A Rule Against Murder is the fourth episode in the Armand Gamache/Three Pines series, which is set in the Eastern Townships region of rural Quebec, southeast of Montreal and just north of Vermont. Armand Gamache works for the Surete du Quebec, the provincial police force based in Montreal, and he often investigates crimes that occur in or around the remote village of Three Pines.

This time, though, the main action is not set in Three Pines. Instead, it takes place at the exclusive and rustic retreat called Manoir Bellechasse, located on the shoreline of Lac Massawippi, also in the Eastern Townships. Armand and Reine-Marie Gamache have come here to celebrate their wedding anniversary on July 1, which, of course, coincides with Canada Day. The Manoir has been one of their favorite places to hold their quiet and private celebrations for more than 30 years. Alas! Members of the annual Finney reunion are arriving at the lodge, too. The Gamaches didn't know them at first; but as their paths cross, they -- and we -- quickly figure out that this group is a dysfunctional family at best.

Imagine the Gamaches' surprise, then, when Three Pines couple Clara and Peter Morrow show up at the Manoir. Peter is one of the four Finney -- well really, Morrow -- siblings, joining Julia, Thomas and Marianna. None of them seem to like each other very much. Their mother Irene Finney and stepfather Bert Finney are here, too, as are Thomas's wife Sandra, and Marianna's child Bean.

Everyone has gathered to see a statue of their patriarch, Charles Morrow, erected on the property. Hence the reason for the reunion.

Animosity already runs high among the Finneys and Morrows. So it shouldn't surprise us or them when one is found dead, shortly after the statue is unveiled. Is this really an instance of murder? Or is it a matter of physics? Naturally, Armand Gamache is drawn into the investigation. He brings in his detail-oriented agent Isabelle Lacoste and his ever-amusing second-in-command Jean Guy Beauvoir to determine whether the victim was killed by a relative or was offed by someone who works at the Manoir. This means digging into the dark corners of family history as well as into the lives of the lodge staff, both young and old. Reine-Marie goes away to Three Pines for a bit so that Armand can finish his work and so he can be sure she'll stay safe. There she gets drawn into preparing for the Canada Day festivities, even as her husband is attending to more serious matters back at the lake.

The Three Pines novels are ensemble stories. The town seems to have no mayor and no real governance of any kind, except for the volunteer fire department that everyone helps with. And whenever Gamache and members of his Surete team go to Three Pines to investigate crimes, they often end up sitting in the local bistro and chatting with a group of residents, posing scenarios and debating options. These folks can offer information that is vital to any case. However, by now it should be clear that Clara is emerging as the key Three Pines character. Yes: unlikely, messy, long-time artist and devoted friend to many, Clara. Her appearance here and with Peter seals this deal, from the reader's point of view. (And from the writer's, too, no doubt.) They bring Three Pines with them. So in addition to following the unique circumstances of a murder at the Manoir, we also gain additional insights into the personalities of Clara and Peter Morrow, both individually and as a couple. No doubt we will learn more about them as the series progresses.

As usual, Louise Penny begins with a relatively closed community and then leads us to an ever-narrowing field of suspects within that small group. And just when you think you can collar the killer without any doubt at all, you realize that Penny has pointed her writerly finger at someone else entirely, for another reason entirely. And she makes this happen in the last few pages of the book. Every time. Wow! This technique and her wonderful way of storytelling are what keep us reading, page after page, book after book.

A Rule Against Murder can certainly serve as a stand-alone read, since you don't have to be familiar with the usual characters and residents of Three Pines to follow the action. It also provides a nice diversion from that crowd, if you're reading the whole series in order. Just as Jessica Fletcher had to get out of Cabot Cove every once in a while, Armand Gamache has to take on other work on occasion, away from Three Pines. This is the first such "other" episode in the series, and it is not the last. The difference in setting does not diminish the value of this installment to the progression of the series as a whole. No skipping is allowed!