The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny

This is number 8 in the Chief Inspector Gamache of the Surete du Quebec series, but the first I have read.  It attracted me because of the setting and symbolism.  A monastery set in the wilderness of Quebec with a set of monks who have been forgotten by the church and world until they record their chants and become a sensation.  Their symbol is two wolves, their devotion is to the chants which are explained in wonderful images by the author.

Growing vegetables, picking blueberries to dip in chocolate, raising chickens and singing are the occupations of the holy men and they are cloistered for a life of song, but murder happens in many places and the surroundings do not mask the violence, only the motives and in this case the murderer among the robes.

Visitors do not come to the Monastery, but when murder happens the rules have no option, but to bend and the visitors are the chief inspector and his aid who come in to try and grasp this separate world and the communications that have been perfected with in a society of silence.  It is a challenge and the clues revolve around a piece of paper with ancient notes of chants, but nonsense modern wording and the ancient history of the chants themselves.  It is a complex detection that is complicated when Armand’s own boss and rival appears on the scene, more intent on using the remote situation to try and get revenge for Armand’s work in putting fellow officers behind bars, than in solving the current mystery.

It is obvious that the connection between the second story and the current mystery came in early parts of the series so it might be advisable to read earlier books first if you are a completest who likes to read in sequence, but for me, the issues of the previous mysteries are clear enough that I did not feel like I was really missing something.  In fact, this was a perfect place for the convergence of the two story lines as the holy aspects of the monastery and the conscience of the police also come in play.

In fact, I could hardly go away from this mystery and all its quiet twists.