The Mystery of Orcival

About the book

"The Mystery of Orcival" by Émile Gaboriau is a detective novel published in 1867. When poachers discover the Countess of Tremorel's body near her ransacked castle, her husband has vanished and a suspect quickly emerges. But detective M. Lecoq of the Sûreté believes the crime scene has been deliberately staged with false clues to mislead investigators. As Lecoq reconstructs the real timeline and uncovers contradictions, he devises a bold plan—though success remains far from certain in this influential early mystery.