'One of the most remarkable triumphs of the late nineteenth century Romantic imagination.' - C. P. Snow
Gentleman thief Raffles is daring, debonair, devilishly handsome - and a first-class cricketer. In these eight stories the master burglar indulges his passion for cricket and crime: thieving jewels from a country house, outwitting the law, stealing from the nouveaux riches and, of course, bowling like a demon - all with the assistance of his plucky sidekick Bunny.
Encouraged by a suggestion from his brother-in-law Arthur Conan Doyle to write a series about a public-school villain, and influenced by his own days at Uppingham, Ernest Hornung created a unique form of crime story, where, in stealing as in sport, it is playing the game that counts, and there is always honour among thieves.
This edition of Raffles stories contains a fascinating introduction discussing contemporary events that inspired the plots, placing the stories in their literary context and exploring the connection with Sherlock Holmes.
