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Monsieur Lecoq #4, Vol. 1/2
Caught in the Net
Work form 19th Century French author considered a pioneer of modern detective fiction.
316 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1868
10 people are currently reading
63 people want to read
About the author
Émile Gaboriau
470 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 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 24, 2022
How frustrating to find out the stories is to continue in another volume! As full of intrigues as this is, I’m not sure I’d be able to remember who was caught up in which part of the net, so maybe I’ll just leave it there.
April 24, 2023
Intriguing read. Clean. Terrific narrator! Does end in an “in the next book in series” notification (Chirp sold). The next book starts with the biography of one of the baddies.
In earlier centuries these “books” were serialized in newspapers and pamphlets - perhaps that includes this story.
In earlier centuries these “books” were serialized in newspapers and pamphlets - perhaps that includes this story.
August 10, 2023
Well, I didnt know that the story continues in The Champdoce Mystery.
October 9, 2023
Livre audio – Lu par Loïc Richard : 15h17
J’ai lu tous les volumes sur Monsieur Lecoq sur invitation de ma grand-mère maternelle qui lisait beaucoup et avec un choix plutôt éclectique, avec une petite faiblesse pour les romans policiers d’Emile Gaboriau !
Comme beaucoup d’auteurs du 19ème siècle il était plutôt bavard mais bien souvent pour nous donner à goûter des détails croustillants et d’un ton décalé qui faisait mon régal ! Depuis que VOolume remet au jour cette première littérature policière avec la narration de Loïc Richard, excellent dans ce registre, c’est avec un plaisir non dissimulé que je “relis” ces œuvres trop injustement oubliées !
Les descriptions des 3 malfrats associés : Mascarot, placeur de domestiques, Hortebize, médecin homéopathe et Catenac l’avocat sont réjouissantes et les petits-noms dont ils sont affublés tout du long de l’histoire montre, avec ironie, tous le mépris qu’il pouvait avoir pour les hommes coupables de ces agissements !
Il m’a fallu bien souvent me souvenir que c’est une enquête de Monsieur Lecoq, car il n’est jamais question de lui, et un second tome est nécessaire pour connaître les aboutissements.
Loïc Richard emploie toutes les intonations de son répertoire pour nous faire imaginer les personnages et sans forcer met au jour leurs côtés grotesques sans en faire des pitres ou des caricatures ! Il fait partie de ces narrateurs qui rendent les longueurs plus agréables !
De très agréables moments que je m’empresserai de poursuivre avec le volume 2 dès sa sortie !
#lesesclavesdeparis1 #netgalleyfrance #lechantage
J’ai lu tous les volumes sur Monsieur Lecoq sur invitation de ma grand-mère maternelle qui lisait beaucoup et avec un choix plutôt éclectique, avec une petite faiblesse pour les romans policiers d’Emile Gaboriau !
Comme beaucoup d’auteurs du 19ème siècle il était plutôt bavard mais bien souvent pour nous donner à goûter des détails croustillants et d’un ton décalé qui faisait mon régal ! Depuis que VOolume remet au jour cette première littérature policière avec la narration de Loïc Richard, excellent dans ce registre, c’est avec un plaisir non dissimulé que je “relis” ces œuvres trop injustement oubliées !
Les descriptions des 3 malfrats associés : Mascarot, placeur de domestiques, Hortebize, médecin homéopathe et Catenac l’avocat sont réjouissantes et les petits-noms dont ils sont affublés tout du long de l’histoire montre, avec ironie, tous le mépris qu’il pouvait avoir pour les hommes coupables de ces agissements !
Il m’a fallu bien souvent me souvenir que c’est une enquête de Monsieur Lecoq, car il n’est jamais question de lui, et un second tome est nécessaire pour connaître les aboutissements.
Loïc Richard emploie toutes les intonations de son répertoire pour nous faire imaginer les personnages et sans forcer met au jour leurs côtés grotesques sans en faire des pitres ou des caricatures ! Il fait partie de ces narrateurs qui rendent les longueurs plus agréables !
De très agréables moments que je m’empresserai de poursuivre avec le volume 2 dès sa sortie !
#lesesclavesdeparis1 #netgalleyfrance #lechantage
July 10, 2010
Super involved bad doings and blackmail in mid-19th century Paris. Fortunes are made and the terrible, terrible things people did are threatening to rise from their graves.
All the while, some kids is falling in love or being made to fall in love and at the end, it looks like nobody is going to get what they deserve—though the blackmailers may get what they've been working on for 35 years.
Engaging, a nice portrait of the times, but about one million threads to keep track of. It's worth it if you can though, because they get tied together in the prettiest bow in the sequel, 'The Champdoce Mystery'.
All the while, some kids is falling in love or being made to fall in love and at the end, it looks like nobody is going to get what they deserve—though the blackmailers may get what they've been working on for 35 years.
Engaging, a nice portrait of the times, but about one million threads to keep track of. It's worth it if you can though, because they get tied together in the prettiest bow in the sequel, 'The Champdoce Mystery'.
August 24, 2013
Go ahead and grab The Champdoce Mystery if you get this one. I also recommend finishing with The Clique of Gold.
I love this book. My only regret is that I didn't read it before reading The Champdoce Mystery, which was still fantastic even though read out of order - go ahead and grab that one now; it's also available for free.
Emile Gaboriau was very popular before being eclipsed by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and he deserves to be rediscovered. If you like his work, I also recommend the work of E. Phillips Oppenheim, also in the public domain and available for free.
I love this book. My only regret is that I didn't read it before reading The Champdoce Mystery, which was still fantastic even though read out of order - go ahead and grab that one now; it's also available for free.
Emile Gaboriau was very popular before being eclipsed by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and he deserves to be rediscovered. If you like his work, I also recommend the work of E. Phillips Oppenheim, also in the public domain and available for free.
June 1, 2018
A novel of high life and misdeeds, by the author who inspired Sherlock Holmes. The story centers around two young men, both penniless, both ignorant of their past, and a mysterious organization of blackmailers, hiding behind the guise of a respectable employment agency. The story is concluded in the Mystery of Champdoce.
February 1, 2012
Vintage crime fiction. In the public domain, with a free electronic copy available here.
February 21, 2016
Enjoyable mystery novel, set in Paris, which makes it doubly interesting to me. It ends abruptly and you must continue with the next book - Slaves of Paris.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews