This is book 6 in the Armand Gamache series and I recommend that you read them in order, as some events carry over from previous books. This is an excellent police procedural series and I thank my s-i-l Julia for recommending this series to my wife and I. We both enjoy it. This book is one of the author's best that I have read so far and I rate it 4.5 stars rounded down.
This book opens with Armand recovering both physically and mentally from events in the previous book. Armand is on medical eave from his position as Chief of the Homicide Surete(Quebec Provincial Police) team. He is drawn into investigating a murder that has taken place in Quebec City. At the same time he suspects that he may have made a mistake in his role in convicting a murderer from the previous book. He asks his #2 in the Homicide team, Jean-Guy Beauvoir, to re-investigate the crime unofficially. Jean-Guy is also on medical leave and agrees to do so.
Both cases are solved with a satisfactory ending. Both men are starting to heal, both physically and mentally.
I grew up in Buffalo, NY and I can remember occasional cold spells where the temperature dipped to below zero, once to -20F. M y parents and friends would always comment that "you know it's cold because you can feel the snow crunching underneath your feet when you walk." This book takes place in February in Quebec City, where crunchy snow is an every day occurrence and daytime temps go to -30(book doesn't say Celsius or Fahrenheit, but both are bitter cold).
Some quotes:
Describing the Literary and Historical Society: "It takes a lot of effort to halt time, and for the most part they've done it."
Conversation between members of the Champlain Society:
Rene: "I sometimes thinks that we are in a rowboat society."
Jean: "A what?"
Rene: "A rowboat. It's why we do things like that." He jerked his head toward the window and the dot on the river. "It's why Quebec is so perfectly preserved. It's why we're all so fascinated with history. We're in a rowboat. We move forward, but we're always looking back."
I raced through this library book in 3 days.