The Mystery of Orcival
Poachers stumble on the body of the Countess of Tremorel beside her ransacked chateau, her husband nowhere to be found and a convenient suspect already in hand. Lecoq of the Surete is not convinced. He suspects the whole scene has been arranged, its clues planted to send the police down a false path, and he sets about reconstructing what really happened hour by hour. Published in 1867, this is one of Gaboriau’s finest showcases for his detective, blending careful forensic reasoning with a widening story of ambition and betrayal among the provincial gentry. The free PDF and EPUB edition lets new readers meet a hero who helped shape the genre.
About the Author
Emile Gaboriau (1832-1873) was a French writer widely regarded as a father of the detective novel. His Monsieur Lecoq stories brought methodical, forensic sleuthing to popular fiction and influenced Arthur Conan Doyle, drawing on his years as a journalist covering Parisian crime.
See all books by Émile Gaboriau →
