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The Nature of the Beast: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel Audiobook
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(4.25) - 4 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
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. Including Armand and Reine-Marie Gamache, who now live in the little Quebec village.
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. Leads right to the door of an old poet.
And now it is now, writes Ruth Zardo. And the dark thing is here.
A monster once visited Three Pines. And put down deep roots. And now, Ruth knows, it is back.
Armand Gamache, the former head of homicide for the Sûreté du Québec, must face the possibility that, in not believing the boy, he himself played a terrible part in what happens next.
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"Another wonderful novel. Up to now, the audiobook versions of Penny's novels have been magical in their own way. You don't need to be a francophile to mourn the loss of longtime audiobook narrator Ralph Cosham and anyone succeeding Cosham would be hard pressed to live up to his portrayal of Armand Gamache. The French Canadian setting of the Three Pines series is a key element of the magic of Louise Penny's stories. Robert Bathhurst is a fine actor but his failure to lose his English accent or adopt more than a hint of a French or North American voice is jarring. I'm afraid the audiobook magic has been lost for me."
— L. D. Simms (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Penny sustains her high-wire act, creating characters of remarkable depth in an exhilarating whodunit.”
— People -
“Louise Penny is unsurpassed at building a sense of heart-stopping urgency…This time Penny manages to create a threat that could truly be worldwide and to place its future in the hands of our friends in Three Pines.”
— News and Observer (Raleigh, North Carolina) -
“Three Pines again proves no refuge in Penny’s stellar [The Nature of the Beast]…fans will delight in [her] continued complex fleshing out of characters they have come to love.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“A strong sense of place, a multilayered plot, and well-crafted characters combine for a thoughtful, intriguing tale. More than a simple mystery, Penny’s novel peels away the emotional and psychological layers of the inhabitants of Three Pines.”
— Library Journal (starred review) -
“Magical…The perfect reminder of the dark side of human nature, but that side does not always win out. Penny is an expert at pulling away the surface of her characters to expose their deeper—and often ugly—layers, always doing so with a direct but compassionate hand.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review) -
“A compelling mystery that leads to an exciting but tantalizingly open-ended finale.”
— Booklist -
“Robert Bathurst had much to live up to when he was selected to succeed longtime narrator Ralph Cosham, who passed away last year…Be assured that her choice was right. Bathurst’s pleasant light baritone and sensitive pacing suit the thoughtful series…No matter that his English accent peeps out occasionally beneath a nice range of French and generalized North American voices. All is well for Penny’s myriad fans.”
— AudioFile -
“A chilling mystery based on a true story…Amazing.”
— RT Book Reviews (4 stars)
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
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A BookPage Top Pick for September 2015
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An August 2015 LibraryReads Pick
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A Wall Street Journal bestseller
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A BookPage Best Book of 2015 for Mysteries & Thrillers
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A 2015 Agatha Award Nominee for Best Contemporary Novel
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A 2016 Anthony Award Nominee for Best Crime Fiction Audiobook and Best Novel
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A 2015 LibraryReads Favorites of the Favorites selection
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Among shortlisted titles for Audie Award Finalist, 2016
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Among longlisted titles for Amazon.com Best Books of the Year, 2015
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Nominated for Agatha Awards - Nominee, 2015
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Nominated for Anthony Awards - Nominee, 2016
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Among shortlisted titles for Audie Award Finalist, 2016
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Among longlisted titles for Amazon.com Best Books of the Year, 2015
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Nominated for Agatha Awards - Nominee, 2015
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Nominated for Anthony Awards - Nominee, 2016
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Among shortlisted titles for Audie Award Finalist, 2016
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Among longlisted titles for Amazon.com Best Books of the Year, 2015
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Nominated for Agatha Awards - Nominee, 2015
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Nominated for Anthony Awards - Nominee, 2016
The Nature of the Beast Listener Reviews
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" I must agree with the other commenters about Robert Bathhurst. His is a lovely ENGLISH voice. There's nothing French or Canadian about his accent. The entire atmosphere of the novels and their setting in French-speaking Quebec has been lost, and even worse, appropriated by an Anglo. He doesn't even pronounce Montreal in the French manner. The French he does speak is perfunctory, as an Englishman would do, almost with a sour mouth, being forced to say French words. He makes Beauvoir sound like an acolyte, a neophyte, not a rugged and experienced cop. Gamache is now emotional, brusque, not the man of composure we'd come to know in the earlier novels. Ruth doesn't sound nearly as FINE as she used to. She's been smoothed out. I miss her roughness. Was there not a single person in Quebec with a voice suited to this wonderful series of detective stories? I feel the choice was made with an eye (or ear) for popularity, with Mr. B's association with Downton Abbey. The elan of Quebec is gone. "
— Catherine McMichael, 11/24/2021 -
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dan eizak, 8/15/2020
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" How disappointing to have lost the longtime narrator of Penny's Gamache novels. He was the heart and soul woven into all the characters of the series. Bathurst did not seem to maintain the same personalities of the usual characters in the series in my opinion, and that made a big difference to me. The novel, however, lived up to the usual high standards of the Gamache series, and overall was an enjoyable experience. Understanding that this is Bathurst's first attempt, I would expect he'll get better over time, or I at least, I will get more used to him. "
— christi, 6/23/2018
About Louise Penny
Louise Penny is the author of the #1 New York Times, USA Today, and Toronto Globe and Mail bestselling series of Chief Inspector Armand Gamache novels. She is also coauthor with Hillary Rodham Clinton of the #1 New York Times bestselling thriller State of Terror. She has won numerous awards, including eight Agatha Awards and a CWA Dagger, and was a finalist for the Edgar Award for Best Novel. In 2017, she received the Order of Canada for her contributions to Canadian culture.
About Robert Bathurst
Robert Bathurst, an Earphones Award-winning audiobook narrator, won the prestigious Audie Award for Best Male Narrator in 2020. He is an English actor who played David Marsden in five seasons of the series Cold Feet and the title role in My Dad’s the Prime Minister. In addition to his other television credits—which include The Stepfather, White Teeth, The Safe House, Goodbye, Mr. Steadman, and Hornblower—he has also appeared many times on stage in such productions as The Three Sisters, Hedda Gabler, and Alarms and Excursions.