The Nature of the Beast (Three Pines #11) by Louise Penny

Armand Gamache, the former head of homicide for the Surete du Quebec and his wife Reine-Marie are revelling in their retirement, living in their beloved village of Three Pines. Anyone who has read the previous ten volumes of this series will know that Three Pines is the Canadian equivalent to England’s Midsomer. A lot of people die of unnatural causes.

When nine year old Laurent Lepage disappears, the whole village galvanises into action, searching the nearby woods. Laurent was known for his overactive imagination and no-one took any notice of his story about an enormous gun and a monster hidden in the forest. Until his body was discovered.

Isabelle Lacoste is Chief Inspector now and Jean Guy is her second in command. They work well together, but appreciate Armand’s assistance as their investigation goes far beyond the murder of one boy.

When I read this book, I thought the plot was farfetched. But Penny’s Author Notes inform us that it is all based on fact which is extraordinary.

As always the characters have in-depth conversations that are just the sort of conversations you would love to be part of: about art (should a piece be judged by its creator, or should it stand on its own), and grief (‘I’m afraid it won’t stop, and all my bones will disappear and one day I’ll just dissolve).

And then there is the food: ‘Dinner was served, starting with parsnip and apple soup, with a drizzle of walnut-infused oil on top’; then ‘’They moved from the soup to fettuccine with grilled salmon, tossed with fennel and apple’. I do not recommend reading a Louise Penny book on an empty stomach!

Reading an Inspector Gamache novel is like returning to visit a favourite aunt. Fires are always lit, comfy chairs are always available and luscious food is always served. Not to mention the proximity of a cosy bookshop, a fabulous bistro and an enticing boulangerie. If I lived there, I would be the size of a house in not time, that is, if I survived long enough!

Reviewed by Gaby Meares
Murder on a Monday Reading Group