The Perfume of the Lady in Black (1908) is a novel by French writer
Gaston Leroux. The Perfume of the Lady in Black marked the second
appearance of popular character Joseph Rouletabille, a reporter and
part-time sleuth who features in several of Leroux's novels. Originally
a journalist, Leroux turned to fiction after reading the works of Arthur
Conan Doyle and Edgar Allan Poe. Often considered one of the best
mysteries of all time, the novel has been adapted several times for
film. Joseph Rouletabille is more than meets the eye. A reporter by
profession, he spends his free time working as an amateur detective,
using his journalistic talents to compile facts and track down leads. In
The Mystery of the Yellow Room, he saved the life of Mathilde
Stangerson, the daughter of a prominent professor, from the clutches of
Ballmeyer, a violent criminal mastermind gifted in the art of disguise.
Unbeknownst to her father, Mathilde had married Ballmeyer while living
in America before realizing he had been living under a false identity.
Now believed to be dead, Ballmeyer fades into history as Rouletabille,
his assistant Sainclair, and Mathilde return to their lives. Shortly
after leaving for her honeymoon with Robert Darzac, however, Mathilde
contacts Rouletabille with terrifying news--their common enemy seems to
have returned. The Perfume of the Lady in Black is a story of mystery
and suspense from one of history's finest detective novelists. Joseph
Rouletabille is without a doubt France's answer to Sherlock Holmes. With
a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this
edition of Gaston Leroux's The Perfume of the Lady in Black is a
classic of French literature reimagined for modern readers.
