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BOOK REVIEW: The Nature of the Beast

A winged monster and retired Chief Inspector in Louise Penny's crime novel create the perfect storm.
The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny

As a Chief Inspector of the Quebec police, the wonderfully gentle and refined Armand Gamache successfully tackled corruption both inside and outside the force at great risk to himself. Now he’s enjoying a peaceful retirement in his beloved village of Three Pines.

Yet when it becomes clear a humongous winged monster in the woods may be more than a figment of a local boy’s imagination, Gamache is dragged back into Louise Penny’s churning world of warped minds and dark histories. The Three Pines mysteries are the perfect combination of picturesque town, mouthwatering meals and hidden evil. Yet this is no small-town murder story. The crime at the heart of the book stretches across the world, involving arms dealers, a serial killer and international intelligence agencies.

Hachette, $38.

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