Arsene Lupin in The Teeth of the Tiger Paperback – October 11, 2020

Another action-packed mystery by Maurice LeBlanc! This story has to do with the final Will of a man named Mornington, who, in the year 1900, left behind the sum of $400 million francs. Of that, three-fourths went to his adopted country - which left $100 million francs to be distributed to his heirs. The executor of the estate was Mornington's friend, Don Luis Perenna (AKA Arsene Lupin). The problem, however, was that no one knew where (or even who) some of the heirs were. If no heirs were to be found within 3 months, the entire $100 million francs would go to Perenna. And Perenna/Lupin had a reputation as being something of a rogue.It is definitely a race against time, as the heirs seem to be turning up dead at an alarming rate. This book has so many twists and turns that it will make you dizzy. At times, it stretches credulity to almost the breaking point. But it is a good read, nonetheless, and will keep you hooked until the end. LeBlanc knew how to write! If you have not read any of the Arsene Lupin novels before, however, I would probably not recommend this book, published in 1914, as the first to read. There are a few references in this book that relate to earlier Lupin adventures.

This is one of the three Arsene Lupin written during WW1, with 'Le Triangle d'Or' and 'L'ile aux trente cercueils'. It is an outstanding read. Leblanc is not just writing adventure stories. His style is fluid and expressive, a model in French high schools and colleges. The plot is very satisfying. The hero is greatest through his failings. The book is sincere, and the love story within is unlike any other Lupin. But first and foremost, this is a great thriller, a page-turner to put Grisham to shame. If you plan to read all the Lupins, keep this one last as you'll never find one to top it.

The teeth of the tiger is (possibly) the best Lupin novel.It is as exciting as the short novels such as the crystal stopper or the hollow needle; it has a historical flavor as did the hollow needle or 813; it has romance (which is never absent in Lupin's adventures); and it has a great architecture as 813 did.The only part that the modern reader will find a bit inconsistent with the sensibility of our times is the discussion of how Lupin conquered Mauritania and of why France had legitimate colonial ambitions.But if the reader is willing to forgive Leblanc for being, to some extent, the product of his time, the reader will enjoy immensely this exciting Lupin's adventure

This is an excellent read.