How the Light Gets In

Chief Superintendent Sylvan Francoeur is the primary antagonist of How the Light Gets In. For the past several books, it has been clear that he is corrupt. Gamache has long suspected that Francoeur is behind the leaked factory raid video, as a psychological punishment for Gamache disobeying his orders and taking action.

Francoeur is “distinguished, with gray hair and a confident bearing, he exuded authority. This was a man not to be trifled with” (48). He is well-connected with political and religious authorities in Québec. While Gamache believes that everyone is accountable to the law, including police officers, Francoeur allows his department to do whatever they like as long as they get the results he desires. To Francoeur, “The only real law was Chief Superintendent Francoeur. The only line not to be crossed was drawn around him. His power was absolute and unquestioned” (48). Francoeur’s desire for power grows throughout the series, climaxing in How the Light Gets In. He has been quietly planning a terrorist attack to create rage and distrust in the government, catalyzing the separation of Québec. Francoeur is a bully but not a brute. He is calculated and strategic and knows how to get the results he wants. He manipulates Beauvoir to get at Gamache and keep him distracted. The only thing that Francoeur cannot understand is true loyalty. This ends up being Francoeur’s downfall—the agents that he assumed were spineless are loyal to Gamache and thwart his plan.

Jean-Guy Beauvoir used to be Gamache’s right hand man and was once meant to succeed him as the Chief Inspector of the homicide division. While he used to be “lithe, energetic, frenetic at times” (46), Beauvoir is traumatized by the terrorist attacks that happened in previous novels in the series. Beauvoir led the first agents into the factory where they were quickly outnumbered. When Gamache found Beauvoir wounded on the floor, he had to leave him to pursue the terrorists. Beauvoir, overwhelmed by the trauma, has convinced himself that Gamache abandoned him. Beauvoir became addicted to the pain killers he took for his injuries. Gamache forced him to go to rehab, but Beauvoir relapsed, reinforcing his psychological pain, and destroying his relationship with Annie Gamache. In the previous novel, A Beautiful Mystery, Beauvoir left Gamache and transferred to Francoeur’s department.

In How the Light Gets In, Beauvoir has to open up to the love he has closed himself off to. When Gamache allows Henri to kiss Beauvoir’s hand, Beauvoir pulls back from this gesture of love “as though scalded” (48). Throughout the novel, he is not purely evil, but torn, afraid to open himself up to love and being hurt. Meanwhile, Francoeur uses him as a pawn by putting him on dangerous raids to get to Gamache. Repeatedly, Beauvoir breaks down crying when no one else is watching. He continues to numb his desire for connection and safety with alcohol and pills. Beauvoir’s turning point is when Ruth Zardo gives him Rosa, her pet duck, and whispers “I love you” to her pet as she leaves. This reminds Beauvoir of Gamache whispering “I love you” before leaving him in the factory, and when he visited Beauvoir in Francoeur’s department. Beauvoir realizes he and Rosa hadn’t been abandoned, “they’d been saved” (387). This moment obliterates the walls Beauvoir has put up and propels him to save Gamache, even at risk to himself.

Throughout the series, Isabelle Lacoste has been third in command at the homicide department, reporting to Beauvoir. Now, she is the only member of the old guard left after Francoeur’s transfers. Like Gamache, Lacoste is wearied by the intentional incompetence of the new agents. While Gamache tries to shelter her from the magnitude of the corruption in the Sûreté, she knows that more is going on than meets the eye. Lacoste is a hardworking, intelligent agent. One of her “great gifts” is that she is “very, very patient” (37), but even her patience is worn thin. She is frustrated at how the new agents treat their work and their superior officers, but Gamache encourages her to ignore them. Because of this persistence, Lacoste is able to stop the Champlain Bridge from collapsing and make it back to Three Pines. When she sees Beauvoir about to shoot Gamache, he begs her to trust him. Lacoste follows her instinct and lowers her weapon. Lacoste’s faithfulness, empathy, and ability to trust her instinct is what makes her an incredible leader.

Constance Ouellet (who goes by Constance Pinot to hide her identity) is the murder victim in How the Light Gets In, and her death becomes the inciting incident of the plot. She dies only a few pages into the novel, so readers get to know her primarily through Gamache’s investigation. Constance and her sisters have been so private that Constance struggles to open up to others. When she asks Myrna if she can return to Three Pines for Christmas, she feels agony in the few moments before Myrna replies. While Constance is kind, she “gave the impression of friendship and intimacy without actually feeling it” (61). While Constance’s character dies shortly into the book, she shows character development in the few days she spends in Three Pines. She goes from judging Clara for opening up and feeling prejudice toward Gabri and Olivier for their sexuality to considering them friends and knitting them personalized scarves. Constance’s development shows what an impact true connection can have on people.

Myrna Landers is described as a large, kind, and reassuring Black woman. She has appeared in each of the novels taking place in Three Pines, sometimes even as a suspect. When Gamache interviews her, she is “calm. Precise. A perfect witness, as Gamache had come to realize. Nothing superfluous” (28). Myrna wasn’t always so calm–tired from her work as a psychologist, she packed all her belongings into her car and stumbled upon Three Pines, looking “like someone who’d run away from the circus” (57). She has become a key part of the community and owns the local bookstore. Myrna’s role is larger in How the Light Gets In than other novels because she is the one who calls Gamache when her friend, Constance, goes missing. Myrna’s protective instincts as a therapist are clear throughout the book. She is hesitant to give up Constance’s identity before knowing that she was murdered, since she knows how important privacy was to Constance. She is also careful to protect Constance’s memory and keep her from being inaccurately portrayed.

Clara Morrow is a resident of Three Pines who has appeared in each book of the series. In this novel, she and her husband, Peter, are spending a year apart. As an artist, Clara went years without success until some of her unique portraits were a hit. Clara is able to see and portray complex emotions—betrayal and hope, etc. Creating is what gives her the most joy in life: “What she liked was magic. Water into foam. Dirty dishes into clean. A blank canvas into a work of art. It wasn’t change she liked so much as metamorphosis” (57). In How the Light Gets In, Clara’s primary role is as Myrna’s friend, and a member of the Three Pines “inner circle” that has befriended Gamache. This small group of friends represents the goodness and resilience of Three Pines that overcomes the darkness and evil of Francoeur.

Appearing in nearly all of the Inspector Gamache novels, Ruth Zardo is one of the core members of the Three Pines community. She is constantly referred to as an old “demented” poet. Her bizarre comments make her seem strange, but Penny explains that “What often came as a surprise to people was that the dementia would be theirs, not Ruth’s. She remained sharp, if not clear” (145). Her hair is “coarse” and “chopped short” which accurately describes her personality, too. Ruth is harsh and seems not to care about others with her cursing and flippant remarks. However, she has a soft spot for her pet duck, Rosa, who left and returned in previous novels.

In How the Light Gets In, Ruth shows more character development from prior novels. The reader learns that she was a tender and emotional child, misunderstood by her parents. She longed for companions and turned to poetry to express herself. While she might seem walled off to others, she expresses her love in other ways. When Gamache is in danger, she risks her life along with the other villagers to save him. While the others are afraid of Beauvoir, she sees through his pain gives him her most precious possession, Rosa, asking him to take care of her. Seeing Ruth’s love for Rosa even when she leaves her catalyzes Beauvoir’s turning point. While Ruth might be harsh on the outside, she has great love within her.

The Brunels become Gamache’s closest allies in his investigation of the corruption at the Sûreté.

Thérèse Brunel is a Superintendent at the Sûreté. She switched careers and was much older than other recruits but quickly made her way up the ranks. Now, she is “beyond retirement age, but no one had the stomach, or other organs, to tell her” (53). She is described as “petite and soignee as always” the opposite of her large, jovial husband. In How the Light Gets In, Thérèse risks her life and career to help Gamache, showing her integrity and character. When she and Gamache butt heads over Audrey Villeneuve and other details of the case, she serves as a grounding and down-to-earth presence, reminding Gamache that he is fallible.

Jérôme Brunel is a portly man “on the far side of seventy” (53). He is a retired doctor who worked as the head of emergency services for a prominent hospital in Montréal. Since retiring, he has refocused his energy on puzzles and cyphers, specifically on computers. He is described as: “A man born to solve puzzles. His mind saw and made connections that might take others hours or days, or never, to find” (54). As an amateur cyber junkie, Jérôme is able to hack into the Sûreté database and evade detection as well as many amateurs. While Jérôme is brave in helping Gamache and Thérèse fight Francoeur, he is afraid of what he finds. He takes a while to tell the others that he’s seen Pierre Arnot’s name, and never mentions that he saw Renard’s name until Gamache realizes it in the end. Despite his hesitancy, Jérôme plays an integral role in helping Gamache defeat Francoeur.

Yvette Nichol has appeared in several books in the series. Her inability to learn and be respectful caused Gamache to transfer her to another department. She works in the subbasement at the Sûreté, watching the security cameras and tracing calls. In How the Light Gets In, Gamache needs her help to get an internet connection in Three Pines—but he doesn’t completely trust her. Yvette Nichol does very little to try and convince the Brunels or Gamache to trust her. She’s harsh and “Disheveled, unkempt, in clothes that didn’t quite fit” (201). Despite her physical and emotional appearance, Yvette Nichol shows that she has finally grown. She reveals that she leaked the factory video to defend Gamache because she hated seeing his name disrespected. Furthermore, she risks her life to protect Gamache and defeat Francoeur. While her character is not perfect, she shows growth and development.