12 h 31 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 12 h 31 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
A rich man dies in a Paris hotel, and a gentleman burglar hunts a secret worth killing for.
In Maurice Leblanc’s 813, wealthy businessman Kesselbach fears pursuit even inside his guarded hotel suite. His death draws Arsène Lupin into a mystery of dangerous knowledge and state secrets. The charming thief wants to solve the crime, but a hidden enemy matches his cunning.
The hunt leads through hotels, country houses and police offices, with a puzzle built around the number 813. Kesselbach’s widow, Dolores, searches for the truth about her husband’s secrets. Meanwhile, veteran detective Ganimard wants both to catch Lupin and to solve the crime by lawful means.
What you’ll discover
- A thief turns detective Follow Lupin as he pursues the truth while remaining firmly outside the law.
- A number full of questions Explore a mystery built around 813, where clues lead into secrets others will kill to protect.
- Masks and shifting identities Meet a master of disguise in a story that questions identity, truth and power.
- A rival in the shadows Watch Lupin face a hidden enemy whose cunning makes the hunt more dangerous.
- Quick scenes, sharp turns Move through a chase whose short scenes and chapter turns keep the questions coming.
Who will love it
Readers who love clever detective puzzles, rival masterminds, disguises and swift plots will enjoy it. It also suits anyone curious about gentleman thieves and secret papers.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A robbery becomes a murder
- The evidence resists an easy answer
- Lupin arranges other people's lives
- A rival knows Lupin's name
- The secret reaches beyond stolen wealth
- Freedom depends on finding the papers
- Names hide more than they reveal
- Ambition runs against Lupin's conscience
- Small clues hold the mystery together
Who’s who
- Arsène LupinA charming gentleman burglar who uses many names and wants to catch a killer who wears his calling card.
- M. LenormandThe frail, sharp-tongued chief of the detective service, who trusts reasoning over appearances and refuses easy answers.
- Rudolf KesselbachA shy but powerful diamond king who is searching for a missing man and fears he is being watched.
- Sergeant GourelA strong, loyal detective who is lost without his chief and follows orders with great devotion.
- Geneviève ErnemontA gentle young teacher who runs a free school at Garches and has strange memories of her childhood.
- Dolores KesselbachThe grieving, frail wife of the murdered millionaire, who lives quietly at Garches and fears everything around her.
- Baron AltenheimA stocky, monocled rival with a ruthless manner who offers Lupin a dangerous partnership.
- ValenglayThe prime minister, who values Lenormand and demands an arrest to calm a frightened public.
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813
by Maurice Leblanc · 1910
A diamond king dies in a Paris hotel suite, and a burglar's card is pinned to his shirt.
Medium level5–10 hours to read20 languages
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In short
Mr. Kesselbach steps into his hotel sitting room and whispers to his secretary that someone has been inside again.
813 at a glance
- Reading time
- About 7 h 20 min5 h 50 min fast, 8 h 45 min slow
- Length
- 104,900 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1910by Maurice Leblanc
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A frightened millionaire meets a gentleman burglar
Rudolf Kesselbach, called the King of Diamonds, is staying in Suite 415 of the Palace Hotel in Paris. He finds his travel bag open and tells his secretary Chapman that someone has been there again. Chapman laughs it off, since only Kesselbach and his old servant hold keys to the hall door. Even so, Kesselbach telephones the police.
He is not a foolish man, only afraid. A tremendous plan has taken shape in his head, one that means power far beyond money, and he believes he is watched. He has hired an agent to find a man named Pierre Leduc, who has fair hair, a missing fingertip and a faint scar on his cheek.
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 14 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1910
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 8 h 10 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Leblanc, Maurice. 813. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/813.
Leblanc, M. (2026). 813. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/813 (Original work published 1910)
Leblanc, Maurice. 813. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/813.
@book{leblanc2026813,
author = {Leblanc, Maurice},
title = {813},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/813},
note = {First published 1910}
}
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What is 813 by Maurice Leblanc about?
It follows the murder of diamond king Rudolf Kesselbach in a Paris hotel, and the race between Arsène Lupin, the police and an unseen killer to find a man named Pierre Leduc and a set of secret papers.
Who is Arsène Lupin?
He is a gentleman burglar created by Maurice Leblanc, known for charm, disguises and daring plans. In this book he is accused of a murder he swears he did not commit, and he sets out to find the real killer.
What does the number 813 mean in the book?
It first appears on small blue-edged labels near the crime scene and is one of two clues left by a dying man. It leads, step by step, to a hidden set of papers, and the book explains it near the end.
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
See all their booksMore like this
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