"The King of the Mountains" by Edmond About is a French novel published in 1857. A German botanist searching for rare plants in Greece is kidnapped alongside a wealthy English mother and daughter by Hadgi-Stavros, a legendary brigand chief who once fought for Greek independence. As ransom demands mount and supposed rescuers prove corrupt, the captives discover that survival depends on navigating a treacherous world where heroism and villainy blur, and even escape may not bring the expected rewards. (This is an automatically generated summary.)