A murder takes place in a remote fortress-like monastery housing 24 monks. There is no doubt that one of the monks is responsible for the murder of the monastery's prior. The prior was the monk who led the others in their most amazing chants, which had been recorded and sold to finance extensive repairs in the very old establishment. The chants were received with acclaim; there is something about the way this particular group of monks chants that is quite overwhelming. Chief Inspector Gamache finds a split in the thinking among the monks over whether they should continue to record their chants or whether they should stick with their quiet life of work, prayer and chants, and he and Inspector Jean-Guy Beauvoir wonder if this difference in thinking was the root cause of the murder.
Meanwhile, the story delves back into a horrible time in the past year when the chief inspector and many of his men were killed and injured in a warehouse, and the long-term ramifications from that, in addition to the corruption high up in the Surete du Quebec. The storyline had me feeling the highs of the chants, as well as the desolation of the investigators as they deal with their personal demons.
Louise Penny remains my favorite mystery writer. I have not been reading the series in order, and although it would make for better continuity if I did so, seeing the past and future in different order lends a perspective that works for me.
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