This early 20th C. detective novel is a real treat for fans of the genre. Marcel Allain and Pierre Souvestre have created a fascinating tale featuring the exploits of Fantomas, a notorious French criminal, and M. Juve, the inspector who is always on his tail.Fantomas is a master of disguise and thus very difficult to track. However, Juve is convinced that he is behind two murders and a robbery that are featured in this book. With clues that are left for the reader, but not connected, he is able to figure out "whodunnit," of course ... but with so many twists and turns that I was unable to see it coming. That, in itself, is a real treat for me.The book, as was typical of literature of its time and place, does a lot of telling instead of showing. The authors use dialogue for explication, which can be a little tiring for the reader. Keeping in mind the stylistic preferences of the time will help.Highly enjoyable, and I look forward to reading the other two Inspector Juve novels.
