"Le spectre de M. Imberger" by Frédéric Boutet is a novel written in the early 20th century. This intriguing tale revolves around the mysterious disappearance of M. Imberger, a wealthy man with a peculiar passion for collecting doorknobs and a seemingly tranquil life. The main characters include Barfin, a seasoned detective eager to unravel the complex case, and the titular M. Imberger along with his beautiful young wife, Andrée, who becomes embroiledin the situation. The opening of the story introduces Barfin as he reflects on his extensive career in the Paris police, marking the complexity of M. Imberger's case as his most perplexing. M. Imberger is portrayed as an eccentric collector deeply in love with his wife, Andrée, while their nephew Maxence stays with them under peculiar circumstances. The narrative sets the stage for a dramatic night when Andrée, after a costume ball, becomes anxious over her husband's prolonged absence. As the clock ticks past their typical routines, her worry evolves into despair, leading her to alert the authorities about his disappearance. The initial mystery grows as Barfin begins his investigation, uncovering layers of familial dynamics and potential motives, while the tale hints at the haunting possibility of supernatural elements intertwined with earthly intrigues. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Reading ease score: 83.6 (6th grade). Easy to read.
Contents
Le Spectre de M. Imberger -- Le Jardin du Pirate -- Un Chantage -- Mémoire -- Une Réputation -- Une Enquête -- L'Amateur -- La Tache -- Scandale mondain -- L'Apparition -- La Devineresse -- Hypnotisme -- Monsieur Arthur -- Hippolyte -- L'Équilibre -- Complicité -- Le Marché -- Berthe -- Le Simulateur -- Le Passager -- Les plumes du paon -- L'Héritage -- Un bon conseil -- Au Bord -- Madame Paul -- Un Voleur -- La Niveleuse.
Credits
Laurent Vogel, Pierre Lacaze and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from images made available by the HathiTrust Digital Library.)