All the Devils Are Here

Synopsis

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All the Devils Are Here, the 16th novel by #1 bestselling author Louise Penny finds Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Quebec investigating a sinister plot in the City of Light

On their first night in Paris, the Gamaches gather as a family for a bistro dinner with Armand's godfather, the billionaire Stephen Horowitz. Walking home together after the meal, they watch in horror as Stephen is knocked down and critically injured in what Gamache knows is no accident, but a deliberate attempt on the elderly man's life.

When a strange key is found in Stephen's possession it sends Armand, his wife Reine-Marie, and his former second-in-command at the Sûreté, Jean-Guy Beauvoir, from the top of the Tour d'Eiffel, to the bowels of the Paris Archives, from luxury hotels to odd, coded, works of art.

It sends them deep into the secrets Armand's godfather has kept for decades.

A gruesome discovery in Stephen's Paris apartment makes it clear the secrets are more rancid, the danger far greater and more imminent, than they realized.

Soon the whole family is caught up in a web of lies and deceit. In order to find the truth, Gamache will have to decide whether he can trust his friends, his colleagues, his instincts, his own past. His own family.

For even the City of Light casts long shadows. And in that darkness devils hide.

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Summary

Chapter 1: Arrival

* Young lawyer Louis Lewin arrives in the remote town of Elk Creek, Colorado, for his first big trial.
* He meets the charismatic prosecutor Cullen Abernathy, who warns him about the town's dark secrets.

Chapter 2: The Accused

* Louis meets his client, Jake Guidry, a troubled local man accused of murdering his wife.
* Jake's confession raises red flags, but Louis begins to suspect that the truth may be more complex.

Chapter 3: The Missing Evidence

* Louis discovers that a crucial piece of evidence has disappeared, potentially undermining the prosecution's case.
* He investigates the town's history, uncovering rumors of a sinister organization that operates behind the scenes.

Chapter 4: The Devil's Bargain

* Louis learns that Elk Creek is controlled by a secret society known as "The Devil's Bargain."
* This organization influences every aspect of life in the town, including the trial.

Chapter 5: The Forgotten Girl

* Louis encounters a young woman named Emily, who disappeared as a child and has since returned with disturbing memories.
* Emily's story connects to the murder case, suggesting that The Devil's Bargain's reach extends far beyond Jake.

Chapter 6: The Shadowy Figure

* Louis investigates the town's founder, a shadowy figure who is said to have made a pact with the devil.
* He uncovers evidence that implicates the town's elite in a sinister scheme.

Chapter 7: The Trial

* The trial begins, pitting Louis against the formidable forces of The Devil's Bargain.
* As the evidence unfolds, Louis realizes the depths of the evil he is facing.

Chapter 8: The Sinister Shadow

* Emily's memories reveal that she was kept captive as a child and witnessed unspeakable horrors.
* Louis and Cullen uncover a web of abuse and corruption that extends to the highest levels of town government.

Chapter 9: The Final Confrontation

* Louis and Cullen confront the leaders of The Devil's Bargain in a climactic showdown.
* Jake's fate hangs in the balance as the truth is finally exposed.

Chapter 10: The Reckoning

* The secrets of Elk Creek are laid bare, exposing the evils that have haunted the town for generations.
* Justice prevails, but the scars of the past remain.

Real Example:

In Chapter 4, Louis discovers that The Devil's Bargain controls the town's economy through a series of illicit businesses. One such business is a casino, which serves as a front for laundering money and exploiting the local population. This could be paralleled to the real-world example of organized crime groups using casinos in various cities as a way to generate illegal income and corrupt local officials.