Monsieur Lecoq

When police break up a deadly brawl in a shabby bar on the edge of Paris, the veteran inspector Gevrol sees nothing but a drunken killing. His young subordinate Lecoq sees more. The dead men’s clothes, the tracks in the snow, and the odd calm of the arrested suspect all hint at a staged crime concealing someone of high birth. Following footprints and coded messages with patient, almost scientific attention, Lecoq builds his case while the mystery reaches back into aristocratic scandal. Published in 1868, this is Gaboriau’s fullest portrait of the detective who inspired later sleuths, and a foundation stone of the modern crime novel. The complete story is available to download as a free PDF and EPUB edition.