Arsène Lupin intervenes

About the book

Calling himself Jim Barnett, Lupin offers clients information without fees and repeatedly assists Inspector Béchoux with cases that appear either impossible or already solved. His solutions tend to produce an unexpected financial benefit for himself, leaving the inspector grateful, suspicious, and unable to establish a usable charge. These linked adventures turn the detective's customary reward into part of the puzzle: discovering what happened is only one element of discovering what Barnett intends. The collection's foreword openly identifies the disguise, inviting readers to enjoy the clash of methods rather than wait for that revelation. Property, appearances, and private motives continually change meaning under his scrutiny. Lupin's interventions deliver a personal version of justice whose relationship to official law remains deliberately unstable.

• Justice and legality
• Disguise and performance
• Detection and self-interest

Why read it

The recurring tension between solving a case and profiting from it gives the detective partnership its comic edge.

English Macaulay collection, including The Bridge That Broke; translation of L'Agence Barnett & cie with that additional story