From the Confessions of Arsene Lupin

by Maurice Leblanc, B.J. Harrison (Narrator)

The book that inspired the new Netflix series, "Lupin" with Omar Sy. The gentleman burglar and criminal mastermind, Arsene Lupin, returns in five new adventures. Paris' very own "Prince of Thieves" is once again on the loose, armed with his trademark wit and charm. Constantly one step ahead of the police and his nemesis, Inspector Ganimard, Lupin solves a few mysteries, saves a few damsels, and even manages to pocket a small fortune for himself. "The Two Hundred Thousand Franc Rewards!", "The Wedding Ring", "The Sign of the Shadow", "The Infernal Trap", "The Red Silk Scarf" and "Shadowed by Death" from "The Confessions of Arsene Lupin" are daring, fast-paced and a whole lot of fun. Perfect for fans of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes and Edgar Allan Poe's C. Auguste Dupin. B. J. Harrison started his Classic Tales Podcast back in 2007, soaring to the top of the iTunes charts. He masterfully breathes life back into literary classics as he plays with a wide array of voices and accents and has produced over 500 audiobooks. His productions of Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse and Hamlet by Shakespeare are regularly seen at the top of audiobook charts. Now in collaboration with SAGA Egmont, his engaging narration of these famous stories is available to readers everywhere. Maurice Leblanc was a French author during the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century. He lived in Paris during the Belle Epoque, and his literary legacy consists of novels and short stories. Though he wrote two well-received science fiction books, he was most famous for his gentleman thief adventure series, Arsene Lupin. Thought to be based on the life of anarchist Marius Jacob, who had a very public trial in 1905, Lupin is a whip-smart, witty, and roguishly handsome master of disguise. Leblanc was compared to Arthur Conan Doyle throughout his career, and he even wrote a series of novellas where Lupin is introduced to and subsequently outwits the famous detective, Sherlock Holmes. Arsene Lupin has inspired many spin-offs including the hugely successful Japanese manga series Lupin III and a new Netflix series Lupin starring Omar Sy.

Genres: Crime, Mystery

Audiobook

Published January 1, 2021

About the author

Maurice Leblanc (1864 - 1941) was a French novelist, best known as the creator of gentleman thief (later detective) Arsène Lupin.

Leblanc began as a journalist, until he was asked to write a short story filler, and created, more gallant and dashing than English counterpart Sherlock Holmes.

Reviews

[Hrishi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this collection one story at a time over a long time because they serve as great breaks from whatever serious long form stuff I'm reading (such as an interminable series of Marvel comics leading up to a complicated finale).

Some great stories, some middling. The thing that set this collection apart from those before it was there were a couple of stories that had Lupin as almost part of the furniture, playing almost no role and not showing much wit. Fun read nonetheless

This only loses one star because I listened to the Audible version, which is well performed but missing some of the stories from the original print edition

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

B. J. Harrison is an excellent narrator, and I am using this book to record my experience of his rendition of Maurice LeBlanc’s “Shadowed by Death” short story featuring Arsene Lupin! (It’s part of the “Confessions of Arsene Lupin” book.)

This was a solid 4 star listen. The audiobook itself was fantastically read, but the story, though enjoyable, was a little predictable. :)

[Barb Chamberlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun number of stories of the gentleman burglar! In many cases he doesn’t even benefit financially, but ever the gentleman, he comes to the aid of those who need his protection! Great to listen to!

[Chris Frazier · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of my favs