Eça de Queirós
O Mysterio da Estrada de Cintra. Cartas ao Diário de Noticias
"O Mysterio da Estrada de Cintra. Cartas ao Diário de Noticias" by Eça de Queirós et al. is a serialized novel published in 1870. Considered Portugal's first detective story, it unfolds through letters to a Lisbon newspaper describing a mysterious kidnapping and murder. Two friends are abducted near Sintra and discover a corpse in an isolated house. As more correspondents write in—including the kidnappers, suspects, and witnesses—layers of intrigue emerge involving a countess, masked men, and questions of guilt that captivated readers who believed the sensational events were real.