The Black Mask (Mint Editions (Crime, Thrillers and Detective Work))

Having served an eighteen-month prison sentence, Bunny returns to society with a disgraced reputation. Eager to build his good name back, the young thief responds to an advertisement requesting a male nurse to aid a sick and elderly man. Meanwhile, Bunny gets a surprise visit from an old friend. Presumed to have been killed during his travels, A.J Raffles reunites with his old accomplice, his eyes already set on valuable relics to steal. Now hardened criminals, Raffles and Bunny are no longer just suave robbers. After surveying the area, Raffles becomes determined to steal a treasured gold chalice, along with other golden trinkets, from the British Museum, aiming for a more challenging target than their usual elite victims. Though Bunny is unconvinced at first, he soon agrees to the plan. Posing as museum guests, the two men sneak into the gold room, prepared to stop anyone in their way. As the two thieves settle into their new identities as notorious criminals, they face challenges new and previously experienced, including blackmail, old flames, new recruits, heists, and the ambitious efforts of Inspector Mackenzie. First published in 1901, The Black Mask by E. W Hornung was written soon after its predecessor’s release. Earning as much acclaim at the previous novel in the series, this collection of short crime fiction has inspired film and television adaptations, and continues to delight audiences with its tales of adventure, revenge, romance, and crime. This edition of author E.W Hornung’s The Black Mask, features a new, eye-catching cover design and is reprinted in a modern and readable font. With these accommodations, contemporary readers are encouraged to revisit the dramatic reunion and classic adventures of the beloved partners in crime, Raffles and Bunny.

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Ernest William Hornung (1866-1921) was an English author and poet, best known as a crime writer who often published under his initials, E.W. Hornung. When he was seventeen, Hornung moved to Australia, with the hope that the climate would remedy his poor health. Hornung often referred to this time as one of the best periods of his life, and he based much of his work off an Australian setting. A little over two years later, Hornung returned to England and worked as a journalist during the active period of the infamous serial killer Jack the Ripper, which likely sparked his interest in crime fiction. Hornung married Connie Doyle, the sister of major author Arthur Conan Doyle, in 1893. While the author explored many important themes in his work, the topics of Australia, crime, and cricket were commonly present in his work, signifying Hornung’s interest and passion for each.