Derues Celebrated Crimes

In Alexandre Dumas, père's Celebrated Crimes cycle, Derues unfolds as a grim true-crime portrait of a man consumed by greed, cowardice, and deceit. Dumas presents him not as a grand villain but as a sordid, degrading presence whose life descends from petty dishonesty into fraud, arson, and murder, each crime exposing a deeper moral corruption. The narrative lingers on the uneasy contrast between Derues's outward composure and the darkness beneath it, building a portrait of a criminal who can return home in apparent satisfaction, entertain guests, and still plot his next betrayal. After the deaths of Madame de Lamotte and her son, Derues cannot resist seeking further gain, even turning up at Edouard's school under false pretenses to continue his deception and recover the child's belongings. The result is a tense, atmospheric account of one of history's notorious criminal figures, told with Dumas's gift for suspense, character study, and moral drama. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.