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Series

Raffles

Foreman’s Raffles stories continue E. W. Hornung’s adventures of the celebrated cricketer and gentleman thief A. J. Raffles, narrated by his loyal accomplice Bunny Manders. The six primary works move through Piccadilly bookshops, the Albany, country houses and cricket grounds, bringing Raffles into contact with Sherlock Holmes, famous sportsmen, politicians, moneylenders and wealthy victims.

The series treats burglary as a performance enabled by class and sporting reputation. Raffles can enter rooms closed to ordinary criminals, but his pride, romantic attachments and dependence on Bunny repeatedly threaten the control he claims. Cricket provides both disguise and moral vocabulary: a perfect plan can still be lost through bad judgement, an unexpected opponent or the refusal to play by agreed rules.

Reading order

Books in this series (6 books)

Raffles: The Gentleman Thief cover

1. Raffles: The Gentleman Thief

Richard Foreman

4.0(90)

A. J. Raffles and Bunny Manders are hired to steal a compromising letter from Hatchards in Piccadilly. The document once belonged to René d’Aramis and could damage a senior member of the government if made public. The commission becomes more intriguing when their employer is revealed…

Raffles: Bowled Over cover

2. Raffles: Bowled Over

Richard Foreman

3.7(31)

Raffles chooses a target close to home when the financier Rupert Robert Fuller moves into the Albany. To distract the banker while the apartment is searched, he recruits the famous cricketer C. B. Fry. Bunny assists with the practical risks, but the operation becomes less predictable…

Raffles: A Perfect Wicket cover

3. Raffles: A Perfect Wicket

Richard Foreman

3.8(45)

After Mary Flanagan’s disappearance, Raffles is listless until an invitation arrives for a house party hosted by Lord Rosebery. The former prime minister’s wealth presents what Raffles calls a perfect wicket, and he begins planning a robbery among guests who assume that reputation and class guarantee…

Raffles: Caught Out cover

4. Raffles: Caught Out

Richard Foreman

4.4(14)

Caught Out contains two connected Raffles stories. In the title case, Bunny and Raffles help the celebrated batsman known as Ranji recover a ruby ring from the enigmatic widow Iris Adams. Diplomacy gives way to burglary, but Iris possesses secrets and skills that make her more…

Raffles: Stumped cover

5. Raffles: Stumped

Richard Foreman

4.1(17)

Bunny Manders has borrowed from the ruthless moneylender Alexander Cardinal and faces the loss of his possessions or worse if the debt is not paid. With time running out, he turns to Raffles. The gentleman thief must devise a profitable crime at very short notice, without…

Raffles: Playing On cover

6. Raffles: Playing On

Richard Foreman

4.3(15)

Raffles disappears abroad without explanation, leaving Bunny to confront rumours and his own uncertain future. Bunny wishes to marry Lucy Rosebery, but her father Prescott refuses consent because the prospective bridegroom lacks income and status. When Raffles returns, he proposes resolving the problem through a cricket…