We're going to cross the line this week that separates right from wrong: we are going to revel in the escapades of a fine collection of rogues, swindlers, cheats and thieves, usually at the expense of some hapless detective. They are the stars - I hesitate to say "heroes" - of "The Penguin Book of Gaslight Crime: Con Artists, Burglars, Rogues, and Scoundrels from the Time of Sherlock Holmes
The characters featured in this book were probably as well known to the public during the Victorian and Edwardian eras as were the detectives operating on the right side of the law. If Sherlock Holmes and his brethren were popular, so too were Raffles and Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford and Four-Square Jane. The best of them, and this is a collection of the best, were generally non-violent, and their targets were generally seen to be greedy and anti-social types. Often, at least some of the proceeds of any thefts wound up going to charities or to benefit someone in need, which probably helped to assuage the consciences of the readers who had been rooting for the crooks.
The proceedings are enlivened and enlightened by the excellent introductory notes by Michael Sims, who helps to place these characters in the time and place they inhabited. The game is afoot again, although this time we may find ourselves among the victims. I can only assure you that the stories are delightful and fun to read.
UPDATE: I see that Amazon has a Kindle Edition available of this book - if you have a Kindle and want to get the ebook edition, just use this link