Étretat

Étretat
Region	Normandy
Population	1,291
Origin	possibly Roman
Appears in	Chapter 5

Étretat is a town in the French region of Normandy, located close to the city of Le Havre.

Background

The origins of the town are unclear, but there is evidence for settlement during the Roman era. It is best known for its scenic location and its cliffs, which became a tourist destination and inspired several notable impressionist painters including Claude Monet. Étretat was the home of Maurice Leblanc, the author of the Arsène Lupin stories, and it featured in his book The Hollow Needle. Today, Leblanc's house is open to the public and houses a collection of Arsène Lupin memorabilia.

In Lupin

Assane and Claire converse while in Étretat.

In the series, Étretat hosts an annual festival commemorating the birthday of Maurice Leblanc on December 11th. Festival-goers are encouraged to wear the iconic cape and top hat of Leblanc's famous gentleman thief. Assane decides to bring Claire and Raoul to Étretat in order to celebrate Raoul's birthday, also on December 11th. The trip takes a turn for the worse when Raoul, who has enjoyed walking along the beach in his cape and hat, goes missing while Claire and Assane's backs are turned, having been kidnapped by Hubert Pellegrini's henchman Leonard. As Claire and Assane frantically search for their son, Assane is cornered by Youssef Guedira, the only detective in the Paris police force who was able to figure out his modus operandi.