813: An Arsène Lupin Mystery of Murder, Cryptograms, and Political Intrigue - Hardcover

by Maurice LeBlanc (Author)

Maurice Leblanc's 813 is one of the great Arsène Lupin thrillers: a fast-moving mystery of murder, disguise, cryptograms, secret papers, political intrigue, and criminal genius. When South African millionaire Rudolf Kesselbach is murdered in a Paris hotel, Lupin is drawn into a deadly contest involving a hidden secret powerful enough to alter the balance of Europe. Framed, hunted, and forced into a game against both the police and a shadowy enemy signing himself "L. M.," Lupin must use every weapon he possesses: charm, nerve, deception, audacity, and intellect. The 1910 English edition was translated by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos, and Project Gutenberg's title page identifies the copyright year as 1910.

This is Leblanc in grand adventure-crime mode. 813 is not merely a puzzle mystery; it is a conspiracy thriller built around identity, theft, murder, state secrets, and the dangerous glamour of Lupin himself. The story combines French detective fiction, gentleman-thief adventure, early twentieth-century espionage atmosphere, and melodramatic reversals, all held together by the theatrical intelligence of one of crime fiction's most enduring figures.

For readers of classic mystery, international crime fiction, gentleman-thief stories, French detective fiction, and early twentieth-century thrillers, 813 remains a major Lupin novel. It is darker and more elaborate than many of the early Lupin adventures, giving the character a larger stage and a more dangerous set of enemies while preserving the wit, elegance, and criminal bravado that made him famous.