The Nature of the Beast cover art

The Nature of the Beast

Chief Inspector Gamache/Three Pines, Book 11

 Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 Months Free

£5.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Get this deal
Offer ends on 15 July 2026 at 11:59 BST.
More purchase options

The Nature of the Beast

By: Louise Penny
Narrated by: Adam Sims
Get this deal

£5.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.

Buy Now for £15.79

Buy Now for £15.79

'One of the most interesting detectives in crime fiction' THE TIMES
'Penny combines clever plotting with beautifully evocative descriptions' DAILY EXPRESS

There is more to solving a crime than following the clues.
Welcome to Chief Inspector Gamache's world of facts and feelings.

Hardly a day goes by when nine-year-old Laurent Lepage doesn't cry wolf. His boundless sense of adventure and vivid imagination mean he has a tendency to concoct stories so extraordinary and so far-fetched that no one can possibly believe him.

But when Laurent disappears, former Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is faced with the possibility that one of his tall tales might have been true.

So begins a frantic search for the boy and the truth. And what Gamache uncovers deep in the forest leads back to crimes of the past, betrayal and murder, with more sinister consequences than anyone could have possibly imagined . . .

Millions of readers worldwide.
One inimitable Chief Inspector Gamache. Crime Thrillers Mystery Police Procedural Suspense Thriller & Suspense Fiction Crime Exciting
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1

Critic reviews

Clever, full of twists and turns, a wonderfully satisfying - and moving - addition to Penny's atmospheric, distinctive series
Penny's elegant style is deeply satisfying, while Gamache is contemplative even when under pressure, and remains a man you want to spend time with
Brimming with atmosphere and steeped in soul-searching . . . Penny combines clever plotting with beautifully evocative descriptions
Subtle, elegant and beautifully written
All stars
Most relevant
loved it as much as the others. can't wait for the next one! I don't often read a book twice, but have done so with all of these.

my favourite author.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
If you know this series, be prepared to be embraced and horrified and moved yet again. If you do not know this series, do not start here. Begin with book one: 'Still Life'. The novels are extraordinary, but the audible versions are better thanks to the gifted narrator.

she sat down and wept

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
loved it, got bit confused with so many characters and suspects, but that's just me nothing to blame the author for. I just love these books please keep them coming. And think the narrator is superb I can listen to him for hours

Good story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I love this series. This one was just as good as all the others. Another year until the next one!

I miss Three Pines already!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I’ve loved this series but this seemed nothing like the previous books. It felt like “Murder she Wrote “ (don’t judge me, remember when there were only 5 tv channels?!). This tiny village which “isn’t even on a map”, seems to be the epicentre of crime, and this was trivial and bumbling, sad to say. The last 3 hours were not worth the plod of the previous 9. I’ve already purchased the rest of the series so I hope it gets back on form.

Sadly, disappointed!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews