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 what has it gained after the pandemic of the twenty-first century, which involuntarily made us remember the dark conflicts of the Middle Ages? Is a frightened, confused crowd ready to follow a new leader who proclaims: “Everything will be fine”? Good, but not for everyone...The epidemic has subsided. On New Year's Eve, a lecturer, Professor Abigail Robinson, comes to Quebec at the invitation of the honorary rector of the university. The topic of her speech causes an unprecedented stir, and the rector personally asks Chief Police Inspector Gamache to ensure order in the hall. The pretty Robinson perfectly commands the attention of the audience, despite the sharp differences among the listeners. And suddenly shots are heard... Panic arises. Fortunately, Abigail is not even injured, but Gamache has to take all necessary measures to further protect her, although... 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, amid the thunder of fireworks, a brutal murder occurs just steps away from the festive chaos... During the investigation, Gamache intuitively grabs onto an unlikely version, and this thread leads him into the past, to a terrible crime against humanity, perfect here, in a civilized country...For the first time in Russian!