Possibly I'm being over-critical, but this is far too melodramatic, and the premise too unlikely for my taste.

An exciting romp with an excess of scientific detectives, one French and one American. Full of red herrings and wild chases, with one huge missed clue that sends the hero half-way round the world. Not the most logical detecting tale, and with a boring narrator who inserts himself too readily into the plot, but fairly entertaining.

Quite an exciting and well-written mystery until the denouement, which I consider a great disappointment.

French authors, especially of the era depicted, have rather bizarre notions of how society ought to operate, including the favoring of criminals over the forces of law. Crystal Stopper is one more example of this, and requires a great suspension of disbelief as well. I feel I did well by getting a third of the way into the story before giving up on LeBlanc.

The best thing about this is the depiction of the heroine with an odd name, but she isn't good enough to single-handedly overcome Hume's fantastical plotting.

A good story, in part because the super-duper detective forms a significant contrast to Sherlock Holmes, unlike so many from this period.

Pretty good, lengthy and complex. Has many of the themes of Hume's Red Money—gypsies, outspoken women—but a far better story.

Not a bad effort, so long as the reader is willing to suspend considerable disbelief. I'd give it 3-1/2 if half stars were possible.

One of the better English turn-of-the-century mysteries.

The Accused is an excellent piece of writing, albeit not an upbeat one.