[A World of Curiosities]]'' (2022)
* ''The Grey Wolf'' (2024)

=== Other works ===
* ''[[State of Terror]]'' (2021), co-written with [[Hillary Clinton]]
* ''[[State of Terror]]'' (2021), co-written with [[Hillary Clinton]]
⚫
* ''A World of Curiosities'' (2022)


==References==
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* Ledford-Miller, Linda. "The Dangers of Village Life: The Novels of Louise Penny". ''The Nashwaak Review'' [https://www.stu.ca/english/the-nashwaak-review/] 38–39 (January 2018): 297–313.
* Ledford-Miller, Linda. "The Dangers of Village Life: The Novels of Louise Penny". ''The Nashwaak Review'' [https://www.stu.ca/english/the-nashwaak-review/] 38–39 (January 2018): 297–313.


==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category|Louise Penny}}
{{Commons category|Louise Penny}}
*[http://www.louisepenny.com Official Website]
* [http://www.louisepenny.com Official Website]
*[http://us.macmillan.com/author/louisepenny St. Martin's Author Profile]
* [http://us.macmillan.com/author/louisepenny St. Martin's Author Profile]
* Feature in SHOTS Crime & Thriller Ezine [http://www.shotsmag.co.uk/feature_view.aspx?FEATURE_ID=16 "Louise Penny Tells All"]
* Feature in SHOTS Crime & Thriller Ezine [http://www.shotsmag.co.uk/feature_view.aspx?FEATURE_ID=16 "Louise Penny Tells All"]
* {{IMDb name|5123910}}
* {{IMDb name|5123910}}


{{Inspector Gamache series}}
{{Agatha Award}}
{{Agatha Award}}

{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}


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[[Category:Toronto Metropolitan University alumni]]
[[Category:Toronto Metropolitan University alumni]]
[[Category:Dilys Award winners]]
[[Category:Dilys Award winners]]
[[Category:Women mystery writers]]
[[Category:Canadian women mystery writers]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of Canada]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of Canada]]
[[Category:Inspector Gamache]]

Latest revision as of 02:26, 7 April 2024

Louise Penny

CM OQ
Louise Penny in 2009.
Louise Penny in 2009.
Born (1958-07-01) July 1, 1958 (age 65)[1]
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
OccupationNovelist
LanguageEnglish
NationalityCanadian
EducationBachelor of Applied Arts
Alma materRyerson Polytechnical Institute
Period2005–present
GenreMystery fiction
Notable worksChief Inspector Armand Gamache (Three Pines Mysteries) series
SpouseMichael Whitehead
Website
www.louisepenny.com

Louise Penny (born July 1, 1958)[1] CM OQ is a Canadian author of mystery novels set in the Canadian province of Quebec centred on the work of francophone Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec. Penny's first career was as a radio broadcaster for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). After she turned to writing, she won numerous awards for her work, including the Agatha Award for best mystery novel of the year five times, including four consecutive years (2007–2010), and the Anthony Award for best novel of the year five times, including four consecutive years (2010–2013). Her novels have been published in 23 languages.

Early life and career with the CBC[edit]

Penny was born in Toronto, Canada,[2] on July 1, 1958.[1][3] Her mother was an avid reader of both fiction and non-fiction, with a particular liking for crime fiction,[4] and Louise grew up reading mystery writers such as Agatha Christie, Georges Simenon, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Michael Innes.[4]

Penny earned a Bachelor of Applied Arts (Radio and Television) from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute (now Toronto Metropolitan University) in 1979.[5] After graduation, aged 21, she embarked on an 18-year career as a radio host and journalist with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).[6]

Literary career[edit]

Penny left the CBC in 1996 to take up writing.[7] She started a historical novel but had difficulty finishing it, and eventually switched to mystery writing.[7] She entered her first novel, Still Life, in the "Debut Dagger" competition in the United Kingdom, placing second out of 800 entries.[7] The novel won other awards, including the "New Blood" Dagger award in the United Kingdom, the Arthur Ellis Award in Canada for best first crime novel, the Dilys Award,[8] the Anthony Award and the Barry Award for Best First Novel in the United States.

Penny continues to write, garnering major crime novel award nominations for almost every one of her novels and subsequently winning several of those awards.[8]

Her work features Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, head of the homicide department of the Sûreté du Québec.[9] The novels are set in the province of Quebec but feature many hallmarks of the British whodunit genre, including murders by unconventional means, bucolic villages, large casts of suspects, red herrings, and a dramatic disclosure of the murderer in the last few pages of the book.[10]

In 2009, Penny helped to launch a new award for aspiring Canadian mystery writers, the Unhanged Arthur for Best Unpublished First Novel.[7]

Personal life[edit]

At the start of her broadcasting career, Penny took postings at locations far from friends and family, and to help deal with feelings of loneliness and isolation, she increasingly turned to alcohol. At the age of 35, she admitted to an alcohol problem and has been sober since.[7] Shortly afterwards, she met her future husband, Michael Whitehead, head of hematology at Montreal Children's Hospital,[11] on a blind date.[7] Whitehead was diagnosed with dementia in 2013 and Penny took on the role as his primary caregiver.[12] He died on September 18, 2016.[13]

Penny currently lives in Knowlton, a small village in Quebec's Eastern Townships about 100 km from Montreal, Quebec.[2]

Honours[edit]

In 2013, she was made a Member of the Order of Canada "for her contributions to Canadian culture as an author shining a spotlight on the Eastern Townships of Quebec".[14] In 2017 she was made a Member of the Order of Quebec.[15]

Adaptations[edit]

For several years, Penny resisted selling the TV or movie rights to her books, afraid of losing creative control of her characters.[16] However, when approached by PDM Entertainment and Attraction Images and offered a position as executive producer during film production, she changed her mind and agreed to sell them the rights to her first two novels.[16] Still Life went into production in the fall of 2012, with British actor Nathaniel Parker cast as Chief Inspector Gamache.[16] The movie aired on CBC TV in 2013.[16] In September 2021, production of Three Pines began in Montreal and rural Quebec, starring Alfred Molina.[17] After airing only one season, the series was cancelled by Prime Video.[18]

Works[edit]

Inspector Gamache series[edit]

Main article: Chief Inspector Armand Gamache

Other works[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Napier, Jim. "Louise Penny". The Canadian Encyclopedia.
  2. ^ a b c "About Louise Penny". LouisePenny.com. 2008.
  3. ^ "Louise Penny". Fantastic Fiction. 2008.
  4. ^ a b Wagner, Vit (October 15, 2010). "What led them to a life of crime". Toronto Star. Toronto ON, Canada: Torstar Inc. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  5. ^ The Agony and the Ecstacy: 1979 RTA Yearbook. Toronto. 1979.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  6. ^ "Louise Penny up for best crime novel award". CBC News. April 30, 2008.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Yanofsky, Joel (November 2007). "Louise Penny's second chance: How a troubled past gives her mystery novels an edge". Quill & Quire. Archived from the original on December 29, 2007. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
  8. ^ a b c "Louise Penny Books". LouisePenny.com. 2008.
  9. ^ "Quebec's Louise Penny shortlisted for Agatha mystery award". CBC News. February 20, 2010. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
  10. ^ "Whodunit". Knowledge Rush. 2009. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
  11. ^ "In Memoriam: V. Michael Whitehead (1934-2016)". McGill Med e-news. Archived from the original on April 29, 2017. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  12. ^ Schwartz, Susan (October 18, 2019). "Author Louise Penny gets personal about life, loss and death". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
  13. ^ Marandola, Sabrina (September 19, 2016). "Dr. Michael Whitehead, husband of author Louise Penny, dead at 82". CBC News. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  14. ^ "Governor General Announces 90 New Appointments to the Order of Canada". December 30, 2013.
  15. ^ "Louise Penny – Ordre national du Québec".
  16. ^ a b c d Kelly, Brendan (November 2, 2012). "Louise Penny's detective novels get small-screen treatment from CBC-TV". Montreal Gazette. Montreal. Retrieved November 3, 2012.[permanent dead link]
  17. ^ "Amazon Prime Video and Left Bank Pictures Begin Production on the Scripted Canadian Amazon Original Drama Series Three Pines". Yahoo Finance. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  18. ^ Dowling, Amber (13 March 2023). "Prime Video Cancels Alfred Molina-Led 'Three Pines' After One Season". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
  19. ^ "Louise Penny Author - Official site". www.louisepenny.com. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  20. ^ a b "Agatha Awards". Malice Domestic. 2008. Archived from the original on January 21, 2017.
  21. ^ "Linwood Barclay, Louise Penny touted for best Canadian crime novel". CBC News. April 24, 2009. Retrieved April 24, 2009.
  22. ^ "Louise Penny wins Agatha for best mystery". CBC News: Books. May 3, 2010. Retrieved May 18, 2010.
  23. ^ "Quebec's Louise Penny 'thrilled' by 4th Agatha Award". CBC News. May 2, 2011. Retrieved May 2, 2011.
  24. ^ "Louise Penny nabs crime-writing prize". CBC News. June 3, 2011. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
  25. ^ "The Macavity Awards 2012 Nominees". Book Reporter.com.
  26. ^ Anthony Awards Winners and Nominees Archived February 7, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Bouchercon info
  27. ^ Agatha Award nominees Archived January 21, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, Malice Domestic.com.
  28. ^ "Macavity Awards 2013". Book Reporter.com.
  29. ^ "Louise Penny, Quebec crime writer, shortlisted for the Edgars". CBC News. January 17, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  30. ^ "Lefty Award Archives". leftcoastcrime.org. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
  31. ^ Qiao, Vicky (July 21, 2021). "Louise Penny wins Agatha Award for best contemporary mystery novel for All the Devils Are Here". CBC. Retrieved January 29, 2024.

Further reading[edit]

  • Ledford-Miller, Linda. "The Dangers of Village Life: The Novels of Louise Penny". The Nashwaak Review [1] 38–39 (January 2018): 297–313.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Louise Penny.
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