The Nature of the Beast
Summary:
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. 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. A monster once visited Three Pines. And put down deep roots. And now, it is back. (from Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24586590-the-nature-of-the-beast)
Group Reviews/Comments:
8 thumbs up, 3 thumbs down.
As with many Louise Penny books, the plot was a bit over the top for many readers. However, enough people in our group have fallen in love with Three Pines for majority to like the book. The close knit community, and the heart of the characters “shines through.” They care so much about the town and each other. Another comment was about how it was an interesting look at retirement.
Those who didn’t enjoy the book complained about cardboard characters, and how it was difficult to tell the women characters apart. The little boy was a nice addition, but we didn’t get to know him well enough. Another dislike comment was about the slow pacing.
On a personal note, I thoroughly enjoyed it, finding it an in depth portrayal of human nature and all it’s good and evil. In a way it reminded me of an Agatha Christie, with the evil lurking just below the surface, but always there. Three Pines is in a way a modern St. Mary Meade. Penny goes much deeper than Christie when it comes to the psychology of the characters but I found another similarity in that all characters had secrets so all are suspect. The plot reminded me of Christie’s spy thrillers like Seven Dials, N or M, and The Clocks. However, I should point out that no one in group agreed with me!
What are your thoughts? Feel free to comment!
