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Audiobook editionPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if the most welcome guest in London society is also its cleverest thief?
Simon Carne arrives in London with money, manners, and a polished past. Hostesses welcome him to their tables, unaware of his hidden trade. In Guy Boothby's A Prince of Swindlers, this charming gentleman makes theft a matter of wit rather than force. Each linked crime story brings a fresh target: jewels, a valuable object, or the property of someone proud and well placed.
Disguise and false names let Carne move beyond the role his hosts know. His carefully built plans turn social ease into a thief's advantage, while celebrated private detective Klimo stands against the crimes that fill the book. The pleasure lies in following a gracious, witty rogue who stays calm under pressure—and noticing how readily you begin to take his side.
What you’ll discover
- A welcome stranger Meet a polished guest whose charm conceals a very different trade.
- Theft by wit Follow carefully built schemes where clever thinking matters more than force.
- The art of disguise Explore a world where clothes and false names help a thief deceive.
- A rogue worth following Enjoy Carne's wit and composure as he outwits the rich and well protected.
- A fresh target awaits Find a new criminal scheme in each episode, with Carne at its heart.
Who will love it
This book suits readers who love clever heists, gentleman rogues and disguises, and who enjoy watching a plan click into place. Fans of Raffles and Sherlock Holmes will feel at home.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Charm opens the first door
- The thief becomes the detective
- A disguise supplies a convincing story
- A good deed can yield profit
- An apparent injury creates an alibi
- Charitable trust becomes another weakness
- Vanity helps Carne choose his victims
- Careful craft meets dangerous pride
- Each scheme turns weakness into opportunity
Who’s who
- Simon CarneA hunchbacked, charming collector of china who comes to London for the jubilee season and wants to steal the fortunes of the rich.
- BeltonCarne's grave valet and helper, who plays many parts in his master's schemes, gives warnings, and wants a safe reward.
- Earl of AmberleyA former Viceroy of India who sponsors Carne in society and writes the account to excuse his own part in the swindles.
- KlimoA private detective who takes the house next door and is the most trusted investigator in London, yet is Carne in disguise.
- Trincomalee LizA beautiful Eastern woman of mixed French and Indian blood who lends Carne money and hopes to share his fortune.
- Duchess of WiltshireA noble collector of china and Indian art who owns a famous necklace of three hundred diamonds and trusts her new friend.
- Matthew GreenthorpeA rich, loud former grocer who wants his daughter's wedding to impress society and keeps the gifts in a barred billiard room.
- Marquis of LaverstockA pompous, kind nobleman who chairs the Canary Island relief fund and loves philanthropy.
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A Prince of Swindlers
by Guy Boothby · 1897
A hunchbacked scholar charms London society while a detective next door quietly serves him.
Medium level2–5 hours to read20 languages
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“His company was like chloral: the more I took, the more I wanted.”
In short
What if the most charming guest in London were the thief everyone is hunting? A Prince of Swindlers opens with a confession.
A Prince of Swindlers at a glance
- Reading time
- About 3 h 45 min3 h fast, 4 h 30 min slow
- Length
- 53,600 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1897by Guy Boothby
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A lost ride leads to a marble palace
The Earl of Amberley writes to clear his name, because he introduced the man behind the famous swindles to his friends. To show how the trap was laid, he goes back to his last year as Viceroy, when he is a guest of the Maharajah of Malar-Kadir.
One morning he rides out alone, loses his way in thick jungle and comes out above a blue lake. On an island stands a house of white marble. An English manservant says that breakfast is ready. The master of the house is Simon Carne. He is short, with a severe curve of the spine, yet his face is as fine as a carved bust. He shows a cabinet of china and Indian art.
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Details
- First published
- 1897
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 4 h 25 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Boothby, Guy. A Prince of Swindlers. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-prince-of-swindlers.
Boothby, G. (2026). A prince of swindlers. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-prince-of-swindlers (Original work published 1897)
Boothby, Guy. A Prince of Swindlers. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-prince-of-swindlers.
@book{boothby2026prince,
author = {Boothby, Guy},
title = {A Prince of Swindlers},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-prince-of-swindlers},
note = {First published 1897}
}
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What is A Prince of Swindlers about?
It follows Simon Carne, a charming collector who comes to London during a grand jubilee season and, through disguises and clever devices, steals jewels, a racehorse, wedding presents and charity money from the rich.
Who is Klimo in A Prince of Swindlers?
Klimo is a famous private detective who lives next door to Carne's house. Readers soon see that Klimo is a disguise, and that Carne uses the detective's fame to guide the police away from himself.
Is A Prince of Swindlers a true story?
No, it is fiction by Guy Boothby, published in the late Victorian period. It uses real London places and the jubilee atmosphere, but the characters and crimes are invented for entertainment.
The author
Guy Boothby
1867–1905 · Australian novelist
Guy Boothby (1867–1905) was an Australian novelist born in Adelaide. He lived in Australia and later in England. He wrote novels and short stories, including stories featuring Dr Nikola. His books include A Bid for Fortune, published in 1895, and A Prince of Swindlers, published in 1897.
“His company was like chloral: the more I took, the more I wanted.”
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