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Book Review of The Nature of the Beast (Chief Inspector Gamache, Bk 11)

The Nature of the Beast (Chief Inspector Gamache, Bk 11)
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Book Description
Hardly a day goes by when nine year old Laurent Lepage doesn't cry wolf. From alien invasions, to walking trees, to winged beasts in the woods, to dinosaurs spotted in the village of Three Pines, his tales are so extraordinary no one can possibly believe him. Including Armand and Reine-Marie Gamache, who now live in the little Quebec village.

But when the boy disappears, the villagers are faced with the possibility that one of his tall tales might have been true.

And so begins a frantic search for the boy and the truth. What they uncover deep in the forest sets off a sequence of events that leads to murder, leads to an old crime, leads to an old betrayal. Leads right to the door of an old poet.

And now it is now, writes Ruth Zardo. And the dark thing is here.

A monster once visited Three Pines. And put down deep roots. And now, Ruth knows, it is back.

Armand Gamache, the former head of homicide for the Sûreté du Québec, must face the possibility that, in not believing the boy, he himself played a terrible part in what happens next.

My Review
I am glad to be back in Three Pines with my favorite cast of characters. Louise Penny is one of my favorite authors and her books do not disappoint. Her writing is exquisite and her characters are unique and memorable. This story is very interesting with a link to real events in history. There are lots of twists in this complicated mystery and keeps the pages turning until the very end. There is also a hint that Gamache may come back from his retirement in another capacity of police work. I anxiously await the next installment in this series as it is always enjoyable to read about Three Pines.