3 Review(s)

Emile Gaboriau wrote "The Widow Lerouge" or "The Lerouge Case" as a mystery novel. The rich widow Marie Lerouge is brutally murdered in her house in the French hamlet of La Jonchere, where the narrative is set. Detective Lecoq is in charge of the investigation as he begins to uncover the secrets and goals of the suspects, who also include the victim's boyfriend, her stepson, and a spiteful neighbor. Lecoq deciphers a convoluted plot including relationship drama, treachery, and retaliation via a series of turns and turns. Justice is carried out when the real offender is ultimately discovered to be an unexpected person. The detective fiction genre was greatly influenced by Gaboriau's book, which is regarded as one of its first instances. Due to the book's popularity, Lecoq appeared in a number of further books, which helped develop the structure of the contemporary detective fiction.