# Plot point in Louise Penny's first Three Pines book

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plot-point-in-louise-pennys-first-three-pines-book/1029042>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Tags:** books-writing-myths\
**Created:** [April 5, 2026, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plot-point-in-louise-pennys-first-three-pines-book/1029042 "2026-04-05T16:39:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2026, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plot-point-in-louise-pennys-first-three-pines-book/1029042/1 "2026-04-05T16:39:55Z")

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A key point is that the murder is done by a longbow, but the arrow passes completely through the victim, lodges in a tree, and is not detected until much later.

This strikes me as implausible. Can a longbow arrow really do that? A human body contains a lot of tough materials, up to and including bones. My physics mistake detector is flashing here.

But I am not an archer. Anyone have real-world experience?

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**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2026, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plot-point-in-louise-pennys-first-three-pines-book/1029042/2 "2026-04-05T19:08:49Z")

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It’s called a pass through shot, and it does happen with deer.

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**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2026, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plot-point-in-louise-pennys-first-three-pines-book/1029042/3 "2026-04-05T20:07:56Z")

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May I presume that it would be a pretty lucky shot, not something that the archer/murderer could have planned on?

And then I wonder whether the likelihood of getting that lucky was part of the plot. I think I read that book but it was a long time ago and I don’t remember much about it.

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**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2026, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plot-point-in-louise-pennys-first-three-pines-book/1029042/4 "2026-04-06T03:38:55Z")

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Did the shot go through the the abdomen? As long as it misses the spine, that would seem possible. I know nothing about the velocity or penetrating power of an arrow shot with a longbow, though.

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**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2026, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plot-point-in-louise-pennys-first-three-pines-book/1029042/5 "2026-04-06T03:46:50Z")

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[Googling] Multiple sources say an arrow can indeed go completely through a body, with the right kind of arrowhead shot from a powerful enough bow. Medieval longbows could shoot an arrow through chain mail, though not good-quality plate armor.

ETA: [Here’s a Reddit discussion](https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/fueb08/eli5_how_does_an_arrow_cause_enough_damage_to/) of just how lethal bows and arrows can be, complete with links to different types of arrowheads.