A contemporary of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Maurice Leblanc created the character of the gentleman thief who, in Francophone countries, has enjoyed a popularity as long-lasting and considerable as Sherlock Holmes in the English-speaking world.
Celebrated for fashioning complex plots and ingenious puzzles, Leblanc’s stories captured the imagination of thousands of readers across the world. Leblanc also wrote notable science fiction novels and he was awarded the Légion d'Honneur for his services to literature.
Translated by Alexander Teixeira De Mattos