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L'Affaire Vera Cruz is a murder case set in France, so donning my Clouseau trenchcoat I set off to the computer research centre at St Etienne.

At the start of the affair, I was allowed to examine a photograph of the dead woman's room. Sprawled across the floor was the body of the Cruz woman but why would such a beautiful dame want to commit suicide? Besides which, why shoot yourself through the heart?

Something was wrong. This had all the hallmarks of a murder. Using computer enhancement to examine the details of the room, I searched for a clue to the murderer's identity. Clues were thin but two cigarette butts in the ashtray let me know that she hadn't been alone when she died.

Taking the bull by the horns, I started to search data bank after data bank to piece together the Vera Cruz Affair.

With Vera Cruz, Infogrames have taken another fairly simple idea and turned it into a fascinating game. The first part allows you to move a cursor square around the scene of the crime and, if the area holds anything of significance, a small window opens up showing more detail with a verbal description.

When you think you've exhausted all the possible options, the second part of the program loads the the investigation starts.

All you know so far must be entered into the computer's memory so that it can judge if your eventual accusation is an inspired guess or the result of detailed investigation.

If arcade games are the penny dreadfuls of modern society then this is the Sherlock Holmes or Agatha Christie novel. Much of the time is spent in head scratching and going over the details again and again looking for the next clue.

To start with, all you know is that the victim was a woman of easy virtue and the scraps of information gleaned from the first picture. From now on, you have to use your computer to link through the police system called the Diamond Network. Each lead can reveal new names or new details which eventually forms a framework of the world of Vera Cruz.

Through the network suspects can be interrogated and alibis checked. If a suspect has previous convictions, the details can be examined and it soon becomes clear that Vera lived in the shady underworld of drug dealers and jewel thieves.

The screen display is simple but effective and shows a computer VDU beside a printer. Each interaction must be preceded by the correct code for the police department where you think the relevant information is stored. If a record exists, the suspect's picture is displayed on the screen while their details are printed out. If you can't remember a name, the computer will help. Just type in a close approximation of the name and it will respond with the details. The record can then be printed out (if you have a printer) or you can resort to the old-fashioned notebook and pen.

I think Infogrames have hit on a rich vein of entertainment worth investigating. Although there are some similarities to the Fourth Protocol in style, every investigation of this nature differs from one another in the same way as every adventure game. In a similar way this will not be everyone's cup of tea, but I for one will be continuing to search for the solution to the crime.

David Crossweller of Infogrames intends to have additional versions ready for C64, Spectrum and MSX computers in the shops early this month, so owners of other machines will be able to join in the fun.

Some of the software emanating from France in the past has been rather disappointing but these two releases show that there is a great store of inventive software building up on the Continent which could provide a fresh approach to computer games. It is all there waiting for someone with the gall to translate it.