CRIMINAL ROGUES

Criminal rogues, gentleman thieves, and mischievous con men have a long literary history, and this series will bring together some of the best.

R. Austin Freeman’s The Exploits of Danby Croker (1916) involves mistaken identities, art forgery, antique swindles, and even a little cross-dressing. There’s a price to be paid for breaking the law, but who’s going to pay it? This rare collection of stories is an enjoyable romp through crime and romance.

Guy Boothby’s A Prince of Swindlers (1900) follows the criminal adventures of Simon Carne, charming gentleman rogue and master of disguise, as he spends a season in England stealing as much loot as he can from the upper crust. Diamonds, gold, and even a racehorse, vanish without a trace. And what does the eccentric detective Klimo have to do with all of this?

To all appearances Romney Pringle is a literary agent down on his luck, but in truth he is a con man with extraordinary talents, always looking for a way to add to his coffers. Not without a heart, he will help out an unfortunate stranger, but he can't resist helping himself along the way.

Originally published from 1902-1903, all twelve stories are included in this collection. It is a terrific addition to the criminal rogue bookshelf. (Romney Pringle was even included in Ellery Queen's "Quorum" of important and influential mystery and crime stories.)

When a wheelchair-bound preacher arrives in a small mining town, Johnnie Luck doesn’t realize that his life is soon to change direction. It’s not long before Napoleon Prince, con artist and master thief, is unveiled, and Johnnie decides he wants to be partners (not least because of Prince’s lovely sister). Prince has no scruples with the Law, but finds he can't ignore his own heart.

Helen Marion Edginton Bailey (1883-1957) wrote three series (six stories each) of Napoleon Prince’s “games,” the first two first series published together in book form in 1912. This volume collects all eighteen stories for the first time.

Melville Davisson Post created several fascinating characters in the field of crime and mystery (including detective Uncle Abner). In stark contrast to his detectives, was Randolph Mason, an amoral lawyer who viewed his clients as pawns in his games to cheat Fate & Destiny (and often punishment by the courts).

All three of Mason's short story collections are included here: The Strange Schemes of Randolph Mason, The Man of Last Resort, and The Corrector of Destinies.

Grant Allen's classic, An African Millionaire, pits a greedy South African Millionaire, and his long-suffering brother-in-law/secretary (not quite so greedy), against criminal rogue Colonel Clay, a master of disguise who always seems to know more than he should.

A fun collection of stories.

Hornung, brother-in-law to Arthur Conan Doyle, created the antithesis to Sherlock Holmes: a polished cracksman, or burglar.

This collection includes all 26 Raffles short stories, as well as the novel, Mr. Justice Raffles.

What's a bored millionaire to do? Cecil Thorold solves some puzzles, rights some wrongs, investigates some crimes, and finds romance in six stories.

In addition, there are seven additional tales of crime, mystery, romance, and the supernatural by Arnold Bennett. Bennett was a popular English novelist, but had a deft hand at short stories, also.

Jack Boyle’s Boston Blackie is one of the best-known crooks in mystery and crime fiction. Making a gritty start in his earliest tales, he was transformed into a “gentleman thief” who lived by his own code, taking what he wanted, but always willing to help out a pal. These stories paint emotional backdrops for the criminal class, making no excuses for crimes committed, but pointing out flaws and corruption in the justice system and in society as a whole. Boyle brings his characters to life, and some are quite memorable. Blackie himself is one of the more likable antiheroes in the genre, which is probably why his character was later reformed into a detective for the movies and a radio program. This anthology includes the original 1914 American Magazine stories, the "reboot" from Cosmopolitan, and a 1925 Los Angeles Times serial.

Baroness Orczy, well-known as the creator of the Scarlet Pimpernel, also wrote some wonderful detective fiction. One of her most popular sleuths was the anonymous Old Man in the Corner, who shared his theorized solutions to mysteries that baffled the police with a friendly lady journalist. He didn't share them with the authorities, though, as he felt too keen an admiration for those who had gotten away with their crimes. (And perhaps too close an affinity?)

This volume includes the stories originally collected in The Old Man in the Corner (1908) and The Case of Miss Elliott (1905). The former's stories were first published in Royal Magazine as a 13-part series. One story was not included in the book, so is reprinted here as a stand-alone story, "The Glasgow Mystery."