For those who are looking for cafe au lait and brioche by the fire in the bistro, and quirky quips from Gabri and Ruth, they are there, but they are more solemn, more philosophical, and not as lighthearted as some readers may prefer.
No true Gamache fan would dare give away a plot, and it was for this reason that I even refrained from reading the little tidbits that Miss Louise doled out over the last couple months. I wanted to read the entire book cover to cover so that I could feel the building tension, keep my mind spinning with all the marvelous possibilities Penny builds into her stories, and sit back with a grand sigh of satisfaction when the last page is read. Once again , she does not disappoint. The characters are the same (but they continue growing), the setting is the same (Three Pines after all is another character), and there is a murder. But the plot, the motivations, the murder itself, and the side/subplots are just new and different enough to make the reader, and the true fan say "She's still at the top of her game." It's magnificent. Don't miss it.
Many thanks to the publisher for making a review copy available. I ordered a copy of the audio version from Audible, and can't wait to download it on publication day. The divine Miss P's books are always good for a re--read and a listen.
Title: The Nature of the Beast
Author: Louise Penny
Publisher: Minotaur Books (2015), 384 pages
Genre: Mystery - police procedural
Subject: crime solving a current murder and a possible future Armageddon
Setting: fictional village of Three Pines
Series: Chief Inspector Gamage Novels #11
Source: electronic ATC from publisher via Edelweiss
Why did I read this book now? I couldn't wait any longer.
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This true Gamache fan is barely skimming your review! So excited you got to read it! It is hard to wait these few more days!!
ReplyDeleteI don't know how or why I've missed out on this. Making an immediate note. Sounds delightful (somewhat similar to Inspector Lynley)
ReplyDeleteLast summer I re-read all the Gamache mysteries to catch up with #10, The Long Way Home. This summer I've been reading all the Lynley stories. I love them both, but IMHO, Louise Penny's books are much more tightly drawn and better edited. As the Lynley series progresses, it seems to get more and more long winded. I'm in London right now, and while I find it delightful to see and experience many of the aspects of the London life, there's a lot a detail that could just as easily have been culled from George's books. Either way, they're both great authors with delightful characters and well-plotted stories.
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