Raffles: The Amateur Cracksman t saw the publishing debut of A. J. Raffles, jewel thief extraordinaire Raffles and his faithful partner "Bunny” Manders.

In these witty tales, E. W. Hornung introduced the world to a duo as gifted at burglary as Sherlock Holmes and Watson are at detection.

Gentleman thief Raffles is daring, debonair, devilishly handsome and a first-rate cricketer.

In these eight stories, Raffles indulges his passion for cricket and crime: stealing jewels, outwitting the law, pilfering from the nouveau riche, and, of course, bowling like a demon-all with the assistance of his loyal sidekick, Bunny.

Full of sophisticated banter, close calls, and nefarious schemes, Raffles: The Amateur Cracksman is a masterwork of crime fiction and irrefutable proof that there truly is honor among thieves.

ERNEST WILLIAM HORNUNG (1866-1921) gained notoriety for writing the A. J. Raffles series of stories about a gentleman thief in late 19th-century London. In 1898 he wrote "In the Chains of Crime", which introduced Raffles and his sidekick, Bunny Manders,. The Raffles stories proved quite popular, and over the years have formed numerous film and television adaptations.