A Disturbing Nature by Brian Lebeau is a slow-burn crime drama set in the 1970’s. It follows the fortunes of Mo Lumen, a tragic character that readers will immediately warm to. A young man with the mind of a child, who was abandoned by every home he ever knew and is taken advantage of by those who might be friends. But he is looking for a better life and finds his way north to New England to a new home and a new job. Shortly after he arrives, murdered women start turning up.

FBI investigator Francis Palmer is leading the hunt for the serial killer. Palmer is an intriguing but flawed character whose own past and addiction to prescription medication means the reader will be questioning his judgment. But it seems he will stop at nothing to succeed, regardless of how blind his ambition. When he turns his attention to Mo as the primary suspect, even Mo starts to doubt his own innocence.

This riveting novel has three different storylines, each rich enough to have been a standalone book: the main murder mystery, Mo’s story and Palmer’s. In A Disturbing Nature they are intricately woven together with Lebeau’s perceptive examination of American culture following World War II. 

While I enjoyed this story, I felt that there was some urgency lost in the length of the novel. The story moves between nail-biting intrigue and ponderous dips into details from each character’s past. If you are a reader that enjoys taking a deep dive into the characters of your story, then this is a novel that is willing to spend time meticulously creating its characters. Once we emerge from the depths of these absorbing character explorations we are again moving forward through a captivating psychological thriller. The tension rises as the book progresses and by the end this is an utterly gripping and intense crime fiction story.

A Disturbing Nature uses compelling characters to elevate this mystery story into an enthralling psychological thriller that will be hard to put down and will keep you guessing right up until the end.

Pages: 554 | ASIN: B09VYK2NKD