Summary

In Chapter 1, Stephen Horowitz surprised his godson, Armand Gamache, by telling him that Hell was empty and all the devils were there. They were sitting in the garden of the Musée Rodin, in Paris. Armand and his wife, Reine-Marie, were in Paris because their daughter, Annie, was expecting her second child. Armand had practically grown up in Stephen’s apartment in the Seventh Arrondissement after his parents were killed in a car crash when he was nine. Stephen had helped Armand learn that he was safe and that Stephen would always see to it that he got to the other side of his troubles, just like he did when he held Armand’s hand as they crossed the street.

It was during their first summer together that Stephen brought Armand to the garden. Stephen and Armand finished the day, as they finished...