In the village of Three Pines, south of Montreal, an unbelievable murder takes place. Death overtakes Cécilia de Poitiers on the snow-covered surface of a frozen lake, where she, along with other curling fans, was watching a curling match. The murder weapon was a metal chair connected to a power source. Someone carefully planned and staged the killing, leaving the victim with not the slightest chance. Senior Inspector Armand Gamache of the Quebec police doesn’t often have to face such a sophisticated and cruel criminal. But what did this woman do to deserve such a terrible death?