7 h 10 minAudiobook4 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 7 h 10 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What happens when a gentleman burglar turns his daring mind to mysteries that leave everyone else baffled?
In Maurice Leblanc’s The Eight Strokes of the Clock, Arsène Lupin takes the name Prince Rénine and turns from theft to detection. Hortense Daniel, a young woman who becomes his friend and companion, joins him as he faces one strange case after another. Danger, deception, and a touch of romance give these puzzles more than clever answers.
The collection brings together eight separate cases, each moving from a puzzling event toward an explanation. Rénine meets crimes and mysteries that defeat other people’s reasoning. Read the tales in order to follow his growing friendship with Hortense, or enjoy the satisfaction of a self-contained puzzle. The prose stays clear and quick, while fear and feeling keep the mysteries from becoming cold exercises.
What you’ll discover
- Lupin turns detective Meet the gentleman burglar in a different role, solving crimes rather than chiefly committing them.
- Eight separate puzzles Follow each strange event toward a clever explanation, with surprising answers along the way.
- A companion in danger Get to know Hortense Daniel as she shares Rénine’s cases and becomes his friend.
- Romance amid the mystery Discover tales where danger and fear sit beside warmth, feeling, and a touch of romance.
- Quick reasoning and charm Enjoy clear, lively storytelling that gives ingenious detection room without demanding one long plot.
Who will love it
For readers who love short detective stories, puzzles with surprising answers, and the world of French popular fiction, with daring detection and a touch of romance.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Lupin turns from thief to solver
- Each tale is a self-contained puzzle
- Romance and danger drive the cases
- How to read and enjoy the collection
Who’s who
- Prince RénineThe name Arsène Lupin uses in this book, a daring and clever man who solves mysteries that baffle others.
- Hortense DanielA young woman who becomes the hero's friend and companion as he takes on one strange case after another.
Formats and delivery
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- Large-print eBook
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- Audiobook
- 7 h 10 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 4 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
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Les Huit Coups de l’horloge
by Maurice Leblanc · 1923
Arsène Lupin takes another name and turns his wits to baffling crimes, where a small detail can unlock a mystery.
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In short
The Eight Strokes of the Clock is a book of eight mystery tales by the French writer Maurice Leblanc. It was published in French in 1923 under the title Les Huit Coups de l'horloge.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Lupin turns from thief to solver
Arsène Lupin was Leblanc's best-known creation. He first appeared in short stories in the early years of the twentieth century. In those early tales he is a burglar who steals from the rich and mocks the police. His charm and nerve made readers cheer for him, even though he broke the law.
In The Eight Strokes of the Clock the balance shifts. Lupin appears under an assumed identity, in the manner of the earlier books. He uses his old skills of disguise, observation and nerve. But he now spends much of his energy on puzzles that others cannot solve.
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What is The Eight Strokes of the Clock about?
It is a collection of eight detective tales in which Arsène Lupin, under another name, solves baffling crimes and puzzles. Each tale has its own mystery, its own danger and its own clever solution.
Who is Prince Rénine in The Eight Strokes of the Clock?
Prince Rénine is the name Arsène Lupin uses in this collection. He is a quick-witted man of action who solves mysteries, and he forms a friendship with a young woman named Hortense Daniel.
When was The Eight Strokes of the Clock written?
Maurice Leblanc published it in French in 1923 as Les Huit Coups de l'horloge. It is a work of fiction and belongs to his long series of Arsène Lupin stories.
The author
Maurice Leblanc
1864–1941 · French mystery novelist
Maurice Leblanc was a French writer born in Rouen in 1864. He wrote novels and short stories, including the Arsène Lupin series, which began in 1905. His books include The Hollow Needle, published in 1909, and The Crystal Stopper, published in 1912. He died in Perpignan in 1941.
More by Maurice Leblanc
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