I'm a closeted history buff so I was looking forward to diving into this book. I'm especially fascinated by Napoleon since I know almost nothing about him. Plus, I enjoy a good murder mystery from time to time.

The details in this book make for a great murder mystery since we still don't really know what really happened to Admiral Villeneuve to this day. It's labeled as suicide but is it really suicide at the end of the day?

The details we do have don't make sense and don't add up. I'm so glad the author writes out the inner workings of this investigation from Napoleon's point of view since it's a good look into the inner workings of what may have happened.

However, at the end of the day, we'll never know for sure. Was Villeneuve really spending his last evening writing up a letter to send to the emperor? Did the emperor ever receive that letter? We'll never know for sure, which is a damned shame.

I do like the author's portrayal of Napoleon and the book itself kept me engaged from the get-go. I'm also glad the book was as short as it was, as I don't think the author could have added anything else. It's perfect the way it is, honestly.

I'd recommend this book to any other history buff out there, especially those who like anything to do with Napoleon. I'd also recommend it to anyone who enjoys murder mysteries, especially murder mysteries in the style of Agatha Christie. The writing style reminds me of her for some reason.