The Mystery of the Boule Cabinet
A Detective Story
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $3.99
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- $3.99
Publisher Description
"The Mystery of the Boule Cabinet" is not a French detective story, insasmuch as the scene is laid right in the heart of New York City; but it is worthy of the best French masters of detective fiction in its audacity of plot, in the logical and at the same time baffling manner in which the clues are unwound, in its astonishing turns and twists, its astounding dénouement, and above all in its wonderful central figure, who is one of the few really great characters in detective fiction.
Customer Reviews
Good early American detective novel
This book is a good early American detective novel set in the 1900s. The detective, Godfrey, is similar to Sherlock Holmes but is more realistic, being a newspaper reporter who was formerly a police detective. The Watson figure is Lester, a lawyer, who follows along and reports what Godfrey discovers. The novel is based on a mystery. Vantine, a wealthy friend of Lester's, purchases a Boule table made during the reign of one of the French Louis and owned by Madame Montespan, a famous poisoner. The mystery begins when two people, including Vantine, are poisoned by the table. Godfrey assumes there must be some secret drawers in the piece, and spends, with Lester, much time searching the piece.
The first section of the novel is first-rate, as Godfrey and Lester figure out the secrets of the table, but after that the work introduces a second major section based on a French grand criminal who tests Godfrey's abilities as a detective. The French man assumes several disguises as he attempts the get the table which now contains some hidden jewels.
It's good to have these early works available!