"Monsieur Lecoq, v. 1" by Émile Gaboriau is a detective novel published in 1868. When policemen respond to a deadly brawl in a Parisian bar, Inspector Gévrol sees a simple murder case. But young detective Lecoq suspects something far more complex—a staged crime involving disguised aristocrats and mysterious accomplices. Following footprints in the snow and coded clues, Lecoq pursues an investigation that reveals layers of deception, while his suspect attempts suicide and powerful figures behave strangely. This founding work of detective fiction introduces methodical investigative techniques that would influence the genre for generations. (This is an automatically generated summary.)