Gaboriau, Emile

 I must have bought this translation of Emile Gaboriau's Other People's Money (L'argent d'autres), first published in 1874, decades ago, but had never read it.  Gaboriau is considered one of the pioneers of mystery fiction and his detective, Monsieur Lecoq, is considered to have influenced Conan Doyle's creation of Sherlock Holmes years later.  

However, Monsieur Lecoq is not in this story; the detection is done by interested parties and by an otherwise anonymous Commissary of Police, who guides the detection of the financial maneuverings of the absconding cashier of the Mutual Credit Society, who has made off with embezzled millions.  The story gradually unravels the complicated secret life of the cashier, and of the other important members of the Mutual Credit Society.  It's an interesting book in many ways, revealing the relationship between the political and financial elements of French society of the day, but I doubt I'll read it again.  Grade:  C.