Created by Gaston Leroux (1868-1927) JOSEPH ROULETABILLE was a crime-solving, baby-faced cub reporter for the Parisian paper L'époque who regularly outsmarted the police; solving seemingly impossible crimes. His 1907 debut, Le Mystère de la Chambre Jaune by Gaston (Phantom of the Opera) Leroux is considered one of the very first locked room mysteries; a classic … Continue reading Joseph Rouletabille (aka Joseph Josephin)
Tag: France
Gil Jourdan
Created by Maurice Tillieux (1921-78 Don't let the kid stuff fool ya... Gil Jourdan was a very popular, and surprisingly hard-boiled, series of Belgian graphic novels in the sixties and seventies relating the adventures of young ("I started very early") private eye GIL JOURDAN. They make for thrilling reads, full of witty dialogue, fast-paced P.I. … Continue reading Gil Jourdan
Antoine Doinel (Baisers volés/Stolen Kisses)
Created by François Truffaut & Marcel Moussy Shy, hapless and hopelessly romantic bookworm ANTOINE DOINEL is hardly your typical private eye. He tumbles in and out of love in a series of five romcoms by noted French director François Truffaut that follow him as he stumbles his way from rebellious teenager to manhood. He wanders through a … Continue reading Antoine Doinel (Baisers volés/Stolen Kisses)
Thibault
Created by Gigi Vernon Chandler may have been wrong. Maybe it is a game for knights. Or at least former knights. It's the 12th Century, and the French city of Troyes in the county of Champagne is a major trade center, a crossroads of commerce and culture, ruled by Henri the Generous, the Count of … Continue reading Thibault
David Spandau
Created by Daniel Depp "The Nice-Cannes airport is about as architecturally exciting as a VD clinic." -- from Babylon Nights Should a writer's personal life be fair comment in a review? My first instinct is to go all Nancy Reagan and just say "No." But how about if that said writer has used his or … Continue reading David Spandau
Zut! Les Flics Privés
French Eyes Georges Asculape by Alexandre Valetti Francis Bayard by Jean des Marcenelles Jerome K. Jerome Bloche by Pierre Makyo, Serge Le Tendre & Alain Dodier (Paris) Nestor Burma by Leo Malet (Paris) B.F. Cage by Peter Israel Philippe Clerc by Patrick Raynal Félix by Maurice Tillieux Robert Flécheux by Alain Demouzon René Griffon by … Continue reading Zut! Les Flics Privés
Aimée Leduc
Created by Cara Black Parisian AIMÉE LEDUC is one P.I. who really gets into it, be it surfing the web, traveling through sewers, or going undercover among neo-Nazis. That's just the kinda hands-on kinda half-American, half-French gal she is. Aimée makes her living as a private investigator in the Paris, aided by her partner, René … Continue reading Aimée Leduc
Philippe Clerc
Created by Patrick Raynal (1946--) PHILIPPE CLERC isn't really a private detective. But he sure acts like one. Truth is, he's an insurance salesman in Nice. Not the most crooked one in town, perhaps, but not the most honest, either. The beginning of Fenêtres sur femmes (1988; translates as "Window on Women") is in the best P.I. … Continue reading Philippe Clerc
Le poulpe (Gabriel Lecouvreur)
Created by Patrick Raynal, Jean-Bernard Pouy, & Serge Quadruppani Written by Patrick Raynal, Jean-Bernard Pouy, Serge Quadruppani, Jean-Gérard Imbar, Marc Villard and others Was it just a gimmick? Or a brave publishing experiment? Maybe it was both. GABRIEL LECOUVREUR, also known as "LE POULPE" was, according to co-creator Patrick Raynal, "something of an avenger, an outlaw, a Robin Hood and … Continue reading Le poulpe (Gabriel Lecouvreur)
Corbucci (Le débarcadère des anges)
Created by Patrick Raynal Part of the 2009 hard-boiled French TV anthology series Suite Noir, eight films which paired up-and-coming directors with works by some of France's hottst crime novelists, the "Le débarcadère des anges" (which translates as "Fright of an Angel) episode was based on the novel of the same title, by French hotshot noirista Patrick … Continue reading Corbucci (Le débarcadère des anges)