The Adventures of Marius Pegomas

Pierre Yrondy, the author of The Adventures of Thérèse Arnaud of the French Secret Service, penned those of Marius Pégomas, Marseille Detective, serialized in 35 installments published in 1936. Six of these are being translated here for the first time.

Marius Pégomas is one of the first "regional detectives" and, physically, bears some resemblance to Agatha Christies Hercule Poirot. He is a portly, yet remarkably fit, crime-solver whose talents prove invaluable to local Police Commissioner Santelli. In this collection, with the help of hisfiancée, the pretty Flora Minuscule, Marius Pégomas tackles to the villainous Gangsters of La Joliette, an Opium-dealing ring and a female child trafficker nicknamed the "Ogress" of the Canebière.

Yrondys style is characterized by staccato-delivered sentences, sprinkled with local slang, which give the stories a sense of immediacy and realism.