"Death at Versailles" by Elena Rudenko, summary Automatic translate

This book is a historical and ironic detective novel, published in 2003. The work uses an unusual role for real historical figures from the era of the French Revolution: Maximilien Robespierre becomes a brilliant detective, and a young girl, Svetlana Lemus, helps him solve crimes.

The plot and the march on Versailles

The events unfold in October 1789. The protagonist, seventeen-year-old Svetlana Lemus, lives in Paris. She moved from the French province of Artois. Svetlana dreams of becoming a famous writer, composing adventure stories and publishing political articles. She lives independently, managing her own capital. She is looked after by her older friend and former mentor, Maximilien Robespierre. She affectionately calls him Max.

On October 5th, Svetlana goes grocery shopping. Suddenly, she witnesses a huge crowd gathering on the Place de Grève. People are outraged by the acute bread shortage. The famous courtesan and revolutionary Anne Théroigne de Méricourt, dressed in a red riding costume, calls on women to march to Versailles to see the king. Svetlana gives in to an impulse and joins the crowd, despite the pouring autumn rain. She walks about twenty kilometers through the mud. Along the way, she meets a sweet girl named Pierrette, who resembles a drenched sparrow.

Political battles in the Constituent Assembly

Parallel to Svetlana’s adventures, political events unfold. The King delays the adoption of the Declaration of Rights, demanding that executive power remain in his own hands. Robespierre delivers fiery speeches from the rostrum of the Constituent Assembly. The deputies often mock him, mangling his surname and calling him "Robertsper." Maximilien endures these humiliations steadfastly. He admits to himself that he is driven by prosaic vanity, mixed with a desire to serve the people of France.

Paris Mayor Jean Sylvain Bailly relishes his position, trying to control the mood of the city’s citizens. National Guard Captain Georges Danton observes the political arena, ambitiously plotting to become a leader. Meanwhile, Russian aristocrat Paul Ocher, traveling with his tutor Gilbert Romme, curiously explores revolutionary Paris. Svetlana develops a romantic attraction to the young seventeen-year-old Paul, but soon becomes disillusioned, realizing the illusory nature of her girlish dreams.

The murder of a creditor and the beginning of the investigation

Soon, a mysterious crime occurs in Paris. Wealthy businessman Guillaume Moriès is found dead. The previous day, he had given a boring dinner party for his numerous debtors. Almost simultaneously, day laborer Nathalie Planche dies under strange circumstances. Svetlana is certain the woman was deliberately poisoned. She persuades Robespierre to look into this complex case. Maximilien agrees to apply his deductive method. The investigation — collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses — begins immediately.

Detectives are closely questioning the victim’s entourage. Many of the guests at the ill-fated dinner are suspects. Guillaume Moriès was a cruel and calculating creditor. An obvious motive for the murder was Count Mirabeau, the Count’s agent Mademoiselle Legrand, the victim’s cousin Pascal, and other desperate debtors. The victim’s wife, Thérèse Moriès, claims that Pascal is incapable of murder due to his simple-minded nature, despite his enormous gambling debts.

False tracks and intrigues of debtors

Robespierre and Svetlana meticulously analyze witness testimony. A complex, multi-layered blackmail scheme is uncovered. Mademoiselle Legrand exchanged Count Mirabeau’s dirty secret for financial aid for her lover, Yves Senard. However, these hidden machinations turn out to be a disguised red herring. Journalist Camille Desmoulins constantly accompanies the detectives, distracting them with his inappropriate jokes and attempts to solicit free treats.

Robespierre has a harsh conversation with Count Mirabeau. The deputy from Arras directly accuses the famous politician of double dealing, threatening to leak information to the press. Mirabeau loses his temper, his corpulent body shaking with indignation. He threatens to destroy the pauper from Arras, but is unable to refute Maximilien’s logical arguments. Nevertheless, Mirabeau denies any involvement in the death of Guillaume Moriès. Political intrigue only complicates the search for the culprit.

Solving the Mystery of the Empty Snuffbox

Robespierre uses rigorous logic to narrow down the suspect pool. The deputy draws particular attention to an empty snuffbox on the victim’s desk. Guillaume Moriès regularly took snuff. Maximilien connects disparate facts, constructing a coherent chain of events. The detective approaches the victim’s wife, Thérèse Moriès. He declares, "I want to talk to you about how you killed your husband." Thérèse reacts calmly to the direct accusation, only wondering how the detective figured it out.

Robespierre details the mechanics of the crime. Thérèse Moriès slipped poison directly into her husband’s snuffbox. Guillaume ingested the deadly poison gradually, each time sniffing his usual snuff. Nathalie Planche, a day laborer, fell victim to this trap. The unfortunate woman had a bad habit of stealing small items. She poured poisoned snuff into her mouth. Nathalie chewed the tobacco leaves, instantly receiving a massive dose of poison, dying before the master of the house.

Thérèse learned of the day laborer’s death in time. The calculating widow feared the appearance of new victims. She hastily emptied all the remaining tobacco from the snuffbox. It was the empty snuffbox that became the key piece of evidence that allowed Robespierre to incriminate the culprit. Thérèse does not deny her guilt to the detective. The woman calmly confirms the correctness of the perceptive Maximilien’s logical conclusions.