The novel begins in November in the small Canadian town of Three Pines. Armand Gamache is at home, reviewing applications from individuals hoping to be admitted as students into the police academy. The file of one young woman named Amelia Choquet sticks in his mind, even though he has flagged her to be rejected. Gamache has had a distinguished career as the Chief Inspector of Homicide but resigned and is now embarking on a new job as the head of the Sûreté Academy. Reviewing the application files is a part of it. The next day, Gamache shows the file to his wife, Reine-Marie, and explains that for some reason, he feels hesitant about rejecting Amelia’s application, even though both agree that she is not a strong applicant. Gamache responds negatively to her profile: “When he held the file he didn’t feel any warmth. In fact, he felt vaguely revolted” (3).

While Gamache and Reine-Marie eat at the local bistro, they interact with some other people who form part of their small and close-knit community. Olivier and Gabriel are partners who co-own the bistro, and Ruth is a cantankerous older woman who is also a famous poet.