Armand is the Cambridge-educated head of homicide for the Sûreté du Québec. He is deeply humane and relies on his empathy to understand victims and suspects alike. Still recovering from a traumatic warehouse raid that left him injured and killed a subordinate, he faces lingering guilt. He approaches the murder investigation in Three Pines carefully, aware that he is interrogating his own friends.

Clara is a creative, slightly untidy artist who lives in Three Pines. She paints intimate, emotionally resonant portraits of her friends and community members, earning a highly anticipated solo exhibition at the Musée d'art contemporain. She values authenticity and loyalty, choosing her community over career advancement when gallery owners display prejudice. She experiences guilt and confusion when her estranged childhood friend is found dead in her garden.

Peter is Clara's husband and a fellow artist who paints precise, natural still lifes. Coming from a wealthy and emotionally distant family, he struggles with his self-worth and fears failure. He becomes consumed by jealousy when Clara achieves the artistic success he desires for himself, causing significant tension in their marriage as he hides her congratulatory messages and avoids offering genuine support.

Jean-Guy is Gamache's cynical and impulsive second-in-command. Separated from his wife, he masks his deep physical and emotional pain from a recent shooting by developing an active dependency on OxyContin. He obsessively rewatches security footage of the raid that injured him, searching for reasons to direct his anger at his mentor while hiding his deteriorating mental state from his colleagues.

Lillian is Clara's childhood friend who grew into a possessive and highly critical art student. She built a career as a vicious art critic known for writing reviews that intentionally ruined careers. Recently sober and attending Alcoholics Anonymous, she attempts to make amends for her past behavior but is found murdered in Three Pines the morning after Clara's party.

Francois is a sophisticated and prominent Montréal art dealer hoping to make one more great artistic discovery before retiring. He instantly recognizes the genius in Clara's portraits but cynically questions whether the hope depicted in them is genuine. He is highly competitive and willing to exploit the weaknesses of his rivals to secure the Morrow accounts.

Andre is a crude and grasping gallery owner who travels to Three Pines to recruit Clara and Peter. Unlike his rival Marois, he prefers Peter's conventional art because it appeals easily to his large corporate clients. He struggles with a severe alcohol dependency that makes him belligerent, especially when provoked.

Denis is a young, arrogant gallery owner who attends Clara's party in hopes of signing her as a client after her critical success. He previously alienated Clara by using antigay slurs against her friends, a tactic he claims he employs to keep clients off-balance. He displays a casual cruelty and focuses intensely on his own ambition and reputation.

Ruth is a famous poet and misanthropic recluse who lives in Three Pines. She drinks heavily and frequently hurls creative insults at her neighbors, yet she displays moments of profound insight and quiet care for her friends. She spends much of her time sitting outside the village, anxiously waiting for her beloved pet duck to return from migration.

Olivier is the warm, compassionate owner of the Three Pines bistro and antique shop. He recently returned from prison after Gamache wrongfully arrested him for murder. He struggles to readjust to village life, harboring understandable resentment toward the police while slowly trying to rebuild trust with his neighbors.

Gabri is Olivier's loving partner who helps run the bed and breakfast in Three Pines. He is observant and protective of Olivier, encouraging him to heal and eventually reconcile with Gamache. He remains a target of Denis Fortin's prejudice but relies on the unwavering support of the village.

Myrna is a retired therapist who runs the bookstore in Three Pines. She serves as Clara's most steadfast confidante, offering sharp psychological insights into the behavior of the artists and investigators alike. She leads the community in spiritual smudging rituals to cleanse spaces of grief and negative energy.

Reine-Marie is a librarian and Armand's wife of many years. She serves as his primary emotional anchor, possessing the empathy to gently coax him into discussing his fears and lingering trauma. She is highly observant of her family's dynamics, particularly noticing her daughter's shifting romantic interests.

Annie is Gamache's daughter and a lawyer who shares her family's intelligence and zest for life. She is currently experiencing significant marital difficulties with her husband, David, causing her to seek counsel from her parents. She shares a complex, somewhat fractious dynamic with her father's protégé, Jean-Guy Beauvoir.

Jérôme is a retired doctor with a passion for codes, ciphers, and computers. As a longtime friend of the Gamaches, he frequently offers his technical expertise to assist with sensitive investigations, helping Armand analyze the unauthorized release of the warehouse raid video.

Thérèse is a senior Sûreté officer and former museum curator who combines her police work with deep artistic expertise. She assesses the victim's artwork for clues about her psychological state, confirming Gamache's suspicion that the paintings display genuine warmth and optimism.

Thierry is the Chief Justice of Québec's Supreme Court who attends AA meetings to manage his alcohol dependency. He uses his legal background to protect fellow members during police questioning but prioritizes his role in the recovery community over his prestigious professional title.

Brian is a heavily tattooed young man in his early twenties who attends the same AA meetings as Lillian and the Chief Justice. He frankly admits to having killed a child while driving under the influence, a confession that initially repulses the police but highlights the intense emotional honesty required in his recovery group.

Suzanne works as a waitress and serves as Lillian Dyson's AA sponsor. She is vibrant and confident, viewing substance use disorder as a disease of perception. She initially refuses to share Lillian's secrets with the police, respecting the privacy of the recovery process while she decides how much truth she is ready to disclose.

Isabelle is the quiet, contemplative third-in-command of Gamache's homicide team. She is highly empathetic and methodical, taking on significant research responsibilities during the investigation. She spends hours combing through microfiche archives at La Presse to find the crucial evidence buried in Lillian's past reviews.

Rosa is a duck that Ruth Zardo previously rescued and nursed back to health. Having flown south for the winter migration, her absence causes Ruth significant distress. Her anticipated return symbolizes hope and enduring connection in Three Pines.

Dominique is the owner of the village's new inn and spa, which she renovated from the old, tragic Hadley family house. She provides lodging for the various gallery owners and artists who travel to Three Pines following Clara's vernissage.

Enid is Jean-Guy Beauvoir's estranged wife. They recently separated following his severe injuries and subsequent trauma, as Jean-Guy realizes he does not possess the emotional capacity or desire to maintain their marriage.

David is Annie Gamache's husband. He is currently experiencing severe marital difficulties with Annie, leading to a strained dynamic that causes significant worry for his parents-in-law.

Mr. Dyson is Lillian's elderly father who lives in deep poverty. Unaware of his daughter's severe alcohol dependency or the cruelty of her career, he is devastated by the news of her murder and immediately deflects blame onto Clara Morrow.

Mrs. Dyson is Lillian's mother. Living in a sparse apartment filled only with photographs of her child, she maintains an idealized image of Lillian as a successful artistic genius and aggressively rejects Clara's attempts to offer condolences.