The Ringer (originally titled The Gaunt Stranger) was an instant bestseller and was made into many stage, TV and movie versions.

A notorious assassin returns to London to avenge the death of his sister in this classic crime thriller. Word had come from Australia that the Ringer was dead. The body of the legendary killer had been pulled from Sydney Harbor, or so it was thought. In reality, it is the Ringer's sister whose fate is a watery grave, and now the Ringer is on a mission of vengeance, to the consternation of Scotland Yard. Maurice Meister, a crooked lawyer, has more reason than most to fear the master crook's return, but who can be sure of the elusive Ringer's real identity. The vigilante walks the streets of the city again, and if the past is any indication, Inspector Wembury of Scotland Yard won't have an easy time tracking him down.

This volume also includes Again the Ringer, a collection of short stories, featuring the return of the vigilante anti-hero.