''The Emperor's Snuff-Box'' is an American 1942

mystery novel Mystery is a fiction genre where the nature of an event, usually a murder or other crime, remains mysterious until the end of the story. Often within a closed circle of suspects, each suspect is usually provided with a credible motive and a re ...

by novelist John Dickson Carr. The detective is psychologist Dr. Dermot Kinross. The novel takes place in France and concerns a jeweled snuff-box in the shape of a pocket watch said to have belonged to

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

. A pretty young Englishwoman living in France forms a romantic attachment and becomes a suspect in the murder of her fiancé's father; the theft of a valuable necklace and the smashing of the snuff-box are also mysteries to be solved. The novel served as the basis for the 1957 film '' That Woman Opposite'', for which Compton Bennett wrote the screenplay. It is considered one of Carr's great novels and is considered the best among the best mystery plots with no locked room murders, impossible crimes, or supernatural elements.

References

1942 American novels American novels adapted into films Novels by John Dickson Carr Novels set in France {{1940s-mystery-novel-stub