Characterized by amoral ruthlessness, the politics of A Murky Business> would seem to bear out Balzac's questionable precept. Set earlier than most of Balzac's Comedie Humaine, the novel covers the years 1803-6, when Napoleon was making himself first Consul and then Emperor. The inclusion of Napoleon himself, as well as figures like Talleyrand and Fouche, makes this a historical novel. But it is also an early example of the detective story, in which the sinister, implacable police agent, Corentin, stalks his way towards vengeance on his aristocractic enemies. Dimensions:130 x 196 Author: Honoré de Balzac ISBN: 9780140442717 Format: Paperback Pages 224