The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny
Two dozen cloistered monks live in solitude and seclusion at the monastery of Saint-Gilbert-Entre-les-Loups in the remote forest of Quebec; no strangers are ever allowed there. They raise chickens, farm veggies, and produce chocolate. They also sing. Ironically, for a community that has vowed to keep silent, the monks have achieved worldwide fame for their exquisite voices, cultivated through the study of ancient chants whose profound influence on singer and listener is known as “the beautiful mystery.”
However, the lock on the great wooden entrance of the monastery is pulled back after the renowned choir director is killed, allowing Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and Jean-Guy Beauvoir of the Sûreté du Québec entry. They find unease there amid the silence and discord amid what appears to be harmony. In this life of prayer and reflection, one of the brothers has thought of killing. Gamache is forced to face some of his personal demons as well as those that are prowling the remote hallways as the monastery’s sense of tranquillity disintegrates. The Chief must first take into account the divine, the human, and the spaces in between before identifying the murderer and reestablishing harmony.
The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny
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It’s not the NFL, therefore abbots don’t scout out potential players from one monastery to the next! This is discouraged by the vow of stability I described above: a monk is expected to live out his days in his monastery. This vow is moderated by the vow of obedience, so on occasion, a monk is sent, for instance, to assist in the opening of a new institution. However, no monk has ever left their holy order because of a superior musical selection!
A monastery could not be hidden, as it appears to be. Rome is aware of their whereabouts and is responsible for looking after them. For priestly ordination, a bishop is required. If no one knows that a monastery exists—not even Rome!—how can its business operations be conducted? How can you earn money in the middle of the Quebec forests selling perishable chocolate-covered blueberries?
Instead of congregating around the altar, the choir monks sit in choir stalls, which are long, leaning pews with shelves for their psalters and other books. Two groups of monks face each other during Divine Office chanting and Mass since they are on opposite sides of the main aisle. For the sole reason that the monks observe a strict fast until after mass, conventional mass is not said at 11 o’clock. Since the consecrated hosts reside there, the main chapel is actually called the Blessed Sacrament Chapel instead of “The Blessed Chapel.”
In order to look into a murder at the monastery of Saint-Gilbert-Entre-les-Loups, where a group of reclusive monks had gained celebrity thanks to a recording of their chants, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and Jean-Guy Beauvoir travel to the wilderness of Quebec. The murder has brought to light a split in the monastery between those who want to release a second recording and travel abroad and those who think doing so will harm the monastery’s traditions. When Chief Superintendent Francoeur shows in with the intention of killing Armand, things get more difficult. Francoeur discovers a new route to his goal, and Jean-Guy finds a new love, though it is delicate, just like his recovery. As they carry out their investigation, they discover more about the monks’ lives and possible motives for the murder.
