Two iconic French characters, both masters of disguise, first appeared in print early in the twentieth century: the lovable rogue and gentleman burglar Arsène Lupin, and the evil and cruel Fantômas. Both would go on to appear in many novels, plays, and films throughout the century.
Maurice Leblanc published his first story featuring Lupin in 1905 and made a good living off the character for the remaining thirty-six years of his life. Lupin starts out as a clever thief, but over time becomes a wily detective, solving countless crimes and puzzles, and also rescuing unfortunate couples in distress from various monstrous villains. He also distinguishes himself during an interlude in the French Foreign Legion and even spends time working in the French Sûreté trying to catch himself! During his career, he assumes countless identities, often of foreign noblemen.
This novel was inspired by L’Aiguille creuse (The Hollow Needle, 1909), and uses some of the settings, the paraphernalia, and the plot mechanisms, including a mysterious coded document. However, all of Part 3 is my own invention.
Sherlock Holmes appeared as antagonist early on in the Lupin stories, but because of rights issues and the disapproval of Conan Doyle and his publishers, the name was changed to Herlock Sholmès, and Watson became Wilson. Sholmès is older than Lupin and rather cold-blooded. He shows up briefly later in The Hollow Needle and acts almost as the villain of the piece, accidentally killing someone close to Lupin at the conclusion.
I, however, see Holmes and Lupin more as kindred spirits and speculate on what might happen if the two chose to work together on the same enigma, the one portrayed in The Hollow Needle: a search for the great hidden treasure of the kings of France. Readers who know that novel will have a surprise at the end, for the treasure is not where it is to be expected.
My backstory for Lupin comes mostly from Leblanc, but I think my explanation of his prodigious childish exploits is more believable.
I hope my readers will enjoy this encounter between the Gallic and the British titans of detection!