How the Light Gets In

Christmas is coming; in Québec, it's a season of brilliant lights, beautiful snowfalls, and getting together with friends in front of roaring fireplaces. But Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté de Québec is seeing less than joyous times at this typically joyous time of year. Most of his best agents have left or been transferred out of 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, in the village of Three Pines, he welcomes the chance to get away from the city for a few hours. The old acquaintance of Myrna's who was supposed to spend Christmas in the hamlet has not shown up. When Chief Inspector Gamache presses for information, Myrna is reluctant to reveal her friend's name. Mystified, 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 at the Sûreté, 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—if such a refuge exists amid mounting danger. Can Gamache and the people he cares about find peace in Three Pines, and if so, at what cost?