Fortuné du Boisgobey

Fortuné Hippolyte Auguste Abraham-Dubois (11 September 1821 – 26 February 1891), under the nom de plume Fortuné du Boisgobey, was a French novelist.

Life
Fortuné du Boisgobey was born at Granville (Manche), and graduated from the Lycée Saint-Louis. He served as paymaster to the Army of Africa through several campaigns in Algeria from 1844 to 1848. His parents were wealthy, yet at forty or upwards, he took to writing.

In 1843, using the name Fortuné Abraham-Dubois, he made his literary debut in the Journal d'Avranches with a series entitled Lettres de Sicile recounting a voyage he had taken the year before. His first successful novel, Les Deux comédiens appeared in 1868, under the du Boisgobey pen name in the Petit Journal. The story was popular, and M. Paul Dalloz of the Petit Moniteur signed a contract with the author for seven years at 12,000ƒ a year. His reputation was increased by the publication of Une Affaire mystérieuse and Le Forçat colonel, both published there in 1869. In 1877, Figaro engaged him for a series of novels, which increased the success of that paper. He was prolific, with more than sixty works to his name, and became one of the most popular feuilleton writers. In 1885 and 1886 he was President of the Committee of the Société des gens de lettres. Du Boisgobey died in 1891 after a long illness.

Works


Du Boisgobey was the chief of the followers of Émile Gaboriau, with whom his name is generally associated. He even wrote a sequel, La Vieillesse de M. Lecoq, using Gaboriau's character Monsieur Lecoq in 1877–78. His novels deal with crime, the police, and Parisian life. They had a high circulation, and the greater part of them have been translated into English.

English translations exist for the following works.


 * Le Forçat colonel (1871) -
 * Le Chevalier Casse-Cou (1873) - The Chevalier Casse-Cou /
 * Le Camélia rouge - The Red Camelia
 * La Chasse aux ancêtres - The Search for Ancestors
 * Le Vrai Masque de fer (1873) - The Iron Mask
 * L’As de cœur (1875) -
 * La Tresse blonde (1875) -
 * Le Coup de pouce (1875) -
 * Les Mystères du nouveau Paris (1876) - The Mysteries of New Paris
 * L'Enragé (1876) - Marie-Rose; or, The Mystery
 * "La Jambe Noire" (1877) -
 * Une Affaire mystérieuse (1878) -
 * La Vieillesse de M. Lecoq (1878) -
 * Première partie - The Old Age of Monsieur Lecoq
 * Deuxième partie - The Nabob of Bahour
 * L'Épingle rose (1879) -
 * Première partie - The Coral Pin
 * Deuxième partie - The Temple of Death
 * L'Héritage de Jean Tourniol (1879) - The Robbery of the Orphans; or, Jean Tourniol's Inheritance
 * Le Crime de l'Opéra ou "La Rideau Sanglante" (1879) - The Crime of the Opera House /    The Opera-House Tragedy
 * La Main coupée (1880) - /
 * Première partie - The Countess Yalta; or, The Nihilist Spy
 * Deuxième partie - Doctor Villagos; or, The Nihilist Chief
 * Où est Zénobie? (1880) - Where's Zenobia? / Zénobie Capitaine
 * Le Tambour de Montmirail (1880) -
 * L'Affaire Matapan (1881) - / The Matapan Jewels
 * L'Équipage du diable (1881) - / Satan's Coach
 * Le Crime de l'omnibus (1881) - / The Crime in the Omnibus
 * Le Pavé de Paris (1881) -
 * Les Deux bonnets verts (1881) - / Mérindol
 * Le Pignon maudit (1882) - / The Privateersman's Legacy
 * Le Bac (1882) - / Was it a Murder? or, Who is the Heir? / The Ferry-Boat / Article 722; or, Roger's Inheritance
 * Les Suites d'un duel (1882) -
 * La Revanche de Fernande (1882) -
 * Le Cochon d'or (1882) -
 * Bouche cousue (1883) - Sealed Lips
 * Le Collier d'acier (1883) -
 * Le Coup d'œil de M. Piédouche (1883) - / The Parisian Detective / Piedouche, a French Detective / The Severed Head; or, A Terrible Confession
 * Le Billet rouge (1884) - / Lover or Blackmailer?
 * Le Mari de la diva (1884) -
 * Le Secret de Berthe (1884) -
 * Première partie - Bertha's Secret
 * Deuxième partie - The Countess de Marcenac
 * Babiole (1884) -
 * Première partie -
 * Deuxième partie - The Victim of Destiny
 * Margot la Balafrée (1884) - / The Vitriol Thrower
 * Première partie - The Sculptor's Daughter
 * Deuxième partie - The Count's Ring
 * La Voilette bleue (1885) - / The Angel of the Belfry / The Blue Veil; or, The Crime of the Tower
 * Le Cri du sang (1885) - /
 * Le Pouce crochu (1885) - / Zig-Zag the Clown; or, The Steel Gauntlets
 * La Belle geôlière (1885) -
 * La Bande rouge (1886) -
 * Première partie - The Red Band
 * Deuxième partie - Scarlet Mystery / The Mystery of the Oak
 * Porte close (1886) - / The Closed Door
 * Rubis sur l'ongle (1886) -
 * Cœur volant (1886) -
 * "Le Gredins" (1887)
 * Jean Coup-en-deux (1887) -
 * Cornaline la Dompteuse (1887) -
 * L'Œil-de-chat (1888) - The Cat's-Eye Ring: A Secret of Paris Life
 * Grippe-Soleil (1887) - The Bride of a Day: a Story of Paris Life
 * Le Chalet des Pervenches (1888) -
 * Mariage d'inclination (1888) -
 * Le plongeur: scènes de la vie sportive (1889) - The High Roller; or, Plunging and Honeyfugling on the Race-Track: A Sporting Romance
 * Fontenay Coup-d'Epée (1890) -
 * Le Chêne-Capitaine (1890) - In Chase of Crime
 * Un Cadet de Normandie au XVIIe siècle (1891) - An Ocean Knight; or, The Corsairs and their Conquerors
 * Acquittée (1892) -
 * Mariage d'inclination (1888) -
 * Le plongeur: scènes de la vie sportive (1889) - The High Roller; or, Plunging and Honeyfugling on the Race-Track: A Sporting Romance
 * Fontenay Coup-d'Epée (1890) -
 * Le Chêne-Capitaine (1890) - In Chase of Crime
 * Un Cadet de Normandie au XVIIe siècle (1891) - An Ocean Knight; or, The Corsairs and their Conquerors
 * Acquittée (1892) -