Monsieur Lecoq, published in 1868, introduces the brilliant and analytical detective Lecoq of the French Sûreté. A forerunner to Sherlock Holmes, Lecoq investigates a double murder that unravels into a complex web of identity, disguise, and hidden motives. Gaboriau combines procedural detail, deduction, and dramatic suspense in this foundational work of detective fiction. His influence on the genre was significant, helping establish the conventions of crime-solving narrative that remain popular to this day.
