Born in 1864, Maurice Leblanc settled in Paris and began writing fiction after dropping out of law school. His first story featuring the dashing gentleman thief, Arsène Lupin, was published in 1905. Written at the request of an editor in response to the popularity of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Leblanc's story was a surprise success, and Lupin would go on to be as enduring and popular a character as Holmes.