Vankleek Hill and one of the most recognizable businesses on Main Street are mentioned in the latest book by one of Canada’s most popular authors.
The Grey Wolf is the newest work of fiction by Louise Penny. She lives in the Eastern Township’s village of Knowlton, a community with similarities to Vankleek Hill. Penny’s novels about the cases investigated by Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec have become New York Times #1 bestsellers.
In The Grey Wolf, the plot goes a few miles outside of Québec and on pages 134 and 136, refers to Vankleek Hill as a small town between Montréal and Ottawa, and The Broken Kettle Bakery and Barkery.
Broken Kettle owner Kelsey Campbell said she was surprised to find out her café is mentioned in the book.
“I came into the store, there was a note that said ‘Louise Penny, The Grey Wolf,” she said.
After reading the note, she purchased a copy of the book.
Campbell said fans of Penny’s books have been visiting Vankleek Hill.
“They had to see if The Broken Kettle is a real place,” she commented.
There are entire book clubs and websites for readers of Louise Penny. Campbell said there is even a travel agency in Ottawa that offers tour packages to settings of Penny’s novels.
The Grey Wolf is the 20th novel in Penny’s Inspector Gamache series. Her one non-Inspector Gamache novel, State of Terror, was co-written with former United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and was published in 2021.
