The Murders in the Rue Morgue

The Murders in the Rue Morgue is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, first published in Graham's Magazine in 1841. It has been recognized as the first modern detective story; Poe referred to it as one of his tales of "ratiocination," his concept of analyzing a fictional crime to find the resolution.

Poe's amateur detective, C. Auguste Dupin, takes an interest in the murder in Paris of two women. The murders were terribly brutal but difficult to categorize; there appeared to be no robbery or sexual assault and no obvious motive. The newspapers carried sensational headlines. Dupin becomes involved because the man arrested for the crimes, Monsieur Le Bon, had previously done him a favor. It becomes a challenge to Dupin.

Brand new idea in its day. Get set for a step back in the history of detective fiction that leaves the impression that it was written just a short while ago.