Created by: Léo Malet (1909-1996)

Nestor Burma is France's answer to Philip Marlowe or Sam Spade. He is L'homme qui Met le Mystère K.O. (the man who knocks out mystery), the détective de choc (the ace detective or the dynamite detective) of the Fiat Lux Agency, which other than himself, employs only one secretary hopelessly in love with her boss, Hélène, and the occasional freelance services of reformed burglar Zavatter. His usual nemeses are bumbling Police Commissioner Faroux (who nevertheless recognizes and appreciates Burma's undeniable detecting skills), and his assistant, Inspector Fabre (who truly hates Burma's guts).

Burma's adventures begin during World War II, and then take place mostly during the late 194os and the 1950ies. As is revealed in later volumes, Burma's past is that of a reformed left-wing idealist who was once an anarchist -- not unlike his creator Léo Malet.

Fifteen of the novels form a sub-set dubbed The New Mysteries of Paris, after Eugène Sue's classic Les Mystères de Paris. Each is devoted to an arrondissement of the city.

The Novels


1. 120, Rue de la Gare (1943)
2. Nestor Burma contre CQFD [Nestor Burma vs. QED] (1945)
3. L'Homme au Sang Bleu [The Blue-Blooded Man] (1945)
4. Solution au Cimetière [Solution at the Cemetery] (1946) (short story)
5. Nestor Burma et le Monstre [Nestor Burma and the Monster] (1946)
6. Le Cinquième Procédé [The Fifth Process] (1948)
7. Coliques de Plomb [Lead Colics] (1948)
8. Gros plan du Macchabée [Close-Up on the Dead Man] (1949)
9. Les Paletots sans Manches [The Sleeveless Coat] (1949)
10. Direction Cimetière [Direction Cenetery] (1951)
11. Pas de Veine avec le Pendu [No Luck with the Hanged Man] (1952) (short story)
12. NMP-1st Arr. Le Soleil Naît derrière le Louvre [The Sun Rises Behind the Louvre] (1954)
13. NMP-2nd Arr. Des Kilomètres de Linceuls [Miles of Shrouds] (1955)
14. NMP-3rd Arr. Fièvre au Marais [Fever in the Marais] (1955)
15. NMP-6th Arr. La Nuit de Saint-Germain-des-Prés [The Night of St. Germain des Prés] (1955) (alternate title: Le sapin pousse dans les caves [Pine tree Grow in Cellars]
16. Faux Frère [False Brother] (1955) (short story)
17. NMP-14th arr. Les Rats de Montsouris [The Rats of Montsouris] (1955)
18. NMP-10th Arr. M'as-tu vu en Cadavre? [Did You see Me as a Corpse?] (1956)
19. NMP-8th Arr. Corrida aux Champs-Élysées [Corrida at the Champs-Elysées] (1956)
20. NMP-16th Arr. Pas de Bavards à la Muette [No Loose Lips at the Muette] (1956)
21. NMP-13th Arr. Brouillard au Pont de Tolbiac [Fog at Tolbiac Bridge] (1956)
22. NMP-15th Arr. Les Eaux Troubles de Javel [The Troubled Waters of Javel] (1957)
23. NMP-9th. Arr. Boulevard... Ossements [Boulevard of Bones] (1957)
24. NMP-12th Arr. Casse-pipe à la Nation [Free for All at the Nation] (1957)
25. NMP-5th Arr. Mic-Mac Moche au Boul' Mich' [Ugly Dealings on the Boulevard Saint-Michel] (1957)
26. NMP-4th Arr. Du Rébecca Rue des Rosiers [Mayhem at the Rue des Rosiers] (1958)
27. NMP-17th Arr. L'Envahissant Cadavre de la Plaine Monceau [The Bothersone Corpse of Plaine Monceau] (1959)
28. Nestor Burma en Direct [Nestor Burman on TV] (1962)
29. Nestor Burma Revient au Bercail [Nestor Burmna Comes Home] (1967)
30. Drôle d'Epreuve pour Nestor Burma [Strange Test for Nestor Burma] (1968)
31. Un Croque-Mort nommé Nestor [An Undertaker Named Nestor] (1969)
32. Nestor Burma dans l'Île [Nestor Burma on the Island] (1970)
33. Nestor Burma Court la Poupée [Nestor Burma Runs After a Doll] (1971)
34. NMP-18th Arr. Les Neiges de Montmartre [The Snows of Montmartre] (1974)
35. La Femme sans Enfant [The Childless Woman] (1981)
36. Le Deuil en Rouge [In Mourning in Red] (1981)
37. Une aventure Inédite de Nestor Burma [An Unpublished adventure of Nestor Burma] (1982) (short story)
38. Poste Restante (1983) (short story)






The Graphic Novels


Art by Jacques Tardi, author of the Adèle Blanc-Sec series; published by Casterman. #3 is an original story written by Tardi.

1. Brouillard au pont de Tolbiac (1982)
2. 120, Rue de la Gare (1988)
3. Une Gueule de Bois en Plomb [Lead Hangover] (1990)
4. Casse-pipe à la Nation (1996)
5. M'As-tu vu en Cadavre?



The Films


120, Rue de la Gare (1946)
Dir: Jacques Daniel-Norman.
Wri: Jacques Daniel-Norman, Léo Malet.
Cast: René Dary (Nestor Burma), Sophie Desmarets (Hélène), Jean Clarens (Faroux), Gaby Andreu, Jean Parédès, Albert Dinan, Maryse Manuel, Manuel Gary, Jean Heuze, Charles Lemontier, Daniel Mendaille.

La Nuit d'Austerlitz (Telefilm, 1954)
Dir: Stellio Lorenzi.
Wri: Léo Malet & Stellio Lorenzi.
Cast: Daniel Sorano (Nestor Burma), Hélène Mora (Hélène), Charles Lemontier (Faroux), Joelle Bernard, Robert Dalban, Hubert Lapparent, Lucien Raimbourg, Albert Remy, Georges Hubert.

Enigme aux Folies-Bergeres (1959)
Dir: Jean Mitry.
Wri:
Cast: Franck Villard (Nestor Burma), Bella Darvi, Armand Mestral, Claude Goddard, Jean Tissier, Dora Doll.

La Nuit de Saint-Germain-des-Prés (1976)
Dir: Bob Swain.
Wri: Pierre Fabre, Alain Petit, Robert Réa & Bob Swain
Cast: Michel Galabru (Nestor Burma), Mort Schuman, Daniel Auteuil, Chantal Dupuy, Alain Mottet, Manuela Gourary, Annick Alane, Gabriel Jabbour, Jean Rougerie, Fernand Berset.


Nestor Burma, Détective de Choc (1982)
Dir: Jean-Luc Miesch.
Wri:
Cast: Michel Serrault (Nestor Burma), Jane Birkin, Alain Bashung, Corinne Marchand, Anne-Marie Pisani, Pierre Arditi, Jean-Pierre Kalfon, Guy Marchand.


Les Rats de Montsouris (Telefilm, 1988)
Dir: Maurice Frydland.
Wri: Bernard Marié, Jean-Claude Chambon & Maurice Frydland.
Cast: Gérard Desarthe (Nestor Burma), Charlotte de Turckheim (Hélène), Bernard Freyd (Faroux), Michel Auclair, Roland Bertin, Diane Delor, , Alain Moussey, Jean-Michel Dupuis.



The Television Series


Regular Cast:
Nestor Burma: Guy Marchand
Hélène: Sophie Broustal (1st Season), Natacha Lindinger (2nd Season), Géraldine Cotte (3rd Season), Jeanne Savary (4th-7th Seasons)
Commissioner Faroux: Pierre Tornade (1st-7th Seasons)
Inspecor Fabre: Patrick Guillemin (1st-8th Seasons)
Commissioner Niel: Elisa Servier (8th Season- )
Zavatter: Claude Brosset (1st season), Michel Fortin (2nd-7th Seasons)

1st Season:
1. Pas de Bavards à la Muette (1991)
Dir: Henri Helman
2. Les Cadavres de la Plaine Monceau (1991)
Dir: Claude Grinberg
3. Corrida aux Champs-Elysées (1992)
Dir: Henri Helman
4. Fièvre au Marais (1992)
Dir: Gérard Marx

2nd Season:
5. Le Soleil naît derrière le Louvre (1992)
Dir: Joyce Bunuel
6. Casse-pipe à la Nation (1992)
Dir: Claude Grinberg
7. Du Rebecca rue des Rosiers (1992)
Dir: Maurice Frydland
8. MicMac Moche au Boul'Mich (1993)
Dir: Henri Helman
9. Un croque-mort nommé Nestor (1993)
Dir: Maurice Frydland

3rd Season:
10. Des Kilomètres de Linceuls (1993)
Dir: Joël Séria
11. Retour au Bercail (1993)
Dir: Pierre Koralnik
12. Boulevard Ossements (1993)
Dir: Claude Grinberg

4th Season:
13. L'Homme au Sang Bleu (1994)
Dir: Alain Schwarzstein
14. Nestor Burma et le Monstre (1994)
Dir: Alain Schwarzstein
15. Nestor Burma dans l'île (1994)
Dir: Jean-Paul Mudry
16. Les Eaux Troubles de Javel (1994)
Dir: Alain Bloch
17. Nestor Burma court la Poupée (1994)
Dir: Joël Séria
18. Brouillard au Pont de Tolbiac (1994)
Dir: Jean Marboeuf
19. Le Cinquième Procédé (1994)
Dir: Joël Séria
20. Les Paletots sans Manches (1995)
Dir: Daniel Losset
21. Nestor Burna en Direct (1995)
Dir: Daniel Losset

5th Season:
22. Sortie des Artistes (1996)
Dir: Philippe Venault
23. Nestor Burma se brule les Ailes (1996)
Dir: Marcel Zemour
24. Drôle d'épreuve pour Nestor Burma (1996)
Dir: Joël Séria
25. La Plus Belle Conquête de Nestor (1996)
Dir: Philippe Laik
26. Poupée Russe (1996)
Dir: Philippe Venault
27. Les Affaires Reprennent (1997)
Dir:

6th Season:
28. En Garde Burma (1998)
Dir:
29. Mise à Prix pour Nestor Burma (1999)
Dir:

7th Season:
30. Burma et la Belle de Paris (2000)
Dir: Philippe Venault
31. Atout Coeur (2000)
Dir: David Delrieux
32. Concurrences Déloyales (2000)
Dir: Jacob Berger

The Author


Léo Malet was born in Montpellier in 1909. Without any formal schooling, he began his artistic career as the youngest "chansonnier" (comic & song writer) in the business at the renowned night-club of La Vache Enragée in Montmartre in 1925. Malet also worked as a journalist, writing for a number of radical and anarchist papers. As a published poet, he was a full-fledged member of the notorious Surrealist Group from 1930 to 1949. His first detective story, 120, Rue de la Gare, was published in 1943 and was immediately hailed by the critics. In 1948, he won the Grand Prize of Mystery Literature [Grand Prix de Littérature Policière], and in 1958, thre Grand Prize of Black Humor [Grand Prix de l'Humour Noir] for his Nouveaux Mystères de Paris. Malet passed away in 1996, aged 87. He was also the creator of investigative reporter Jonhny Metal (9 volumes). The character of Nestor Burma was honored by a French Post Office stamp.