The Crystal Stopper · Character

Prasville

The police secretary-general, once best man at Clarisse's wedding, whose own name is quietly buried in the Canal scandal he is supposed to be investigating.

supporting

Also known as M. Prasville, Louis Prasville, Master Prasville, the famous Prasville

First appearance: i the arrests

As a supporting figure in The Crystal Stopper, Prasville is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Secretary-general of the Prefecture of Police; Daubrecq writes him a letter.

In the storyII: Eight from Nine Leaves OneOpen this moment free

See Prasville in II: Eight from Nine Leaves One Book page

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Prasville is the respectable face of the pursuit — a former barrister and explorer, now a senior official with the power to move police and press. But his friend Vorenglade, a penniless ex-deputy, holds documents proving Prasville's complicity in the Twenty-Seven affair, and Daubrecq knows it. He is Clarisse's last official hope and, at the same time, a man with everything to lose, which makes him both an ally of convenience and a liability Lupin cannot trust.

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The fuller portrait of Prasville sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Prasville in i the arrests

Character Web

17 connections

A slice of how Prasville sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Rivalry
Professional
Other

Character groups

Core conspiracy players
Protagonist

+12 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the dramatic climax because it represents the emotional and psychological peak of the villain’s long-s…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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Relationships

Alexis Daubrecq
rivalry · negative
Daubrecq and Prasville are antagonists in a political and criminal power struggle, each… How this plays out →
Clarisse Mergy
professional · ambivalent
Arsène Lupin
rivalry · negative
Gilbert
rivalry · negative
Clarisse Mergy
professional · ambivalent
Clarisse Mergy
professional · ambivalent
Arsène Lupin
rivalry · negative
Alexis Daubrecq
rivalry · negative
Daubrecq and Prasville are antagonists in a political and criminal power struggle, each… How this plays out →
Gilbert
rivalry · negative
Arsène Lupin
rivalry · negative
Alexis Daubrecq
rivalry · negative
Daubrecq and Prasville are antagonists in a political and criminal power struggle, each… How this plays out →
Gilbert
rivalry · negative

Alexis Daubrecq
Daubrecq and Prasville are antagonists in a political and criminal power struggle, each trying to outmaneuver the other.
Clarisse Mergy
Clarisse interacts with Prasville as a desperate petitioner, seeking his influence to save her son from the guillotine.
Arsène Lupin
Lupin and Prasville are adversaries, with Prasville representing the law and Lupin the master criminal outwitting him.
Gilbert
Gilbert is a condemned prisoner facing Prasville, who represents the judicial system seeking his execution.
Clarisse Mergy
Clarisse interacts with Prasville as a desperate petitioner, seeking his influence to save her son from the guillotine.
Clarisse Mergy
Clarisse interacts with Prasville as a desperate petitioner, seeking his influence to save her son from the guillotine.
Arsène Lupin
Lupin and Prasville are adversaries, with Prasville representing the law and Lupin the master criminal outwitting him.
Alexis Daubrecq
Daubrecq and Prasville are antagonists in a political and criminal power struggle, each trying to outmaneuver the other.
Gilbert
Gilbert is a condemned prisoner facing Prasville, who represents the judicial system seeking his execution.
Arsène Lupin
Lupin and Prasville are adversaries, with Prasville representing the law and Lupin the master criminal outwitting him.
Alexis Daubrecq
Daubrecq and Prasville are antagonists in a political and criminal power struggle, each trying to outmaneuver the other.
Gilbert
Gilbert is a condemned prisoner facing Prasville, who represents the judicial system seeking his execution.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Prasville in i the arrests

In the story

Prasville appears across 7 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

II: Eight from Nine Leaves One
Secretary-general of the Prefecture of Police; Daubrecq writes him a letter.
V: The Twenty-Seven
Police official who collaborated with Clarisse in her search for the list, motivated by hatred for Daubrecq.
VII: The Profile of Napoleon
Investigates Daubrecq's kidnapping and interviews Clarisse and M. Nicole.
IX: In the Dark
Receives a note from the Growler to watch the Square Lamartine.
The Cross of Lorraine
Prasville examines the list of the Twenty-Seven, initially agrees to help, but then changes his mind and cancels his audience at the Élysée, raising suspicions.
XII: The Scaffold
Oversees the execution and later discovers Lupin's alias and the hidden exit from his flat.
The Last Battle
Confronts Lupin (as M. Nicole), examines the glass eye, and confirms the list's authenticity; initially holds Lupin at gunpoint.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Prasville unlock in the free preview.

See Prasville in i the arrests

See Prasville in II: Eight from Nine Leaves One