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Description:
Raffles, the famous cricketer and amateur cracks man, is back in an original adventure. Harry "Bunny" Manders, Raffles' biographer and accomplice, recounts the tale of the time they broke into the bookshop, Hatchard's of Piccadilly. Their mission? To steal a letter, formally owned by one Rene d'Aramis, which if published could compromise a prominent member of the government.
Yet, even more intriguing than their employment is their employer - a certain Mr Sherlock Holmes of 221b Baker Street. How will the master criminal fare against the legendary detective?
In this stunning re-creation of the classic Raffles stories, Richard Foreman brings one of the most famous characters in literature vividly back to life.
This brilliant novella will be enjoyed by anyone who has read the original Raffles stories, as well as by fans of Sherlock Holmes, and historical fiction. It has been widely praised.
‘A capital story! Strong characters, sparkling dialogue, a plot with a twist as the gentleman thief plies his trade again. Devotees of the original stories will rejoice at his return: new fans will greet a fresh hero and wait impatiently for more adventures. Raffles, burglar extraordinaire, master cricketer, welcome back to The Albany!’
- David Dickinson, author of The Lord Powerscourt Mysteries
Richard Foreman is a literary consultant and publicist. He cut his teeth in the book trade as a bookseller, before founding Chalke Authors.
RAFFLES The Gentleman Thief (fiction)Richard Foreman (Author)
customer reviews (Yes)
Print List Price: £0.77
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Reviews from Amazon:
It was a long time since I had read the original Raffles stories, but Richard Foreman brilliantly re-creates the character in this new adventure. The language and the era are pitch-perfect, but this is a story that can be enjoyed equally by fans of the classic stories and new devotees alike. Unlike Sherlock Holmes - who also cleverly appears here - Raffles has been somewhat neglected in recent years but hopefully this will introduce him the new audience he richly deserves. I've been enjoying David Dickinson's excellent Mycroft Holmes series, but this is just as good.
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With a renewed interest in Sherlock Holmes since the release of the BBC series and the films, `Raffles: The Gentleman Thief' brings an alter-ego of Holmes back to life. It's great to see Raffles in contrast to Holmes, he is a darker character leading a life of secret criminality and finding pleasure in women, whisky and cricket. Yet he is intriguing as his lifestyle contrasts often with his manner. He is courteous and polite, especially with his companion `Bunny', and he is as the title depicts him a gentleman, which makes him all the more intriguing. The plot holds just enough action for me and the balance between this and the descriptive settings is well judged. The smoky streets filled with horse and carriages and pick pocketing street urchins pull you right into the story and I feel as though I am walking through old London with Bunny. I'm interested in how Bunny and a person such as Raffles might have met but love the portrait of Raffles as seen through his eyes.
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The Gentleman Thief takes the reader back to the London of Sherlock Holmes, but populated by a host of literary icons such as Wilde and Radcliff. Yet at the same time those familiar with London now will laugh as they recognise the many in-jokes in Bunny's narrative. The characters A J Raffles and Bunny, as in the original Hornung series, are an intentional inversion of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson - albeit with the tastes and manners that you would expect from an English gentlemen. The book is short, yet despite this it manages to fit in excellent character development, particularly in the relationship between Raffles and Bunny, alongside a descriptive historical and contextual setting and a plot worthy of Conan Doyle.
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With Holmes and Watson, Foreman again draws upon the old and the new to create his characters. Raffles' description of Holmes as `protector or persecutor' compliments the well established perception of Holmes as a bipolar character and personality. However, with the relationship of Holmes and Watson, he lightly touches on the more modern perception of a homosexual and marital- like fondness and comfort between the pair, describing them as like `an old married couple'.
In brief, the text is a clever mix of both the old and the new; the literary and the political. In spite of its short length, Foreman's Raffles and Bunny are vibrant and amusing characters and Holmes' characteristically long and complex speeches do not disappoint. `Raffles: The Gentleman Thief' has something for everyone.
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