The Hollow Needle: Further Adventures of Arsène Lupin by Maurice LeblancMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Lupin series aren't at all written to a formula; the author tries very different things in each book, which is part of their appeal to me. In this one, the protagonist is a new opponent for Lupin, not a professional detective but a 17-year-old schoolboy with excellent powers of observation and deduction. He gets himself in too deep and faces consequences of taking on such a foe, but he does solve some difficult puzzles along the way, and it's enjoyable to accompany him. I don't think he recurs later in the series, unfortunately, because I'd like to see more of him.
Lupin is prone to falling in love, usually with women who disapprove of his criminal lifestyle, and vowing to reform, but the relationships always seem to end in disaster and not carry over to the next book. They're kind of like Bond girls in that way, but with a more traditional sexual morality.
One of the best things about these books is that the author is obviously extremely intelligent, and watching the characters plot against each other is highly satisfying. They're well paced, too, with lots of adventure, but not just for its own sake; the struggle means something to the characters as well. Here, too, since it was obvious to everyone that it was becoming a series, he incorporates the fact that most of the adventures involve Normandy (his real-life place of origin) and gives it significance to the plot.
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