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La Clique dorée
There is not in all Paris a house better kept or more inviting-looking than No. 23 in Grange Street.
- GenresMystery
430 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1871
14 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
Émile Gaboriau
473 books55 followersGaboriau was born in the small town of Saujon, Charente-Maritime. He became a secretary to Paul Féval, and after publishing some novels and miscellaneous writings, found his real gift in L'Affaire Lerouge (1866).
The book, which was Gaboriau's first detective novel, introduced an amateur detective. It also introduced a young police officer named Monsieur Lecoq, who was the hero in three of Gaboriau's later detective novels. The character of Lecoq was based on a real-life thief turned police officer, Eugène François Vidocq (1775–1857), whose own memoirs, Les Vrais Mémoires de Vidocq, mixed fiction and fact. It may also have been influenced by the villainous Monsieur Lecoq, one of the main protagonists of Féval's Les Habits Noirs book series.
The book was published in "Le Siècle" and at once made his reputation. Gaboriau gained a huge following, but when Arthur Conan Doyle created Sherlock Holmes, Monsieur Lecoq's international fame declined. The story was produced on the stage in 1872. A long series of novels dealing with the annals of the police court followed, and proved very popular. Gaboriau died in Paris of pulmonary apoplexy.
Gaboriau's books were generally well received. About the Mystery of the Orcival, Harper's wrote in 1872 "Of its class of romance - French sensational - this is a remarkable and unique specimen". A film version of Le Dossier n° 113 (File No. 113) was released in 1932.
The book, which was Gaboriau's first detective novel, introduced an amateur detective. It also introduced a young police officer named Monsieur Lecoq, who was the hero in three of Gaboriau's later detective novels. The character of Lecoq was based on a real-life thief turned police officer, Eugène François Vidocq (1775–1857), whose own memoirs, Les Vrais Mémoires de Vidocq, mixed fiction and fact. It may also have been influenced by the villainous Monsieur Lecoq, one of the main protagonists of Féval's Les Habits Noirs book series.
The book was published in "Le Siècle" and at once made his reputation. Gaboriau gained a huge following, but when Arthur Conan Doyle created Sherlock Holmes, Monsieur Lecoq's international fame declined. The story was produced on the stage in 1872. A long series of novels dealing with the annals of the police court followed, and proved very popular. Gaboriau died in Paris of pulmonary apoplexy.
Gaboriau's books were generally well received. About the Mystery of the Orcival, Harper's wrote in 1872 "Of its class of romance - French sensational - this is a remarkable and unique specimen". A film version of Le Dossier n° 113 (File No. 113) was released in 1932.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 13, 2022
A most excellent melodrama/mystery set in C19th Paris (& briefly, Vietnam). Romance, intrigue, deeper intrigue, cads, an adventuress, and flawed heroes, as well as an interesting description of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) at that time. What more could you want. This is the first book I’ve read by Gaboriau, and I shall certainly read more. I managed to get hold of a lovely copy by Scibners (1913) to read, with beautiful paper and several illustrations.
November 11, 2018
A French sensational novel written in 1871. It is a bit long, with more detail than I wanted to know, and only picks up at the 50% mark, when it becomes interesting, although this leads to another ocean of detail, which in turn leads to the long heralded denouement, really just a pat on the head. Fine translation.
January 21, 2012
Vintage crime/mystery that's in the public domain, with a free electronic copy available here.
May 12, 2011
I love this book, a little slow at first, but so worth it.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews