''The Mystery of Orcival'' (french: Le Crime d'Orcival) is an 1867 detective novel by the 19th century French writer , in his series.

Publication history

The book was first published in French in 1867. An English translation was published in New York by Hoyt and Williams. A version illustrated by was published in 1900 by

Charles Scribner's Sons Charles Scribner's Sons, or simply Scribner's or Scribner, is an American publisher based in New York City, known for publishing American authors including Henry James, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Kurt Vonnegut, Marjorie Kinnan Rawli ...

Synopsis

Orcival Orcival (; Auvergnat: ''Orsivau'') is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France. The 12th-13th century basilica of Notre Dame is a listed monument. It contains many ancient religious objects, including a 12th century ...

, on 9 July 186..., poachers discover the lifeless body of a woman, the Countess of Tremorel, whose identity is quickly established by the police. Not far away, the victim's castle is turned upside down, and there is no trace of the Count of Tremorel. The authorities finally charge a certain Guespin, whom everything seems to point to. M. Lecoq of the

Sûreté (; , but usually translated as afety" or "security)"Security" in French is ''sécurité''. The ''sûreté'' was originally called ''Brigade de Sûreté'' ("Surety Brigade"). is, in many French-speaking countries or regions, the organizational ...

, dispatched to the scene by the Prefecture of Police, starts the investigation from scratch, re-establishes the real time of the crime, and finds that neither the Count nor the Countess had slept in the unmade bed that night. The murderer(s) also multiplied the clues, such as five empty glasses to make it look as if there were many of them, and the traces of a fake fight on the sand, in order to throw off suspicion. Lecoq thinks of a plan to solve the enigma, but he is well aware that the outcome of the case remains uncertain.

Particularities

"It is in this novel that Conan Doyle's debt to Gaboriau is best seen. Lecoq's methods of deduction foreshadow the detectives who will follow."Jean Tulard, ''Dictionnaire du roman policier : 1841-2005'', p.183.

References

External links

Le crime d'Orcival
(audio) on

France Culture France Culture is a French public radio channel and part of Radio France. Its programming encompasses a wide variety of features on historical, philosophical, sociopolitical, and scientific themes (including debates, discussions, and documentari ...

* 1867 novels French-language novels {{1860s-crime-novel-stub