Gaston Leroux 
The Mystery of the Yellow Room 

Gaston Leroux (1868-1927) was an influential mystery and detective author, contributing a great deal to the golden age of mystery fiction. First published serially in France from 1907-1908, ’The Mystery of the Yellow Room, ’ is widely considered the greatest of the ’locked room mysteries’ of the twentieth century. Joseph Rouletabille, a journalist and novelist, is thrust into a complicated murder investigation, a murder that occurred in a locked room where it was seemingly impossible for any intruders to get into or out of. A colorful cast of characters become involved in the impossible crime of Miss Strangerson. The deft Rouletabille employs deft reason and logic to unravel this complex puzzle. Penned by the author of ’The Phantom of the Opera, ’ this tale shows Leroux at the heights of his literary powers, creating a piece of detective fiction that would become a model for all others.