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Arsene Lupin! Such a wonderful creation by Maurice Leblanc!

Arsene Lupin is a stylish and dashing French character with all daring, charm and panache. He is called literature’s greatest gentleman thief and detective. I was never aware of this gentleman thief, but after reading this first book, I became an immediate fan of his elegance and alacrity, at the same time the prowess and brilliance of Leblanc’s storytelling earned a special place right away in the list of my loved authors.

In the introduction, I came to know that in 1905 Leblanc was solicited to contribute a short story to be written in the manner of Sherlock Holmes. The interesting fact is that in the book where Lupin first appeared, there was a tale called “Sherlock Holmes arrives too late� where Leblanc introduced the famous Baker Street detective to his mix. After a legal objection from Canon Doyle, the name of British master sleuth was changed to Herlock Sholmes. This second book of collection of two long stories was Arsene Lupin Contre Herlock Sholmes in France. It was published in the UK under the title of Arsene Lupin versus Holmlock Shears in 1909. I began this and did not stop till the end that is always an achievement for me as I am a reader, who reads a book in installments, taking my time, switching to other books to avoid boredom and having multiple tasks in between.
Lupin is a master of disguise and keeps smiling through difficulties and dangers. Though this is crime fiction, the writing of the author is very witty and an element of fun lingers everywhere.

‘Do you mean you are still vegetarian?
‘Yes more than ever,� said Lupin.
‘From taste? Conviction? Habit ?�
‘For reason of health.�
‘And do you never break your rule?�
‘Óh yes �. When I go out to dinner, so as not to appear eccentric.�

This book has two long stories; “The Fair-haired lady’� and “the Jewish lamp.�
In the first story, an antique desk is stolen from the house of a mathematics professor and then there is a theft of blue diamond in the city. Police inspector Ganimard suspects the role of Lupin and his accomplice, the fair-haired lady but is not able to prove it. He takes the service of English detective Holmlock Shears, who is a perfect match for the Lupin. He is as smart and alert as Lupin.
The combat and fight between the Lupin and Holmlock Shears are written in a very mystified way, lots of unpredictable turns in the story and all with such precision and elegance that it gives the readers a sense of atonement. Similar is the case with the second story.

The most enjoyable part for me was the graceful and refined ways of functioning of both the enemies; The greatest burglar Lupin and the smartest detective Holmlock. This is a very lively book full of humor and mystery are woven together that keeps the reader hooked to this page-turning crime mystery.

Writing is very good. Precision and logic just near perfect. I loved it!
A deserving '5 star' from a contented reader!