"The Number 13" by Elena Rudenko, summary

This detective novel, written in 2004, transports readers to Paris during the French Revolution. A bold experiment in genre, it casts the historical figure Maximilien Robespierre in the unusual role of a detective solving an intricate murder within a close-knit family.

Family intrigue and political struggle

The wealthy aristocrat Monsieur Carmé has adapted to the new bourgeois realities of 1791. He entrusts his secretary, Patrice, with organizing a gala family dinner. Patrice is secretly in love with his host’s young wife, the flirtatious Adèle. She eagerly takes advantage of his ardent feelings. Adèle maintains the air of a respectable wife, but behind her husband’s back, she begins secret affairs.

Carmé’s youngest son, the frivolous Yves, insists on the presence of his two mistresses, Jeannette and Annette. Each of these women naively expects a quick wedding. The head of the family is dissatisfied with this choice, but gives in to his son’s insistence. The Carmé family is disunited, with all the relatives openly disliking each other. The father sincerely hopes to unite his family around one large table, although Yves bluntly declares the futility of such an undertaking.

The historical plot unfolds in parallel. The beautiful Madeleine Renard arranges a meeting between Maximilien Robespierre and Antoine Barnave. She hopes to reconcile the two political opponents. Barnave actively advocates for a constitutional monarchy and a swift end to the revolution. Robespierre openly suspects King Louis XVI of double dealing and plotting a conspiracy.

Madeleine favors the moderate Barnave, as political stability benefits her financial interests. Maximilien leaves home with a heavy heart. A strong sense of jealousy forces him to cast aside the scruples of a law-abiding lawyer and choose the path of an implacable fighter. Robespierre returns to the home of the carpenter Dupleix. There, he is visited by his comrade Camille Desmoulins and his wife Lucile, and his longtime friend Svetlana Lemus.

The next morning, the friends set off for the National Assembly session. Maximilien delivers a fiery speech, harshly criticizing those who advocated a compromise with the royal court. The brilliant orator’s words provoke a storm of indignation among many deputies. His opponent, Duport, openly protests his bold statements. Robespierre maintains absolute calm and authoritatively demands that order be restored in the hall.

The Fatal Dinner

That evening, the invited guests reluctantly gather at the Carmé mansion. Exactly thirteen people are seated at the festive table. The host’s young daughter, Palette, laughs carelessly at the grim table omen. Nearby are his eldest son, Benjamin, with his cold wife, Giselle; his business partner, Alfred Boisset; his perpetually disgruntled Aunt Mathilde; and the host’s brother, Gaspard.

Giselle appears overly strict and distant, but in reality, she suffers deeply from family loneliness. Her only joy in life is a secret romantic relationship with Alfred Boisset. Benjamin, meanwhile, is completely absorbed in grandiose plans to create his own merchant fleet, for which his stingy father has categorically refused to provide the necessary funding.

During the feast, Monsieur Carme slowly rises with a glass of wine for a ceremonial toast. After taking a small sip, the rich man suddenly clutches his throat and falls dead to the floor. The secretary declares him instantly dead. Police arriving at the scene confirm poisoning with a powerful toxin.

Second crime

Suspicion immediately falls on young Adèle, seated next to her husband. Aunt Mathilde loudly and openly accuses her of a serious crime. In utter despair, the frightened widow turns to Maximilien Robespierre for help. The renowned politician agrees to thoroughly investigate the complex circumstances of this strange case.

The detective interrogates all the participants in the interrupted dinner. He reliably establishes that almost all the relatives were freely admitted to the dining room while the table was being served. Absolutely anyone present could have poisoned the crystal glass or the wine. Robespierre interviews, in turn, the young Palette, the devoted secretary Patrice, the self-serving sycophant Joseph Marchand, and Alfred Boisset.

Alfred clearly hints to the detective about the ambitious Benjamin’s obvious selfish motives. Benjamin himself urgently needed huge sums of money to implement a large-scale maritime business project. Maximilian quickly realizes that each member of this family carefully guards dark secrets, and their deceptive appearances reliably conceal their true intentions.

The next morning, Police Inspector Kron brings the detective terrible news. Late that night, Adele Carme was murdered in the mansion. The young widow was staying at home along with all the suspicious guests who had spent the night there. She was struck in cold blood, directly over the head, with a heavy bronze statuette.

An unexpected solution

Robespierre and Kron immediately arrive at the scene of the nighttime crime. Adèle’s murdered body lies near her desk, as if the perpetrator had caught her writing a letter. The detective carefully examines the spacious room and notices a significant logical inconsistency. The chair is moved too far from the desk; writing at such a distance is physically impossible. Maximilien logically concludes that the crime scene was skillfully staged to deceive the official investigation.

He soon gathers all the suspects and confidently announces the results of his deduction. The brutal killer turns out to be Gaspard Carme. For years, he successfully hid behind the mask of a phlegmatic and distant relative. In reality, Gaspard was an expert in precision mechanics and easily picked the lock on Adèle’s bedroom door. The criminal waited until she was sound asleep under the influence of a sedative, delivered the fatal blow with a massive statuette, and carefully carried the body to the table.

Gaspard had previously attempted to misdirect the official investigation by slyly hinting to the trusting Palette about poisoned candies. He coldly hoped to create the persistent illusion that the poisoner’s original target was the young stepmother. Maximilian brilliantly anticipated this devious move and specifically asked Inspector Kron to spread the rumor about the widow’s status as a key witness. This cunning move provoked Gaspard into severe panic and forced him to commit a second, urgent murder to preserve his alibi and his enormous inheritance.

A turbulent month culminates in a momentous historical event. On September 30th, King Louis XVI solemnly declares the National Assembly closed. Robespierre and Pétion exchange meaningful glances against the backdrop of a jubilant Parisian crowd. Maximilien knows for certain that the grim struggle for freedom is far from over, and Eléonore and Svetlana faithfully await their idol’s exit.