The Man upon the Stair ─ A Mystery in Fin De Siecle Paris

Paris: September, 1890. Newly promoted Chief Inspector Achille Lefebvre attends the execution of the anarchist assassin, Moreau. Following the execution, outgoing Chief Féraud warns his protégé: "I've heard that some of Moreau's cronies have sworn revenge." Achille takes the warning in stride, but agrees precautions are warranted. “You don't want to get killed your first week as chief.”Achille barely has time to get accustomed to his new office when a baffling case crosses his desk. Baron de Livet, one of France’s wealthiest men, has gone missing while vacationing at the resort in Aix-Les-Bains. The case is complicated by the fact that Achille and his wife are acquainted with the baron, and the missing millionaire’s wife has come directly to Achille to enlist his aid in finding her husband.What begins as a routine investigation soon runs into complications, including a poisoned servant, a fortune in missing banknotes, and Russian spies. And Achille mustn’t forget those stalking anarchists who are out for his blood as he searches for the man who wasn’t there…