


"I've upset readers by killing off characters. But on the other side of the sword is that you can get it in the neck if you don't meet those desires or you do something unexpected. "It's like that double-edged sword, where the dream is that people will feel ownership of the characters, of the setting and that it will be so important to them that they care. The series is primarily set in the Eastern Townships and the community of Three Pines - but this one is set in Paris. The Next Chapter 16:49 Louise Penny on "Glass Houses" Louise Penny on the latest book in her Chief Inspector Armand Gamache mystery series. I understood that would be a risk, but it was one I had to take." "This book, for instance, isn't set in the normal setting. I worry that a book won't be well-received and all of those human things certainly. It hurts my feelings if I get a bad review. That's their choice. I can't be dictated to, but I am aware. "If readers want to follow along and agree, that's great - and it's okay if they don't. I understood that would be a risk, but it was one I had to take. This book isn't set in the normal setting. I generally write a book that I would read and, at this point in the life of the characters, it's about what makes sense for the development of these characters. "It's a factor, but I don't write books with that in mind. One is that when I write a book, I'm not driven by whether the readers like it.

"Yes! I wish I could say it doesn't matter, but it does. Penny spoke with CBC Books about career longevity and her approach to crime fiction.ĭo book sales, awards and the success of the Armand Gamache series offer validation to you as a writer?
