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Two friends are kidnapped by several masked men, who, to judge by their manners and their accent are men of the best society. One of the friends is a doctor, and the masked men say that they need him to assist a noblewoman, who is about to give birth. When they reach the house, they find no such noblewoman, only a dead man. Another man, known only as A.M.C., bursts in at this point and declares that the man died of opium poisoning. The doctor writes a letter to a newspaper editor, setting out the facts as he knows them. These facts are rebutted first by a friend of A.M.C. and then by the first masked man, who explains the whole story...
Eça de Queiroz wrote this spoof 'mystery' with his friend Ramalho Ortiga£o, publishing it in the form of a series of anonymous letters in the Dia¡rio de Nota-cias between 24 July and 27 September 1870. Many readers believed the letters to be genuine. As the book progresses, one sees Eça gradually getting into his stride as a novelist, equally at home with humour and with human drama.
Recently turned into a major Portuguese feature film it will delight avid Eça fans and lovers of mysteries.
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Eça de Queiroz (1845-1900) is considered to be Portugal's greatest novelist. Dedalus has embarked on a project to make all his major works available in English in new translations by Margaret Jull Costa.
Published so far are: The Mandarin, The Relic, The Tragedy of the Street of Flowers, The Crime of Father Amaro, Cousin Bazilio, The Maias, The City and The Mountains, Alves & Co and The Mystery of Sintra Road.
Dedalus will publish The Illustrious House of Ramires in 2016.
