Black and the Grey: The Gentlemen Robbers and the China Dolls.

The Gentlemen Robbers - two men, known as Mister Tall and Mister Small, renowned for their calm and mannered approach to robbery.

They exert control through polite enforcement and persuasion, and have never been known to harm anyone they visit.

The China Doll Gang - an all-female group of robbers, clad in grey save for their white faces, and also renowned for never ever speaking, using gestures and implied threats to control and contain those they call on.

For the first time, this collection brings together two dozen of their best known stories, from a mother and daughter to a village church woman's group, and from one reporter's encounter to a visit which brings unexpected visitors.

Each tale illustrates a different aspect of the groups, but together they demonstrate why they are so renowned.