"Years after his first appearance, Fantomas is still scary." - The Washington Post "A brilliant criminal ... a great romp." - San Francisco Chronicle A noblewoman is hacked to death in her chateau, a Russian princess is boldly robbed in a posh hotel, and a lord's lifeless body is found stuffed inside a trunk. Everyone recognises the deeds of Fantomas, a master of disguise whose daring and diabolical crimes paralyse Parisians with terror. One man has sworn to bring the phantom killer to justice: Inspector Juve, who ventures from dark alleys to brilliant salons in his relentless pursuit of the evil genius. The first in a series of wildly popular French thrillers, Fantomas created a sensation in pre-WWI Europe. The original pulp fiction, its appeal transcended every level of society. Cocteau, Colette, and Picasso were avid readers, and subsequent generations of artists, writers, and musicians have drawn inspiration from this enduringly stylish and suspenseful novel. AUTHORS: French authors Marcel Allain (1885 1969) and Pierre Souvestre (1874 1914) created the Fantomas character in 1911, at the request of their publisher. The writing team collaborated on more than 30 Fantomas adventures, until Souvestre's death in 1914. Allain then continued the series alone, writing another 11 books featuring the arch-criminal.