The starting point of this novel published in 1841 by Honoré de Balzac is a conspiracy against Napoleon in 1806, which remains unresolved for many years. It is only decades later that the secret is revealed at an evening gathering. Balzac's novel is based on historical events from the Napoleonic era and is considered a direct precursor to the modern detective novel, with its gradual unraveling of the case relying on circumstantial evidence and witness testimonies.