Inspector Armand Gamache is the head of the homicide division of the Sûreté du Québec. He is a formidable investigator because he approaches his cases by trying to understand the mind of the murderer. He’s been called to Three Pines to solve the death of CC de Poitiers. He is also haunted by a previous case he investigated in Three Pines, one that almost cost him his life.

Gamache speaks with a deep and pleasant voice. He has dark hair that is graying at the temples and balding on top; he makes no attempt to comb it over. He wears half-moon glasses and has a moustache that is thick, well-trimmed, and also graying. The lines on his face betray the cares of his profession. 

Jean-Guy Beauvoir is Gamache’s second-in-command. He’s young, good-looking, and dresses well. While Gamache likes to dig into the darkness of the criminal mind, Beauvoir prefers to skim the surface. He’s superficial and constantly worries about his image. 

Robert Lemieux is the police officer assigned to guide Gamache through the preliminaries of CC’s murder case. He’s young and eager to impress. Lemieux is delighted when Gamache asks him to remain as part of the investigation team.