'A French literary legend, a gentleman thief with the moral code of Robin Hood, the wits of Sherlock Holmes, and the anti-aristocratic instincts of Robespierre.' - The Atlantic The international bestseller and inspiration for the hit show, LUPIN. Arsene Lupin is France's most famous gentleman thief, a charming rapscallion with a heart of gold - and a master of deception. Arsene Lupin steals from the rich, outsmarts the police, and is generous to those in need. And above all, he never takes himself too seriously. The poor and the innocent have nothing to fear from the suave trickster and master of disguise; often they profit from his spontaneous generosity. The rich and powerful, and those who try to spoil his fun, however, must beware. They are the target of Lupin's mischief. With plans that frequently evolve into elaborate plots, Lupin is the most entertaining criminal genius in literature. This is the first collection of stories by Maurice Leblanc recounting the adventures of Arsène Lupin, In the opening stories, Lupin is arrested, only to engineer his own incredible escape. What follows are wonderfully entertaining and action packed stories. Reviews 'In 1905, the French writer Maurice Leblanc invented Arsène Lupin, a dashing thief and cunning mischief-maker ... stylish, suspenseful, and, most of all, a wild romp through Paris." - The New Yorker 'Before Arsène Lupin was the inspiration for an out-of-nowhere Netflix smash hit ... the character was a French literary legend, a gentleman thief with the moral code of Robin Hood, the wits of Sherlock Holmes, and the anti-aristocratic instincts of Robespierre.' - The Atlantic 'The allure of an all-knowing, sublime, mutable thief transcending both time and language' - The Guardian 'An irresistible gentleman thief' - Vanity Fair 'Thrilling' - The Washington Post 'The hero of many shorts stories and novels, Lupin prefers disguise and persuasion to violence and is so dashing that his victims almost thank him for the honor of being robbed.' - The New York Times 'I read all of the original, classic, novels. Now I'm a fan. I became totally addicted by working on 'Lupin.' - Omar Sy About the Author In 1905, the French writer Maurice Leblanc (1864-1941) invented Arsène Lupin, a dashing thief and cunning mischief-maker who often wore a top hat and a monocle while pocketing the world's most valuable diamonds. His first collection of stories was published in book form in 1907. The Lupin character proved hugely popular, and Leblanc spent decades penning wonderfully entertaining and action packed adventures. Leblanc's Lupin novels were so successful that he dedicated the rest of his career to being an author. He continued to publish Lupin stories into the 1930s; Leblanc died in 1941 in Perpignan, but his character's popularity lives on.