Raffles: The Amateur Cracksman (Penguin Classics)

Rating:
Summary: Nifty bit of Victoriana
Review: A.J. Raffles is the consumate English gentleman. He's quick witted, polite, has a spotless appearance, excels at cricket . . . and earns his living by burglary.

Horung's Raffles is a sort of counter to Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, using his intellect for theft rather than for detection. With his sidekick and chronicler Bunny, Raffles has a series of adventures where pulling of the crime is the key, not catching the criminal. Oddly, Raffles, though a scamp, isn't a monster. He's not a killer, although he contemplates it in the story "Wilful Murder". Also, he's not always sucessful, as in the story "Costume Piece", where Raffles and Bunny escape by the skin of their teeth, empty-handed.

This book is good fun all around. The Penguin edition adds to the fun by extensively annotating the text, giving insight into Horung's sources and motivations. Definitely recommended for people who like Victorian stories, drawing rooms mysteries, crime novels, and mild satires of conventions.