Fortuné du Boisgobey

Fortuné Hippolyte Auguste Abraham-Dubois (11 September 1821 – 26 February 1891), under the nom de plume Fortuné du Boisgobey, was a French novelist.

Fortuné du Boisgobey was born at Granville (Manche), and graduated from the Lycée Saint-Louis. He served as paymaster to the Army of Africa through several campaigns in Algeria from 1844 to 1848. His parents were wealthy, yet at forty or upwards, he took to writing.

In 1843, using the name Fortuné Abraham-Dubois, he made his literary debut in the Journal d'Avranches with a series entitled Lettres de Sicile recounting a voyage he had taken the year before. His first successful novel, Les Deux comédiens appeared in 1868, under the du Boisgobey pen name in the Petit Journal. The story was popular, and M. Paul Dalloz of the Petit Moniteur signed a contract with the author for seven years at 12,000ƒ a year. His reputation was increased by the publication of Une Affaire mystérieuse and Le Forçat colonel, both published there in 1869. In 1877, Figaro engaged him for a series of novels, which increased the success of that paper. He was prolific, with more than sixty works to his name, and became one of the most popular feuilleton writers.

In 1885 and 1886 he was President of the Committee of the Société des gens de lettres. Du Boisgobey died in 1891 after a long illness.

First UK edition of A Railway Tragedy in wraps.

Du Boisgobey was the chief of the followers of Émile Gaboriau, with whom his name is generally associated. He even wrote a sequel, La Vieillesse de M. Lecoq, using Gaboriau's character Monsieur Lecoq in 1877-78. His novels deal with crime, the police, and Parisian life. They had a high circulation, and the greater part of them have been translated into English.

English translations exist for the following works.

• Le Forçat colonel (1871) - The Convict Colonel on the Internet Archive
• Le Chevalier Casse-Cou (1873) - The Chevalier Casse-Cou / The Red Camelia at Google Books
  • Le Camélia rouge - The Red Camelia
  • La Chasse aux ancêtres - The Search for Ancestors
• Le Vrai Masque de fer (1873) - The Iron Mask
• L’As de cœur (1875) - The Ace of Hearts on the Internet Archive
• La Tresse blonde (1875) - The Golden Tress at Google Books
• Le Coup de pouce (1875) - The Thumb Stroke on the Internet Archive
• Les Mystères du nouveau Paris (1876) - The Mysteries of New Paris
• L'Enragé (1876) - Marie-Rose; or, The Mystery
• "La Jambe Noire" (1877) - The Phantom Leg on the Internet Archive
• Une Affaire mystérieuse (1878) - The Nameless Man at Google Books
• La Vieillesse de M. Lecoq (1878) - The Old Age of Lecoq, the Detective at Google Books
  • Première partie - The Old Age of Monsieur Lecoq
  • Deuxième partie - The Nabob of Bahour
• L'Épingle rose (1879) - The Coral Pin at Google Books
  • Première partie - The Coral Pin
  • Deuxième partie - The Temple of Death
• L'Héritage de Jean Tourniol (1879) - The Robbery of the Orphans; or, Jean Tourniol's Inheritance
• Le Crime de l'Opéra ou "La Rideau Sanglante" (1879) - The Crime of the Opera House / The Opera-House Tragedy
  • Vol. 1 on the Internet Archive
  • Vol. 2 on the Internet Archive
• La Main coupée (1880) - The Lost Casket at Google Books / The Severed Hand
  • Première partie - The Countess Yalta; or, The Nihilist Spy
  • Deuxième partie - Doctor Villagos; or, The Nihilist Chief
• Où est Zénobie? (1880) - Where's Zenobia? / Zénobie Capitaine
  • Where's Zenobia? (Volume 1) on the Internet Archive
  • Where's Zenobia? (Volume 2) on the Internet Archive
• L'Affaire Matapan (1881) - The Matapan Affair / The Matapan Jewels
• L'Équipage du diable (1881) - The Day of Reckoning / Satan's Coach
• Le Crime de l'omnibus (1881) - An Omnibus Mystery / The Crime in the Omnibus
• Le Pavé de Paris (1881) - A Mystery Still on the Internet Archive
• Les Deux bonnets verts (1881) - Cécile's Fortune at Google Books / Mérindol
• Le Pignon maudit (1882) - A Fight For A Fortune on the Internet Archive / The Privateersman's Legacy
• Le Bac (1882) - Who Died Last? or, The Rightful Heir at Google Books / Was it a Murder? or, Who is the Heir? / The Ferry-Boat / Article 722; or, Roger's Inheritance
• Les Suites d'un duel (1882) - The Results of a Duel on the Internet Archive
• La Revanche de Fernande (1882) - Fernande's Choice on the Internet Archive
• Le Cochon d'or (1882) - The Golden Pig; or, The Idol of Modern Paris at Google Books
• Bouche cousue (1883) - Sealed Lips
• Le Collier d'acier (1883) - The Steel Necklace at Google Books
• Le Coup d'œil de M. Piédouche (1883) - The Detective's Eye at Google Books / The Parisian Detective / Piedouche, a French Detective
• Le Billet rouge (1884) - The Red Lottery Ticket at Google Books / Lover or Blackmailer?
• Le Mari de la diva (1884) - The Prima Donna's Husband
• Le Secret de Berthe (1884) - Bertha's Secret on the Internet Archive
  • Première partie - Bertha's Secret
  • Deuxième partie - The Countess de Marcenac
• Babiole (1884) - Pretty Babiole / Babiole, the Pretty Milliner on the Internet Archive
• Margot la Balafrée (1884) - In the Serpent's Coils at Google Books / The Vitriol Thrower
  • Première partie - The Sculptor's Daughter
  • Deuxième partie - The Count's Ring
• La Voilette bleue (1885) - The Angel of the Chimes on the Internet Archive / The Angel of the Belfry / The Blue Veil; or, The Crime of the Tower
• Le Cri du sang (1885) - The Cry of Blood on the Internet Archive
• Le Pouce crochu (1885) - Thieving Fingers at Google Books / Zig-Zag the Clown; or, The Steel Gauntlets
• La Belle geôlière (1885) - The Jailor's Pretty Wife on the Internet Archive
• La Bande rouge (1886) - The Red Band; or, The Siege and the Commune at Google Books
  • Première partie - The Red Band
  • Deuxième partie - Scarlet Mystery / The Mystery of the Oak
• Porte close (1886) - The Condemned Door; or, The Secret of Trigavou Castle on the Internet Archive / The Closed Door
• Rubis sur l'ongle (1886) - Cash on Delivery: A Novel of Love and the Passion for Gaming on the Internet Archive
• Cœur volant (1886) - Fickle Heart! a Novel of Love and Racing on the Internet Archive
• "A Railway Tragedy" (1887) on the Internet Archive
• "Le Gredins" (1887)
  • His Great Revenge vol.1 on the Internet Archive
  • His Great Revenge vol.2 on the Internet Archive
• Jean Coup-en-deux (1887) - Death or Dishonor
• L'Héritage d'un forçat (1887) - The Felon's Bequest on the Internet Archive
• L'Œil-de-chat (1888) - The Cat's-Eye Ring: A Secret of Paris Life
• Grippe-Soleil (1887) - The Bride of a Day: a Story of Paris Life
• Le Chalet des Pervenches (1888) - The Half-Sister's Secret
• Mariage d'inclination (1888) - Married for Love
• Décapitée! (1889) - The Severed Head; or, A Terrible Confession
• Le plongeur: scènes de la vie sportive (1889) - The High Roller; or, Plunging and Honeyfugling on the Race-Track: A Sporting Romance
• Fontenay Coup-d'Epée (1890) - Fontenay, the Swordsman at Google Books
• Un Cadet de Normandie au XVIIe siècle (1891) - An Ocean Knight; or, The Corsairs and their Conquerors

• Lai 2004.