Recs if you like Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Thief...

My attempt at a french lit starter pack. I'm doing this with the goal of mixing up the genres each time, so that you can get a feel of the whole range of things french lit has to offer. Might move stuff around as I go, as I plan on making this a series, taking the side quests starter packs as inspiration.

This first one is a bit on the classics side.

we have crime! we have thunderstorms! we have quicksand! we have romance sub plots! we have old timey investigators! we have some sexism and racism that definitely needs to be addressed by modern audiences…

For fans of Sherlock Holmes & Agatha Christie. For series, only the first book is included.

I tried to find the latest version (2026).

19th century (and a little early 20th) fiction about private detectives and clever con artists (or both!)

For those that wish to discover French literature without sticking to the classics ! I compiled a list of French books from various genres (literature, sci-fi, fantasy, children's books, etc.) translated into English. I either already read them, was strongly advised to read them or wish to read them in the future.

It’s French and Belgian since Maigret walks the line.

French classics that are not 1500 pages long and written 200 years ago. They are accessible, modern and relevant ! In summary, this is a list of French books of the XX c. and XXI c. of less than 400 pages. (Except The Second Sex but it is too culturally important not to put it in a list like that...)

(This list is purely based on what I know and have read. Feel free to suggest new books to add.)

Titles with full character's name. I haven't read all of those books, and I'm open to suggestions.

Books that embody the fall vibe. Mostly Romcoms and Classics.

Called "the definitive library of mystery fiction". Howard Haycraft originally published the list in 1941 in Murder for Pleasure. It was updated and broadened by Ellery Queen. This is the final revision, including books from 1748 to 1952.

These books are historically significant because of their influence on the development of crime fiction, however books from these times often contain bigoted and otherwise offensive content.

I haven't read them all, or even a high percentage. I'm trying to keep track of how many on this list I read.

I could only find a Spanish language version of A Case to Answer by Edgar Lustgarten.

On my way to read a book for every country on earth!

Order of countries in list below: 🇩🇿🇦🇫🇪🇨🇨🇵🇵🇭🇲🇽🇰🇪🇺🇸🇬🇧🇸🇪🇵🇱🇳🇬🇳🇱🇲🇾🇰🇷🇮🇸🇧🇪🇪🇬🇩🇪🇨🇳🇦🇺

What's next? Feel free to leave recommendations!

books that are the basis for adaptations and other book-related films and TV shows being released in the U.S. in October 2026