True, the mysteries are not terribly mysterious and their outcomes not altogether surprising. They’re sharp and punchy and to the point. The stories are full of wit and intrigue and cunning. I thought they might show their age-which they do-and I feared they might be a bit tame-which they’re not. To be honest, I was surprised by the eight stories that make up The Amateur Cracksman. The feline in question belongs to one Bernie Rhodenbarr, star of Lawrence Block’s terrific Burglar series, and it just happens to be named Raffles in honor of a thief every bit as skilled, wily, and incorrigible as Bernie himself. But the truth is that the book was unknown to me (and possibly me alone) until I was directed to it by a fictional cat. It was published by Penguin Classics, with a sober black jacket and a scholarly introduction. As for the book itself, a collection of short stories first published in Cassell’s Magazine and then in book form in March 1899, it has attained “classic” status. Trivia fans will tell you that Hornung was the brother-in-law of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and that Raffles and his bumbling sidekick, Harry “Bunny” Manders, were devised as inversions of Conan Doyle’s own Holmes and Watson. Raffles-man-about-town, raconteur, famed cricketer, and daring “gentleman thief”-has spawned film adaptations ( starring David Niven) and television productions (one featuring Nigel Havers), plays (including one written by Graham Greene), and numerous spoofs. Hornung’s Raffles: The Amateur Cracksman (1899) would hardly qualify as a forgotten book.

Ewan is currently working on the third Good Thief novel, this one set in Las Vegas.) Today’s pick comes from Chris Ewan, the British author of two novels- The Good Thief’s Guide to Amsterdam (2007) and The Good Thief’s Guide to Paris (2008)-both of which feature Charlie Howard, a world-traveling writer and burglar in his 30s. (Editor’s note: This is the 48th installment of our Friday blog series highlighting great but forgotten books.

The amateur cracksman