Lerouge Case

Widely considered the first modern detective novel in French literature, The Lerouge Case is the first in Emile Gaboriau's acclaimed "Lecoq" series although his role is a secondary one in this one. A brutal murder shocks the quiet village of La Jonchère: Madame Lerouge, an elderly widow, is found slain in her modest home. The local authorities are baffled by the savagery of the crime and the apparent lack of motive. It is gradually disclosed that she had once been the servant and confidante of a