Born in
Casablanca on 23 February 1932, Topin's father was a police detective in
Oran. He moved first to Brazil before settling in
Paris in 1966, illustrating a comic strip titled ''
. He then began to write screenplays and crime novels, which oftentimes took place in North Africa. His novel 55 de fièvre'' received the
Prix Mystère de la critique in 1984. Topin died in
Avignon on 6 December 2025, at the age of 93. ==Works==