Arsene Lupin, Gentleman-Thief

The suave adventures of a gentleman rogue—a French Thomas CrownCreated by Maurice LeBlanc during the early twentieth century, Arsène Lupin is a witty confidence man and burglar, the Sherlock Holmes of crime. The poor and innocent have nothing to fear from him; often they profit from his spontaneous generosity. The rich and powerful, and the detective who tries to spoil his fun, however, must beware. They are the target of Arsène’s mischief and tomfoolery. A masterful thief, his plans frequently evolve into elaborate capers, a precursor to such cinematic creations as Ocean’s Elevenand The Sting. Sparkling with amusing banter, these stories—the best of the Lupin series—are outrageous, melodramatic, and literate.

Maurice Leblanc (1864-û1941) is best known for his Ars+¿ne Lupin stories and such novels as The Hollow Needle and 813. Leblanc was awarded the ribbon of the French Legion of Honor.
Michael Sims is the author of Adam-'s Navel, a New York Times Notable Book and a Library Journal Best Science Book. He has written for many publications, including the Los Angeles Times Book Review and the New Statesman