Louise Penny wins Agatha Award for best contemporary mystery novel for All the Devils Are Here
Louise Penny has won the 2020 Agatha Award for best contemporary novel for All the Devils Are Here.
The awards are named after mystery writer Agatha Christie and recognize excellence in the traditional mystery genre.
All the Devils Are Here is the 16th book in Penny's Inspector Armand Gamache series.
In All the Devils Are Here, Gamache finds himself investigating a sinister plot in Paris. The Gamaches witness the deliberate attack of Amand's godfather, billionaire Stephen Horowitz. The attack results in the family discovering secrets Armand's godfather has kept for decades.
Penny is a Canadian novelist, a former CBC broadcaster and journalist. She is the author of the Inspector Armand Gamache mysteries, including A Better Man, Still Life and Glass Houses. The latest of the series, The Madness of Crowds, will be released in August 2021.
She is also co-writing a thriller with Hilary Clinton. The book is titled State of Terror and will be published on Oct. 12. Clinton is a friend of Penny's and a longtime reader of her work.
Penny was the only Canadian winner of this year's Agatha Awards. The rest of the winning titles are from American authors:
- Best historical novel: The Last Mrs. Summers by Rhys Bowen
- Best first novel: Murder at the Mena House by Erica Ruth Neubauer
- Best short story: Dear Emily Etiquette by Barb Goffman
- Best nonfiction: Phantom Lady by Christina Lane
- Best children's or YA: Holly Hernandez and the Death of Disco by Richie Narvaez
The 2020 Agatha Awards were announced during More Than Malice, a virtual mystery festival.
The awards and festival are presented by Malice Domestic, an annual fan convention that takes place each year in Maryland.
