The Amateur Cracksman

Raffles is, in many ways, a deliberate inversion of Sherlock Holmes: he is a 'gentleman thief,' living at a very upscale address in London, playing cricket for the Gentlemen of England and supporting himself by carrying out ingenious burglaries. He is called the 'Amateur Cracksman,' and differentiates between himself and the 'professors' — professional criminals from the lower classes.