Hornung, E. W. The Amateur Cracksman. 1898. Raffles: The Amateur Cracksman. Penguin, 2003.
The Amateur Cracksman, a collection of linked short stories by E. W. Hornung, set the pattern for the subgenre of mystery thrillers featuring debonair thieves. It has been made into films and television dramas more than ten times. Raffles was the character that P. G, Wodehouse’s Bertie Wooster aspired to be. Raffles’ more or less direct lineage includes John Robie of To Catch a Thief, Charles Lytton of The Pink Panther, and the eponymous Thomas Crown. Hornung’s hero, A. J. Raffles, is a Victorian gentleman and cricket star who supplements his income by cracking safes and purloining jewels. He has an old school chum named Bunny who acts as his subordinate partner in crime. There is also a police inspector rival, who is a likeable character but not a comic figure like Inspector Clouseau. David Niven played both Raffles and Lytton in the movies, in 1939 and 1963, respectively. Sadly, the media history is more intriguing to me than the Raffles stories. Hornung’s prose is too stodgy for my taste. 3 stars. ( )

I love this book!
Written/published at the turn of the 20th century, the writing seems at first a bit stilted and wordy, but that's Victorian Era writing for you! This is series of stories which we follow a gentleman thief and his protege on their thieving adventures.
It is a fun, light hearted series of stories, which could be stand-alone and i believe they were originally published as such in newspapers before collected in book form.
I must warn you. The ending knocked me out. The epilogue takes us to a different frame of mind. Please don't rush and read the epilogue first as it may ruin the fun of the bulk of the book!!! ( )

Old school stories about a "gentleman thief" and his somewhat unwilling partner. Entertaining and probably extremely original when first released in 1899. Holds up fairly well. ( )

A. J. Raffles, a gentleman thief, travels among the elite of the London social register. Invited for his classy manners and top cricket playing at many a manor and country estate, he is a bit of a Robin Hood-esque figure crossed with Sherlock Holmes. Being of good manners, he never steals from his hosts, but if there is something amiss he will make it all right.

Harry "Bunny" Manders, an old schoolmate, plays Watson to Raffles. Recording their many adventures while also being the partner in crime.

In "A Jubilee Present", Raffles becomes enamored with a priceless gold cup in the British Museum. Managing to steal it from out of heavy security, it finds it so beautiful that he can't melt it down to sell. Instead he presents it to Queen Victoria in tribute to her Diamond Jubilee. A bit of Robin Hood here.

This is the second collection of short stories recounting some of their adventure. The stories take place later in their careers. This was the first collection published. There are two other books of earlier adventures that were published later. I definitely plan to read them.

Interesting note is that E.W. Hornung was Arthur Conan Doyle's brother-in-law, and felt that Raffles was to be a form of flattery to Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. ( )

The adventures of Raffles, gentleman jewel thief, as told by his unwilling but adoring friend, Bunny. It's strange but diverting