Within an Inch of His Life (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Murder Mystery NovelBy Émile Gaboriau
Length19h 51m
About this audiobook
Within an Inch of His Life is a taut judicial mystery in which Émile Gaboriau subjects an accused man to the suffocating machinery of suspicion, provincial gossip, and circumstantial evidence. Centered on Jacques de Boiscoran, charged with a violent crime whose appearances condemn him, the novel combines melodramatic urgency with procedural precision. Its style is expansive yet disciplined: courtroom rhetoric, forensic detail, and psychological observation unfold within the serialized tradition of nineteenth-century French crime fiction, anticipating the modern detective novel's fascination with evidence and interpretation. Gaboriau, often regarded as one of the founders of detective fiction, brought to his novels the instincts of a journalist and the narrative habits of the feuilleton. Influenced by Poe, Vidocq, and contemporary legal scandals, he understood both the drama and the danger of investigation. His recurring concern was not merely who committed a crime, but how society, police, lawyers, and magistrates construct truth. This book is recommended for readers interested in the origins of crime fiction, legal drama, and the moral ambiguities of justice. It offers suspense, social critique, and a revealing portrait of a genre still discovering its powers.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
GenreMystery and Thriller
Length19 hrs 51 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateJun 18, 2018
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1The Mystery of Orcival (Annotated)
26XI.
2Introduction
27XII.
3Synopsis
28XIII.
4Historical Context
29XIV.
5First Part. Fire At Valpinson
30XV.
Show all chaptersShow less
6I.
31XVI.
7II.
32XVII.
8III.
33XVIII.
9IV.
34XIX.
10V.
35XX.
11VI.
36XXI.
12VII.
37XXII.
13VIII.
38XXIII.
14IX.
39XXIV.
15Second Part. The Boiscoran Trial
40XXV.
16I.
41XXVI.
17II.
42XXVII.
18III.
43XXVIII.
19IV.
44XXIX.
20V.
45XXX.
21VI.
46XXXI.
22VII.
47Third Part. Cocoleu
23VIII.
48I.
24IX.
49II.
25X.
50III.
The Widow Lerouge (Murder Mystery)Émile Gaboriau14h 53m3.8 (1.8K)$1.99 · $0.00
FILE NO. 113 (Unabridged)Émile Gaboriau18h 11m3.8 (856)$1.99 · $0.00
The Greatest Works of Émile GaboriauÉmile Gaboriau178h 37m4.4 (13)$1.99 · $0.00
The Greatest Murder Mysteries of Émile GaboriauÉmile Gaboriau177h 34m$1.99 · $0.00
Detective Lecoq - Complete Murder MysteriesÉmile Gaboriau96h 33m4.2 (121)$1.99 · $0.00
THE COUNT'S MILLIONSÉmile Gaboriau26h 27m3.9 (96)$1.99 · $0.00
THE MYSTERY OF ORCIVALÉmile Gaboriau12h 47m4.0 (993)$1.99 · $0.00
La vie infernaleÉmile Gaboriau22h 49m3.8 (63)$0.99 · $0.00
Toutes les Œuvres MajeuresÉmile Gaboriau272h 42m$0.99 · $0.00
Toutes les aventures de Monsieur Lecoq (La collection intégrale): L'Affaire Lerouge + Le Crime d'Orcival + Le Dossier 113 + Les Esclaves de Paris + Monsieur Lecoq (I & II)Émile Gaboriau114h 37m4.4 (11)$0.99 · $0.00
The Greatest Works of Émile GaboriauÉmile Gaboriau178h 1m4.4 (13)$0.99 · $0.00
Monsieur Lecoq: Romans complètes (Annoté)Émile Gaboriau115h 9m4.4 (16)$0.99 · $0.00
The Count's Millions (Annotated)Émile Gaboriau26h 30m4.3 (12)$2 · $0.00
Monsieur Lecoq Cases: Complete Detective Series (Annotated)Émile Gaboriau96h 59m4.3 (126)$2 · $0.00
Detective Lecoq - Complete Murder MysteriesÉmile Gaboriau97h 5m$2 · $0.00
Mariages d'aventureÉmile Gaboriau7h 25m$1 · $0.00
Les esclaves de ParisÉmile Gaboriau37h 15m3.8 (58)$1 · $0.00
La corde au couÉmile Gaboriau20h 40m4.1 (115)$1 · $0.00
Le 13e Hussards, types, profils, esquisses et croquis militaires... á pied et á chevalÉmile Gaboriau5h 46m$2 · $0.00
Olympic Mountain PursuitJodie Bailey5h 55m4.6 (638)$12 · $0.00
Glen AffricKarine Giebel22h 51m4.5 (3.2K)$46 · $0.00
Deadly Badlands PursuitSharee Stover5h 53m4.6 (361)$12 · $0.00
Crime and Punishment (The Unabridged Garnett Translation) (Annotated)Fyodor Dostoevsky24h 25m4.5 (15.4K)$0.99 · $0.00
Three ComradesErich Maria Remarque15h 50m4.5 (47.3K)$2 · $0.00
AngelAnita Waller10h 30m4.6 (672)$30 · $0.00
The BorderDon Winslow29h 8m4.5 (35.7K)$53 · $0.00
FlashpointCatherine Coulter11h 38m4.5 (11.6K)$29 · $0.00
The Gothic Works of Edgar Allan Poe (Illustrated Edition)Edgar Allan Poe21h 5m4.5 (2.9K)$1.99 · $0.00
The Man in the Brown Suit & They Came to BaghdadAgatha Christie15h 43m4.6 (495)$33 · $0.00
Fang Si-Chi's First Love ParadiseYi-Han Lin8h 25m4.5 (4K)$26 · $0.00
The Rose CodeKate Quinn16h 2m4.4 (493.7K)$33 · $0.00
No Woman Left BehindJulie Moffett8h 49m4.5 (3K)$25 · $0.00
CovertJanie Crouch6h 15m4.5 (2K)$12 · $0.00
Cold Case InvestigationNicole Helm5h 30m4.6 (321)$5 · $0.00
The ReunionJana DeLeon6h 31m4.5 (1.6K)$12 · $0.00
Courage Under FireSharon Dunn5h 50m4.5 (730)$24 · $0.00
Decoding the TruthJulie Miller7h 31m4.6 (350)$12 · $0.00
Murder Gone ColdB.J. Daniels5h 50m4.5 (562)$12 · $0.00
Crime and PunishmentFyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky22h 22m4.4 (1.3M)$0.60 · $0.00
You may also like
Hercule Poirot's Silent NightSophie Hannah, Agatha Christie8h 59m3.8 (16.7K)$29 · $0.00
Police at the FuneralMargery Allingham10h 40m4.0 (9.9K)$2 · $0.00
Last DitchNgaio Marsh8h 6m3.9 (3.9K)$17
A Bitter FeastDeborah Crombie10h 42m4.2 (9.7K)$29 · $0.00
Agatha Raisin and the Day the Floods CameM. C. Beaton6h 8m3.9 (15.9K)$20
MuzzledEileen Brady7h 38m3.8 (3.3K)$20
Cherringham, Episodes 1–3Matthew Costello, Neil Richards7h 48m4.1 (3.5K)$17
Death of a BoreM. C. Beaton5h 15m4.0 (10K)$20
Murder as a Second LanguageJoan Hess9h 50m3.6 (1.1K)$20
The Murder of Roger AckroydAgatha Christie6h 54m4.3 (361.3K)$24 · $0.00
HornswoggledDonis Casey8h 48m4.1 (540)$17
Death Comes to DurhamJeanne M. Dams9h 2m4.2 (1.1K)$23
THE RED HOUSE MYSTERYA. A. Milne8h 34m3.8 (24.2K)$1.99 · $0.00
Murder on the Flying ScotsmanCarola Dunn6h 52m4.0 (7.3K)$20
Broken IceMatt Goldman8h 22m4.0 (8.3K)$20
A Lawman's JusticeDelores Fossen5h 52m4.3 (594)$12 · $0.00
Never Con a CorgiEdie Claire9h 18m4.1 (1.8K)$20
The Murder at the VicarageAgatha Christie8h 31m4.1 (266.8K)$0.99 · $0.00
Outlaw MountainJ. A. Jance12h 56m4.1 (10.9K)$33 · $0.00
Murder of a LadyRobert McNair Wilson9h 7m3.6 (3.5K)$1 · $0.00