The Confessions of Arsène Lupin

Leblanc’s (Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar) wonderful collection of short stories about Arsène Lupin, France’s top gentleman thief and crime solver, first appeared in 1913 and is now available through a new Naxos recording. These 10 stories (among which are “The Wedding Ring,” “A Tragedy in the Forest of Morgues,” and “The Invisible Prisoner”) describe his adventures taking down wealthy and corrupt individuals who exploited those less fortunate than themselves. With echoes of E.W. Hornung’s debonair thief A.F. Raffles, Lupin considers himself a gentleman and adheres to a moral code of sorts. Just as he can’t stop himself from committing crimes, he also can’t resist an unsolvable crime, especially when it involves France’s elites. Lupin specializes in solving locked-room crimes and seemingly impossible conundrums—he is especially delighted by crimes that allow him to expose the wealthy and powerful to the rest of society. David Timson is the perfect narrator for this collection. His tone alternates between arch, intrigued, boasting, and smug, skillfully conveying Lupin’s wry sarcasm, pleasure in his intellect, and thrill at solving crimes while pocketing a little cash for himself.