E. W. Hornung 
Amateur Cracksmen 

The Amateur Cracksman is an 1899 short story collection by E. W. Hornung. A national sporting hero, Arthur J. Raffles[note 1] is a prominent member of London society. As a cricketer, he regularly represents England in Test matches. He uses this as cover to commit a number of burglaries, primarily stealing valuable jewellery from the elite of London, for thrill and profit. He is assisted in this by his friend, the younger Harry "Bunny" Manders, who idealizes Raffles as a sportsman. Both men are constantly under the surveillance of Inspector Mackenzie of Scotland Yard, who is always thwarted in his attempts to pin the crimes on Raffles.