Louise Penny, the famous author of detective stories about Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, raises tough and therefore uncomfortable questions in her new novel. What has civilized society lost and gained after the pandemic of the twenty-first century, which involuntarily made us remember the dark collisions of the Middle Ages? Is the frightened, confused crowd ready to follow a new leader who proclaims: "Everything's going to be okay"? OK, but not for everyone...The epidemic has subsided. On New Year's Eve, a lecturer, Professor Abigail Robinson, arrives in Quebec at the invitation of the Honorary rector of the university. The topic of her speech causes unprecedented excitement, and the rector personally asks the chief inspector of police Gamache to ensure order in the hall. The pretty Robinson perfectly commands the attention of the audience, despite the sharp disagreements among the listeners. And suddenly there are gunshots... Panic is rising. Fortunately, Abigail is not even injured, but Gamache has to take all necessary measures to further protect her, though... the professor's position causes him (and not only) extreme rejection. The presence of this woman sows discord even in such a quiet place as the village of Three Pines. And despite all the efforts of the Quebec police, on New Year's Eve, under the thunder of fireworks, a brutal murder takes place just a few steps away from the festive turmoil... During the investigation, Gamache intuitively grabs onto an unlikely version, and this thread leads him back to the past, to a terrible crime against humanity committed here in a civilized country. Read more…