Murderers, Swindlers and Anarchists. Memoirs of the Chief of the Paris Detective Police in the 1880s

The memoirs of Marie-François Goron, head of the Paris Detective Police from 1886 to 1895, tell the story of investigations into real crimes committed in Paris in the late 19th century. Brutal murderers, robbers, swindlers, counterfeiters, drug traffickers, fallen women... – a whole gallery of portraits of lawbreakers is presented by the author and participant in the investigation of tangled crimes. However, his book is interesting not only for its descriptions of the actions of wrongdoers and the conducting of detective activities; it is rich with domestic details of the life of respectable Parisian society and the inhabitants of the criminal world. In addition, the author shares his thoughts on the harm and benefits of the press, social inequality, the complexities of police service, and the effectiveness of punishments, particularly concerning the highest penalty for serious crimes committed. The book features original portraits of murderers.