"Why should I work when I could steal."

Thus speaks A.J.Raffles, gentleman, finest slow bowler of his generation and shameless thief.

When Bunny, an old school acquaintance, confesses that he will be dishonorably disgraced for writing cheques which his bank will not meet, Raffles persuades him to assist in a burglary. From that moment Bunny is locked into a life of crime and, fortunately for his audience, recounts their adventures in a most thrilling way.

The stories in this volume are:"The Ides of March," "A Costume Piece," "Gentleman and Players," "Le Premier Pas," "Wilful Murder," and "Nine Points of the Law."

E.W. Hornung was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s brother in law but Raffles is the very antithesis of Sherlock Homes -- yet still a hero -- and one which the Victorians and succeeding generations, perhaps surprisingly, took to their hearts.