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Audiobook editionPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if the only way to save a condemned man lies with a politician who thrives on blackmail?
A burglary at Daubrecq’s house goes badly wrong. Gilbert, a young member of Arsène Lupin’s band, faces the guillotine. In Maurice Leblanc’s The Crystal Stopper, the gentleman burglar must turn his wit toward something more urgent than jewels: saving a man whose time is running out.
Daubrecq holds a secret list of compromised names and uses it to bend others to his will. As Lupin studies his houses, habits and friends, Gilbert’s mother, Clarisse Mergy, risks everything for her son. Police official Prasville also wants the secret, adding another obstacle to a contest already thick with traps.
What you’ll discover
- A burglar under pressure Follow Lupin as loyalty forces him to think faster than ever against a ruthless opponent.
- A secret worth blackmail Discover how Daubrecq turns a dangerous list into power over the people it could ruin.
- A mother’s fierce resolve Meet Clarisse Mergy, whose determination gives the race to save Gilbert its human weight.
- Traps and hiding places Trace a contest of minds through ingenious concealments, close scrutiny and plans that meet resistance.
- Suspense that keeps moving Feel the pressure of quick scenes that leave a question or danger hanging.
Who will love it
This book suits readers who love a clever criminal hero, a ticking clock and a villain worth hating. Disguises, bold rescues and a mother's fierce love drive the plot.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A burglary becomes a deadly mystery
- Daubrecq turns the tables on Lupin
- A mother reveals the true prize
- Daubrecq makes marriage his price
- A rescue becomes another trap
- Lost time tightens the pursuit
- Fear gives a secret its power
- Promises give the chase its meaning
- Lupin keeps searching for another chance
Who’s who
- Arsène LupinThe gentleman burglar and gang chief, who swears to save his two arrested men and must beat a cunning blackmailer to do it.
- DaubrecqA deputy with a gorilla's build and sharp wits, who holds a secret list and uses it to ruin or rule his enemies.
- Clarisse MergyGilbert's mother, widow of a deputy, who will do anything to save her son and punish the man who ruined her family.
- GilbertA cheerful young accomplice in Lupin's gang, condemned for a murder he says he did not commit, who trusts the governor to save him.
- VaucherayA bitter, scheming older thief who plans the Enghien job for his own gain and is condemned beside Gilbert.
- JacquesClarisse's small, brave son, slim enough to slip through cut panels in doors and search where grown men cannot.
- PrasvilleThe secretary-general of police, who hates Daubrecq and wants the list, though he has his own secrets to guard.
- VictoireLupin's old nurse, who grumbles and fears for her safety yet works as a cook in Daubrecq's house to help him.
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The Crystal Stopper in 25 languages, side by side, paragraph by paragraph, once the book texts are online: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
The Crystal Stopper
by Maurice Leblanc · 1912
Arsène Lupin has days to save two condemned men, and the key may be a piece of crystal.
Medium level2–5 hours to read20 languages
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“Take eight from nine, and one remains.”
In short
Picture a thief in a dark villa beside a lake, listening to a voice that seems to come from a dead man. A valet lies in the pantry with a dagger in his throat, yet a broken voice keeps calling for help.
The Crystal Stopper at a glance
- Reading time
- About 4 h 45 min3 h 45 min fast, 5 h 40 min slow
- Length
- 68,100 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1912by 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 burglary at Enghien goes terribly wrong
On a late September night, Lupin sends his men Gilbert and Vaucheray across the lake at Enghien to rob a villa. It belongs to Deputy Daubrecq, who is supposed to be at the theater. Lupin expects a simple job.
Nothing is simple. A valet named Léonard fires three shots at Lupin before he is tied up. Gilbert and Vaucheray search the rooms strangely. They watch each other, and they care less about the furniture than about some small thing they will not name.
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Details
- First published
- 1912
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 5 h 30 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Leblanc, Maurice. The Crystal Stopper. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-crystal-stopper.
Leblanc, M. (2026). The crystal stopper. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-crystal-stopper (Original work published 1912)
Leblanc, Maurice. The Crystal Stopper. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-crystal-stopper.
@book{leblanc2026crystal,
author = {Leblanc, Maurice},
title = {The Crystal Stopper},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-crystal-stopper},
note = {First published 1912}
}
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What is The Crystal Stopper about?
It follows Arsène Lupin as he tries to save two accomplices from the guillotine. His only clue is a small piece of glass, and his enemy is a blackmailing deputy named Daubrecq who holds a secret list.
Who is Daubrecq?
Alexis Daubrecq is a deputy with weak eyes, a thick body and an iron will. He holds the list of the Twenty-seven, men bribed in a canal scandal, and he uses it to blackmail them for money and favors.
Do I need to read other Arsène Lupin books first?
No. The story stands on its own. A friend of Lupin tells it, the characters are introduced clearly, and the plot moves in short chapters with a steady clock, so you can start here.
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.
“Take eight from nine, and one remains.”
More by Maurice Leblanc
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