Frédéric Charles Antoine Dard was a renowned French crime writer, born on June 29, 1921, in Bourgoin-Jallieu, Isère, France. He would go on to write over three hundred novels, plays, and screenplays under his own name and various pseudonyms, including the immensely popular San-Antonio book series.
Dard's most notable creation is the character of Detective Superintendent Antoine San-Antonio, a French James Bond-like figure without the aid of gadgets. San-Antonio is accompanied by his trusted colleagues, the wise and elderly Inspector César Pinaud and the imposing Inspector Alexandre-Benoît Bérurier. As a member of the French secret service, San-Antonio is tasked with completing seemingly impossible missions assigned to him by "Le Vieux" (the Old Man),later known as "Achilles", the head of the French police.
Throughout his adventures, San-Antonio consistently succeeds with the help of his colleagues, navigating a series of thrilling escapades.
Dard's literary accomplishments were recognized with the 1957 Grand prix de littérature policière for his novel "The Executioner Weeps".
