Most of us know Alexandre Dumas for his grand adventures and heroic duels. Derues is something else entirely. It's a deep dive into a real historical crime, told with the pace of a thriller but the weight of a court document.

The Story

In 1770s France, we meet Antoine-François Derues. He presents himself as a pious family man and a merchant. He ingratiates himself with the noble de Lamotte family, gaining their trust. When Madame de Lamotte travels to Paris with her young son, placing them in Derues's care to settle a property deal, a sinister plan clicks into place. What follows is a methodical, horrifying sequence of deception, forgery, and eventually, murder by poison. Dumas follows the trail from the crime to Derues's arrest, trial, and the public spectacle of his execution.

Why You Should Read It

This book gripped me because it strips away the romance of evil. Derues isn't a charming rogue; he's a small, weak man whose weapon is deceit. Dumas doesn't just give us the facts; he gets inside the psychology of a con artist. You see how he exploits social niceties and religious hypocrisy to mask his crimes. It's a stark reminder that the most dangerous people often look the most ordinary. Reading it feels like watching a car crash in slow motion—you know it's coming, but you can't look away.

Final Verdict

Perfect for true crime fans who want a historical deep cut, or for Dumas devotees curious to see his skills applied to real-life horror. It's also great if you love stories about the dark side of human nature. If you're looking for D'Artagnan's derring-do, you won't find it here. But if you want a compelling, unsettling story about a monster in a waistcoat, this is a forgotten classic that deserves a fresh look.