Status
Available
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Publication
London : Hodder Paperbacks, 1971.
Description
Simon Templar tangles with the notorious "Snake" Ganning, tracks down a stash of stolen jewels, and busts a drug-smuggling racket. He may not always stay on the right side of the law, but with his swashbuckling charm and Robin Hood morality, he is clearly on the side of the angels.
User reviews
LibraryThing member TheMadTurtle
This book is comprised of the first three "novelets" (as Charteris put it in the Foreword) he ever wrote about the Saint. As such, it's dated around the 1930's. Of the three stories, "The Policeman with Wings" would be my favorite. "The Lawless Lady" was fun, although it's really more a story about
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Dicky Tremaine than it is Simon Templar. "The Man who was Clever" was my least favorite of the three. All in all, this was an enjoyable read, as most books about The Saint are. If I've downgraded this book any, it's due to "The Man who was Clever". That story started the book off to a very slow start. It made up for it with the next two stories, though. Show Less
LibraryThing member JulesJones
Second book in the Saint series, a trio of novelettes/novellas rather than a novel. Simon Templar continues in his adventurer ways, a moral criminal who only targets immoral criminals, bringing a little justice to the world a la Robin Hood and taking a 10% fee to cover his expenses. These stories
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introduce the Saint's gang of like-minded honest crooks, and one of the stories is largely about Dicky Tremayne. Great fun from the 1930s. Show Less
LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
Not bad, but I'm not in the right mood for the Saint's smart-assery. The first story is just annoying - interesting, as the standard elements of a Saint story begin to show, but annoying. The second is somewhat less annoying, aside from when the Saint is playing drunk - I feel for the "manageress",
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though I'd have been less offended and more furious. The third story is better - and, amusingly, it's so mostly because the Saint is not the primary POV character - that's Dicky Tremayne. I like him - and I like his struggle with honor. The only thing is - the Saint had four assistants, he said. Roger got married in the second story; in the third, Archie is mentioned as married and Dicky pairs off by the end. There's still Norman, and Patricia Holm...but the Saint is getting closer to running solo. As he does in fact do, in most of the later books - but it's interesting how Charteris started out with a team and disposed of them all so quickly. As a story (or set of stories), it's not that good; as an intro to the Saint and the quick development of his style, it's excellent. Sometime when I'm in a Saintly mood, I'll have to read this and the next few in sequence. But not now. Show Less
LibraryThing member lahochstetler
I'm not really sure how to characterize this. The Saint is something like a superhero. He can take down any bad guy and get out of any impossible situation. With his ragtag band of associates he works to take down London's most notorious crime syndicates. His methods are not exactly orthodox, and
I'm of mixed feelings. On the one hand, Charteris can be very funny, and there's some real humor here. On the other hand, this is so over the top that I expected to see comic book style exclamations like BAM! and POW! every time the Saint went into action. It's basically a mix of witty comedy and ridiculous adventure. I'd prefer a bit more puzzle, a bit more mystery, a bit less ka-pow.
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the police (particularly one Inspector Teal) find him aggravating rather than helpful. I'm of mixed feelings. On the one hand, Charteris can be very funny, and there's some real humor here. On the other hand, this is so over the top that I expected to see comic book style exclamations like BAM! and POW! every time the Saint went into action. It's basically a mix of witty comedy and ridiculous adventure. I'd prefer a bit more puzzle, a bit more mystery, a bit less ka-pow.
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LibraryThing member johnclaydon
Wow. Now I see why nobody reads this horrid crap anymore. This goes in my black cabinet of worst writing in world history. But three stars for historical interest.
LibraryThing member EdGoldberg
These are 3 novella about the Saint: The Man Who Was Clever, The Policeman With Wings and The Lawless Lady.
I've come to realize that while I like the TV show with Roger Moore and I like the movie with George Saunders (both of whom are very debonaire) I don't particularly like Charteris' writing. In
It is still classic pulp mysteries.
I've come to realize that while I like the TV show with Roger Moore and I like the movie with George Saunders (both of whom are very debonaire) I don't particularly like Charteris' writing. In
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these stores, The Saint is anything but debonaire...rich maybe but not a 'gentleman' as in the TV and movie versions. Oh well.It is still classic pulp mysteries.
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LibraryThing member amandrake
Surprisingly fun. Like Fleming crossed with Wodehouse. Dated, but then so are Fleming and Wodehouse.
Awards
Language
Original publication date
1930
Physical description
191 p.; 18 cm
ISBN
0340151013 / 9780340151013
Local notes
The Saint, 02
DDC/MDS
| Fic Mystery Charteris |