The Hollow Needle

What It's About

The third novel in the Arsène Lupin series pits the gentleman thief against Isidore Beautrelet, a brilliant schoolboy amateur detective who proves more than a match for him. When a burglary at a Normandy château leaves a man dead and a clue scrawled in blood, Beautrelet's investigation leads him toward a legend passed down by the Kings of France since the time of Julius Caesar: the secret of the Hollow Needle, a hiding place said to conceal one of the greatest treasures in French history. As Beautrelet closes in, the contest between the seasoned criminal and his young pursuer becomes as much a battle of wits and nerve as one of detection.

Key Concepts

The novel is built around the classic Leblanc contrast between the suave, endlessly resourceful "gentleman burglar" and an opponent who beats him through sheer intellect rather than force. It also weaves in a strand of invented French history and legend — the idea of a hidden royal treasure guarded across centuries — which grounds the adventure story in a sense of national myth-making.

About the Author

Maurice Leblanc (1864–1941) was a French novelist and writer of short stories, born in Rouen. He worked as a journalist in Paris before turning to fiction, and is remembered almost entirely as the creator of Arsène Lupin, the gentleman thief who became one of the most popular characters in French popular literature.

About This Edition

This is a 1913 translation by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos.