Chief Inspector Gamache receives a letter from the village of Three Pines, where beloved Bistro owner Olivier was recently convicted of murder. The letter proclaims Olivier's innocence, so Gamache must relive the terrible events that killed one of his men before he can bury the dead.

Follows the footsteps of Samuel de Champlain in his mission to colonize what would later become Quebec. Illustrations and maps follow his trek from Cape Breton toCape Cod and the lake that now bears his name.