One of literatures first, greatest, and most dastardly gentleman rogues finally joins the Penguin Classics crime list
First published in 1900, A Prince of Swindlers introduces Simon Carne, a gentleman thief predating both E. W. Hornungs A. J. Raffles and Maurice Leblancs Arsne Lupin. The British Viceroy first meets Carne while traveling in India. Charmed, he invites the reclusive hunchbacked scholar to London, little suspecting that his guest is actually an adventurer and a master of disguise. Carneaided by his loyal butler, Beltonembarks on a crime spree, stealing from Londons richest citizens and then making fools of them by posing as a detective investigating the thefts. Now back in print after over a century, Guy Boothbys tale promises to delight a new generation of crime fans.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust theseries to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-datetranslations by award-winning translators.
