Maurice Leblanc Books in Order (Updated September 8, 2026)

Maurice Leblanc was a French novelist and short story writer best known for creating Arsène Lupin, the gentleman thief who first appeared in 1905. Lupin went on to dominate Leblanc’s career through novels, linked story collections, novellas, and stage works, while Leblanc also continued to write mysteries and speculative fiction without the character.

The Arsène Lupin bibliography is less straightforward than a modern numbered series. Some books are story collections, some English editions divide or retitle French works, one novel was revised so that Lupin became part of a story that originally did not feature him, and late books were published posthumously. Publication order remains the safest first-reading method.

Your Starting Point for Arsène Lupin

Best starting point: begin with Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar. It introduces Lupin’s personality, methods, disguises, audacity, and rivalry with the detective called Herlock Sholmes in Leblanc’s published versions.

• First Lupin book: Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar.
• Herlock Sholmes: continue with Arsène Lupin versus Herlock Sholmes.
• First major Lupin novel: The Hollow Needle.
• Best complete order: publication order because later books often refer to an already established Lupin legend.
• English title warning: translations vary considerably, so French originals are useful for identifying duplicate editions.
• Posthumous books: The Billions of Arsène Lupin and The Last Love of Arsène Lupin require special handling.

Arsène Lupin Books in Publication Order

The following sequence gives the most practical publication-order route through Leblanc’s principal Lupin fiction. English titles differ between translators and publishers, so the original French title is included where that helps prevent confusion.

1. Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar (Arsène Lupin, gentleman-cambrioleur, 1907)
2. Arsène Lupin versus Herlock Sholmes (Arsène Lupin contre Herlock Sholmès, 1908)
3. The Hollow Needle (L’Aiguille creuse, 1909)
4. 813 (1910)
5. The Crystal Stopper (Le Bouchon de cristal, 1912)
6. The Confessions of Arsène Lupin (Les Confidences d’Arsène Lupin, 1913)
7. The Shell Shard (L’Éclat d’obus, 1916, later revised to include Lupin)
8. The Golden Triangle (Le Triangle d’or, 1918 book edition)
9. The Island of Thirty Coffins (L’Île aux trente cercueils, 1920 book edition), also translated as The Secret of Sarek
10. The Teeth of the Tiger (Les Dents du tigre, 1921 book edition)
11. The Eight Strokes of the Clock (Les Huit Coups de l’horloge, 1923 book edition)
12. The Countess of Cagliostro (La Comtesse de Cagliostro, 1924)
13. The Green-Eyed Girl (La Demoiselle aux yeux verts, 1927)
14. The Barnett & Co. Agency (L’Agence Barnett et Cie, 1928)
15. The Mysterious Mansion (La Demeure mystérieuse, 1929)
16. La Barre-y-va (1931)
17. The Woman with Two Smiles (La Femme aux deux sourires, 1933)
18. Victor of the Vice Squad (Victor, de la Brigade mondaine, 1934)
19. The Revenge of the Countess of Cagliostro (La Cagliostro se venge, 1935)
20. The Billions of Arsène Lupin (Les Milliards d’Arsène Lupin, serialized 1939, posthumous book 1941)
21. The Last Love of Arsène Lupin (Le Dernier Amour d’Arsène Lupin, written in the 1930s, posthumously published 2012)

Recommended order: use the sequence above for a first read. It follows how readers encountered Lupin and avoids bringing later-created backstory ahead of the stories that originally established the character.

Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar Is a Story Collection

The first Lupin book is not a single novel. Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar collects nine early adventures that originally appeared in magazines.

1. The Arrest of Arsène Lupin
2. Arsène Lupin in Prison
3. The Escape of Arsène Lupin
4. The Mysterious Traveller
5. The Queen’s Necklace
6. The Seven of Hearts
7. Madame Imbert’s Safe
8. The Black Pearl
9. Herlock Sholmes Arrives Too Late

The exact English rendering of individual story titles varies. The important reading-order point is that these stories establish Lupin before the longer novels.

Why Herlock Sholmes Appears Instead of Sherlock Holmes

Leblanc famously brought Lupin into conflict with a detective modeled on Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. Early publication history around the name led to the character being known in the Lupin books as Herlock Sholmes, with his companion often similarly renamed.

Arsène Lupin versus Herlock Sholmes contains two extended confrontations, commonly translated as The Blonde Lady and The Jewish Lamp.

Read second: the book works best after the first Lupin collection, where the rivalry is already foreshadowed.

The Hollow Needle Is the Next Major Step

The Hollow Needle was serialized from 1908 into 1909 and published as a book in 1909. It pits Lupin against the young amateur detective Isidore Beautrelet in a mystery involving a secret associated with French history.

This is one of the most important early Lupin novels and should remain after the first two collections. It assumes that Lupin is already a famous and formidable figure.

813 and Its Two-Volume Editions

813 appeared in 1910. Later French publication divided the material into two volumes titled La Double Vie d’Arsène Lupin and Les Trois Crimes d’Arsène Lupin.

Do not count these as three separate adventures: the two later titles divide material belonging to 813. Modern editions may return to the original one-volume title or preserve the split.

Check the contents before purchasing all three titles, especially in older or translated editions.

The Confessions of Arsène Lupin Is Another Collection

The Confessions of Arsène Lupin gathers shorter Lupin adventures rather than presenting one continuous novel. The stories expand Lupin’s personal mythology, romantic life, schemes, and interventions.

The French collection contains nine principal stories, while some English editions have differed in contents or arrangement.

Best placement: after The Crystal Stopper in a publication-order reading.

The Shell Shard Has a Complicated Lupin Status

L’Éclat d’obus, known in English as The Shell Shard, was originally published without Arsène Lupin as part of its story. Leblanc later revised the work so that Lupin appeared.

This means different editions can create real confusion. An early text and a later Lupinized version are not bibliographically identical in the way a simple retitled translation would be.

Included with qualification: readers following the expanded Lupin canon can place the revised Lupin version after The Confessions of Arsène Lupin. Readers studying Leblanc’s original publication history should remember that Lupin was added later.

The Golden Triangle, Sarek, and The Teeth of the Tiger

Leblanc’s later Lupin books often allow other characters to dominate large portions of the story before Lupin’s role becomes fully apparent. This makes them feel different from early books centered directly on his burglaries and disguises.

1. The Golden Triangle
2. The Island of Thirty Coffins, also known as The Secret of Sarek
3. The Teeth of the Tiger

Publication order is still the safest approach. Do not assume a book is outside the Lupin canon merely because Lupin is absent from the opening chapters or is operating under another identity.

The Eight Strokes of the Clock in Order

The Eight Strokes of the Clock is a linked collection featuring Prince Rénine and Hortense Daniel. Rénine is closely associated with Lupin’s fictional identity and is generally treated as another Lupin persona within the series tradition.

The eight adventures are designed as a sequence and should be read in the order presented in the book rather than extracted and rearranged independently.

Included: place the collection after The Teeth of the Tiger and before The Countess of Cagliostro in publication order.

The Countess of Cagliostro Is a Prequel

The Countess of Cagliostro was published in 1924 but reaches back into Arsène Lupin’s youth. It explores his earlier identity, his formative experiences, and his relationship with the mysterious Countess of Cagliostro.

Chronologically earlier, but read later: first-time readers should not move it to the beginning. The novel was designed to deepen a character who had already been established through nearly two decades of stories.

Chronological order is better saved for a reread.

The Revenge of the Countess of Cagliostro

La Cagliostro se venge, published in 1935, returns to the consequences of The Countess of Cagliostro. Unlike many episodic Lupin adventures, this book has a particularly clear relationship to the earlier prequel.

Order matters: read The Countess of Cagliostro before The Revenge of the Countess of Cagliostro.

There is no advantage to moving the revenge novel next to the 1924 book during a first complete publication-order read, but the connection is worth remembering.

Jim Barnett and Victor: Lupin Under Other Faces

Disguise and assumed identity are fundamental to Lupin, and several later books push that idea further by presenting him under identities that dominate the title or opening situation.

The Barnett & Co. Agency features Jim Barnett and Inspector Théodore Béchoux across connected cases. Victor of the Vice Squad similarly builds its mystery around identities that should not be spoiled too early for first-time readers.

Publication order protects the intended discoveries: do not read late identity-based Lupin books before the early series simply because their titles do not say Arsène Lupin.

The Billions of Arsène Lupin Has a Difficult Publication History

The Billions of Arsène Lupin was serialized in 1939 and published as a book after Leblanc’s death in 1941. The first posthumous book edition omitted a chapter, creating a textual problem that later editions have attempted to correct.

Place near the end: it belongs after the late 1930s Lupin material in publication history, but readers should look for a complete modern text rather than assuming every edition contains identical material.

The Last Love of Arsène Lupin Was Found Much Later

The Last Love of Arsène Lupin was written in the later 1930s but remained unpublished and was rediscovered decades after Leblanc’s death. It finally appeared in 2012.

The very late publication date is therefore misleading if treated as the date of composition. The manuscript belongs to Leblanc’s final creative period rather than to a twenty-first-century continuation.

Recommended placement: read it after the standard lifetime and immediate posthumous Lupin books. This preserves the historical reading sequence while allowing it to function as rediscovered late material.

Does Arsène Lupin Have a Reliable Chronological Order?

A full internal chronology is possible only with qualifications. Leblanc moved backward into Lupin’s youth, wrote stories at different points in the character’s career, used assumed identities, and retroactively added Lupin to at least one work.

The clearest example is The Countess of Cagliostro, which is set early in Lupin’s life despite appearing in 1924. Reading it first would reveal a retrospective version of Lupin before the reader experiences the stories that originally made him mysterious.

Recommended rule: publication order for first-time readers. Chronological reconstruction is best treated as a specialist rereading project rather than the default series order.

English Lupin Titles That Often Cause Confusion

Translation history is one of the largest sources of apparent duplication in Maurice Leblanc lists. The same French book may appear under several English titles.

• Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar may also appear as The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar or The Exploits of Arsène Lupin.
• Arsène Lupin versus Herlock Sholmes has appeared in editions titled The Blonde Lady.
• The Island of Thirty Coffins has appeared in English as The Secret of Sarek.
• 813 was later divided into two French volumes and may appear in translated forms reflecting that division.
• Other later Lupin works have received different English titles depending on translator and publisher.

When building a complete collection, compare the original French title and story contents rather than relying only on the English cover.

Maurice Leblanc Books Outside Arsène Lupin

Leblanc had a literary career before Lupin and continued writing non-Lupin fiction afterward. These books should not be added to the gentleman-thief sequence simply because they are mysteries or speculative adventures.

1. Une femme (1893)
2. Armelle et Claude (1897)
3. Voici des ailes! (1898)
4. L’Enthousiasme (1901)
5. La Frontière (1911), translated as The Frontier
6. Les Trois Yeux (1919), translated as The Three Eyes
7. Le Formidable Événement (1921), translated as The Tremendous Event
8. Dorothée, danseuse de corde (1923)
9. La Vie extravagante de Balthazar (1925)
10. Le Prince de Jéricho (1930)
11. De minuit à sept heures (1932)
12. Le Chapelet rouge (1934)
13. Le Scandale du gazon bleu (1935)

This is a selected principal-novel list rather than every non-Lupin story or collection Leblanc published. The essential boundary is that these books do not become Arsène Lupin adventures merely because their author is Leblanc.

The Three Eyes and The Tremendous Event for Science Fiction Readers

Readers who come to Leblanc through mystery fiction may be surprised by his speculative novels. The Three Eyes and The Tremendous Event move into science-fictional and extraordinary-event territory without relying on Arsène Lupin.

Separate continuity: these books can be read independently. They are useful for seeing how Leblanc’s fascination with secrets, hidden knowledge, impossible situations, and dramatic revelation extended beyond his famous thief.

Arsène Lupin Stage Works Are a Separate Category

Leblanc also brought Lupin to the stage, sometimes in collaboration. The theatrical bibliography includes works such as the 1908 stage play Arsène Lupin, written with Francis de Croisset.

An English novelization associated with the play was produced by Edgar Jepson. That adaptation should not be confused with a wholly separate new Lupin novel written solely by Leblanc.

Optional: readers concentrating on prose fiction can keep plays and adaptations outside the primary book sequence.

A Short Arsène Lupin Reading Route

If you want the major Lupin experience without reading every late book, use this route:

1. Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar
2. Arsène Lupin versus Herlock Sholmes
3. The Hollow Needle
4. 813
5. The Crystal Stopper
6. The Confessions of Arsène Lupin
7. The Teeth of the Tiger
8. The Eight Strokes of the Clock
9. The Countess of Cagliostro
10. The Revenge of the Countess of Cagliostro

This is a selective route rather than a substitute for the complete publication sequence. It covers Lupin’s early identity, his rivalry with Herlock Sholmes, several major mysteries, the linked-story form, and the Cagliostro backstory.

For a Full Maurice Leblanc Project

A complete author project should not begin and end with Lupin. Leblanc’s early literary novels came before the gentleman thief, while later speculative and mystery novels show him continuing to experiment outside the series.

The most practical strategy is to read the Lupin books as one publication-order sequence and keep non-Lupin fiction in a second publication-order list. This avoids interrupting Lupin continuity with unrelated novels merely because they appeared between two series installments.

Maurice Leblanc’s Final Years and Series Status

Maurice Leblanc died in November 1941. The Billions of Arsène Lupin appeared posthumously that year after earlier serialization, although its initial book publication had textual problems.

The rediscovery and 2012 publication of The Last Love of Arsène Lupin added another late manuscript to the bibliography many decades after Leblanc’s death.

There are no forthcoming newly written Maurice Leblanc novels. Modern Lupin publications are translations, restored texts, collected editions, rediscovered historical material, or continuations and adaptations by other writers.

Questions About Reading Maurice Leblanc

What is the first Arsène Lupin book?

Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar, published as a collection in 1907, is the first Lupin book. The character’s first story had appeared in a magazine in 1905.

Should Arsène Lupin be read in publication order?

Yes. Publication order is the safest recommendation for first-time readers because later books contain prequel material, assumed identities, retrospective revelations, and unusual publication histories.

Is Arsène Lupin versus Herlock Sholmes the second book?

Yes. It follows the first story collection and develops Lupin’s rivalry with Leblanc’s version of the famous English detective.

Are The Blonde Lady and Arsène Lupin versus Herlock Sholmes the same book?

Some English editions use The Blonde Lady for material from Arsène Lupin contre Herlock Sholmès. Because translation and edition contents vary, compare the included stories before treating them as separate books.

Is 813 one book or two?

It was originally published as 813. Later French editions divided the narrative into La Double Vie d’Arsène Lupin and Les Trois Crimes d’Arsène Lupin. Those divided volumes should not be counted as two additional Lupin adventures on top of 813.

Is The Countess of Cagliostro the first book chronologically?

It depicts a young Lupin and belongs early in his internal biography, but it was not published until 1924. New readers should encounter it in publication order rather than moving it ahead of the 1907 collection.

Is The Secret of Sarek different from The Island of Thirty Coffins?

No. The Secret of Sarek is an English title used for L’Île aux trente cercueils, commonly translated more literally as The Island of Thirty Coffins.

Was The Last Love of Arsène Lupin really written by Maurice Leblanc?

Yes. It was a late Leblanc manuscript that remained unpublished for decades before being rediscovered and issued in 2012.

Did Maurice Leblanc write books without Arsène Lupin?

Yes. His non-Lupin fiction includes early literary novels and later mystery or speculative works such as The Frontier, The Three Eyes, The Tremendous Event, and Dorothée, danseuse de corde.

The Most Reliable Maurice Leblanc Reading Order

For Arsène Lupin, begin with Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar and move forward in publication order. This preserves Lupin’s gradual transformation from audacious gentleman thief into a figure who appears through disguises, hidden identities, historical mysteries, and increasingly elaborate adventures.

Do not move The Countess of Cagliostro to the beginning simply because it depicts Lupin’s youth. Its backstory is more effective after the earlier books have already established the legend it is explaining.

Pay close attention to English titles, divided editions of 813, the revised Lupin version of The Shell Shard, and the posthumous publication histories of The Billions of Arsène Lupin and The Last Love of Arsène Lupin. Those are the main points where an otherwise straightforward publication-order read can become confusing.