Eight Strokes of the Clock

Leblanc (1864-1941) was a French novelist and writer of short stories, known primarily as the creator of the fictional gentleman thief and detective Arsene Lupin, often described as a French counterpart to Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. Lupin first appeared in a series of short stories serialised in the magazine Je sais tout, starting on 15 July 1905, and the roguish and glamorous character was a surprise success, leading to fame and fortune for Leblanc who went on to write 21 Lupin novels or collections of short stories. This collection of 8 stories was first published in 1922, and although each story can be read independently there is a running thread throughout. Lupin, under the name of Prince Renine, travels with a young lady in an attempt to win her heart, solving eight mysteries on the way.