
Christmas is approaching, and in Québec it's a time of dazzling
snowfalls, bright lights, and gatherings with friends in front of
blazing hearths. But shadows are falling on the usually festive season
for Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. Most of his best agents have left
the Homicide Department, his old friend and lieutenant Jean-Guy Beauvoir
hasn't spoken to him in months, and hostile forces are lining up
against him. When Gamache receives a message from Myrna Landers that a
longtime friend has failed to arrive for Christmas in the village of
Three Pines, he welcomes the chance to get away from the city. Mystified
by Myrna's reluctance to reveal her friend's name, Gamache soon
discovers the missing woman was once one of the most famous people not
just in North America, but in the world, and now goes unrecognized by
virtually everyone except the mad, brilliant poet Ruth Zardo.
As
events come to a head, Gamache is drawn ever deeper into the world of
Three Pines. Increasingly, he is not only investigating the
disappearance of Myrna's friend but also seeking a safe place for
himself and his still-loyal colleagues. Is there peace to be found even
in Three Pines, and at what cost to Gamache and the people he holds
dear?
432 pages