A murder has been committed in Three Pines, a tiny Quebec village, but don't worry. Inspector Armand Gamache is on the case. Gamache is a lead character in 18 bestselling books by author Louise Penny, and he'll star in her newest book, "The Grey Wolf," which will be released in October. Fans of Penny (and Gamache) are invited to meet the author at an event on Thursday, Oct. 31. Penny will sit down with WGAL news reporter Anne Shannon to share her writing process, how she finds inspiration and more during the talk, which will be held at Calvary Church, 1051 Landis Valley Road, Lancaster, beginning at 1 p.m.

Hosted by the Council of Friends of Public Libraries of Lancaster County and Midtown Scholar Bookstore-Cafe, the author event will raise funds for all of the public libraries in the county, said Mary Ann Steinhauer, who is a member of the Council of Friends.

"This is a really wonderful event, because no matter where you live in Lancaster County, this event will support your public library," she said. "Our proceeds are divided between all 17 libraries, the Bookmobile and the Be READy Rover, which focuses on early learning."

Established in 2000, the Council of Friends of Public Libraries is composed of volunteers who are committed to promoting reading countywide. Over the years, the organization has raised more than $229,000 for local libraries.

Steinhauer said ticket sales for the author event have been brisk, but the space at Calvary Church can hold just over 2,000 people, so there is plenty of room for everyone.

"There's a core group of Louise Penny fans who are very loyal to her and love her books," Steinhauer remarked. "They love that the books are an ongoing series, like a soap opera, with the main character showing up in every one. People get very attached to that character." Penny has shared that her late husband, Michael, inspired the character of Armand Gamache, and Penny described Michael as "kindly, thoughtful, generous, a man of courage and integrity, who both loved and accepted love."

Steinhauer said Penny's books are also popular because they bring a cozy familiarity to readers, even though they are murder mysteries.

"When someone opens a Louise Penny book, they know what they're going to get," she said, noting that all of the books in the Gamache series are set in Three Pines. Penny's books have won multiple honors, including nine Agatha Awards, given to mystery books, and they have been translated into 31 languages.

Although fans of Penny's books will be drawn to the author's talk, Steinhauer noted that the Council of Friends' events bring in a wide audience.

"We have some fans of the event itself, not just the author," she said. "We have people who love being at an event where the main focus is authors and their writing style. They have the freedom to ask the author questions during a question-and-answer portion of the event. We open it up to the audience so people feel a real connection with the whole process of being an author. We also have people who feel closer to these authors who they have admired for years by coming into the library and checking out a book, and now they get to meet them in person."

Tickets are required to attend the author event. Each ticket includes a hardbound copy of "The Grey Wolf." For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://lancasterlibraries.org/fall-author-event.