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The Saint #3
Enter the Saint
"The Man Who was Clever"
"The Policeman with Wings"
"The Lawless Lady"
(Some editions contain only two stories, in different combinations)
"The Policeman with Wings"
"The Lawless Lady"
(Some editions contain only two stories, in different combinations)
266 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1930
403 people are currently reading
1231 people want to read
About the author
Leslie Charteris
585 books161 followersBorn Leslie Charles Bowyer-Yin, Leslie Charteris was a half-Chinese, half English author of primarily mystery fiction, as well as a screenwriter. He was best known for his many books chronicling the adventures of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint."
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June 19, 2023Entire nonsense pulp fun. It is refreshing to read tales of 1930s derring do that aren't massively racist (still period clunky but Charteris was half Chinese and had experience of being on the sharp end) though we're not short of sexism. I wouldn't call it misogyny, it's mostly too breezy, in the same way that the stories are really quite violent but in a completely teflon way, where you beat the hero to a pulp with a rope end to the face, and he bounces up with his good looks unmarred thrity seconds later.
There's also a fascinating thing going on, whereby we spend about a third of the book just drooling over Simon's good looks and charm and brilliance and courage and ingenuity and good looks (it's hilarious how we have been given 'Mary Sue' as a self insert character when Simon Templar is right there), admiring his seconds admiring him, ranking his crew of young men by handsomeness and charm, etc. It's not homoerotic in the slightest because for a man who married three times, Charteris couldn't write sexual attraction for shit, whether deliberately or unconsciously. It's more that...IDK, he's just *really* into writing incredibly handsome and charming Englishmen, so if you like reading them, voila.
Ridiculous from soup to nuts but highly entertaining.
There's also a fascinating thing going on, whereby we spend about a third of the book just drooling over Simon's good looks and charm and brilliance and courage and ingenuity and good looks (it's hilarious how we have been given 'Mary Sue' as a self insert character when Simon Templar is right there), admiring his seconds admiring him, ranking his crew of young men by handsomeness and charm, etc. It's not homoerotic in the slightest because for a man who married three times, Charteris couldn't write sexual attraction for shit, whether deliberately or unconsciously. It's more that...IDK, he's just *really* into writing incredibly handsome and charming Englishmen, so if you like reading them, voila.
Ridiculous from soup to nuts but highly entertaining.
March 11, 2025
quite good
This review is from: Enter the Saint (The Saint Series) (Kindle Edition). Review edited 10-13-20.
Charteris himself acknowledged that the Saint is escapist literature. If you are seeking one of the "great books" you will not find it here. It is however, great escapist fun and an excellent introduction to Simon Templar aka The Saint. The Saint whom you will meet in these pages is harder, more ruthless and more violent than The Saint in the TV series staring Roger Moore. The producers deliberately decided to make the Roger Moore version of the Saint nicer and less violent. At least at the beginning of the series. As it progressed, the series moved the Saint closer to the character in the books and stories. Conversely, Leslie Charteris began writing his character a little closer to the Roger Moore Saint. In any event, the humor, the savoir faire, the impeccable dress and manners were always attributes of Simon Templar. It is hard for me to even imagine a better actor than Roger Moore to be Simon Templar, the Saint.
The forward by Charteris' daughter, the preface and introduction by the author all aid in understanding the Saint phenomena. The information about Charteris at the end of the book is also very interesting.
Despite the title and information available from some sources, this is not the first Saint book. That honor belongs to THE SAINT MEETS THE TIGER aka MEET THE TIGER. The second Saint book is THE SAINT CLOSES THE CASE aka THE LAST HERO. ENTER THE SAINT is number three but Leslie Charteris advised reading it first. He did not care for THE SAINT MEETS THE TIGER. However, if you can find a copy, I would read it first.
This review is from: Enter the Saint (The Saint Series) (Kindle Edition). Review edited 10-13-20.
Charteris himself acknowledged that the Saint is escapist literature. If you are seeking one of the "great books" you will not find it here. It is however, great escapist fun and an excellent introduction to Simon Templar aka The Saint. The Saint whom you will meet in these pages is harder, more ruthless and more violent than The Saint in the TV series staring Roger Moore. The producers deliberately decided to make the Roger Moore version of the Saint nicer and less violent. At least at the beginning of the series. As it progressed, the series moved the Saint closer to the character in the books and stories. Conversely, Leslie Charteris began writing his character a little closer to the Roger Moore Saint. In any event, the humor, the savoir faire, the impeccable dress and manners were always attributes of Simon Templar. It is hard for me to even imagine a better actor than Roger Moore to be Simon Templar, the Saint.
The forward by Charteris' daughter, the preface and introduction by the author all aid in understanding the Saint phenomena. The information about Charteris at the end of the book is also very interesting.
Despite the title and information available from some sources, this is not the first Saint book. That honor belongs to THE SAINT MEETS THE TIGER aka MEET THE TIGER. The second Saint book is THE SAINT CLOSES THE CASE aka THE LAST HERO. ENTER THE SAINT is number three but Leslie Charteris advised reading it first. He did not care for THE SAINT MEETS THE TIGER. However, if you can find a copy, I would read it first.
December 10, 2025
After reading Saint stories for almost 40 years it's wonderful to see that they still bring a smile to my face. Charteris was writing snappy & amusing dialogue for the infamous Simon Templar long before his numerous 21st Century imitators. Surely reading shouldn't be this much fun ?!
May 18, 2019
My first encounter with Simon Templar in written form. Such fun.
March 11, 2025
Pulp Adventures
A review of the Thomas & Mercer eBook (March 18, 2014) of the Hodder & Stoughton hardcover original (1930) containing stories/novellas revised from those originally published in The Thriller magazine (1929).
Recently, the old Roger Moore TV-Series The Saint (1962-69) showed up on one of my streaming channels and I enjoyed revisiting a few episodes right away. I realized that I had never read any of the original Leslie Charteris books and selected an early one to try out.
Title card of The Saint TV-series. Image sourced from programme screen shot, Fair use, Link
Almost a century later these are very dated, but are still fun examples of pulp fiction adventures with the seemingly infallible anti-hero Simon Templar who used the alias of The Saint in committing his Robin Hood-like heists. It was steal from criminals though, with 90% of the proceeds going to charity and 10% for expenses. His modus operandi does not include the use of guns, but did have various James Bond-like gadgetry like exploding cigarettes, sword canes and throwing knives.
This 3rd Saint book is actually 3 stories/novellas which have been retitled and edited from earlier versions published in The Thriller magazine in 1929. In each of them, the Saint and various associates go up against crime gangs, getting away with the loot and turning the villains over to the authorities. The Saint has a somewhat friendly association with Scotland Yard Detective Inspector Claud Eustace Teal, although the latter does hope to catch him with ill gotten goods at times.
The so-called comic relief was provided by The Saint regularly using the Edwardian-era sexual innuendo of "as the Bishop said to the actress" and/or "as the actress said to the Bishop" several times, which grew a bit tiresome, but was probably considered quite risque at the time. I actually researched that phrase and though it likely came from common public usage, Charteris was apparently one of the first to ever use it in a published work. Read more at Wikipedia.
Soundtrack
The opening of The Saint TV-series always had a scene which ended with Roger Moore being introduced as Simon Templar at which point a halo would appear over his head and the theme music would play. You can watch a clip on YouTube here.
Trivia and Links
Leslie Charteris (1907-1993) was born Leslie Charles Bowyer-Yin in Singapore to an English mother and a Chinese father. He legally changed his name to Charteris in 1926, presumably to have a more anglo-saxon identity for his writing career which started quite early. Although he wrote several other novels, he is best remembered for The Saint series and its various adaptations in radio, TV and film.
A review of the Thomas & Mercer eBook (March 18, 2014) of the Hodder & Stoughton hardcover original (1930) containing stories/novellas revised from those originally published in The Thriller magazine (1929).
I’m mad enough to believe in romance. And I’m sick and tired of this age—tired of the miserable little mildewed things that people racked their brains about, and wrote books about, and called life. I wanted something more elementary and honest—battle, murder, sudden death, with plenty of good beer and damsels in distress, and a complete callousness about blipping the ungodly over the beezer. It mayn’t be life as we know it, but it ought to be. - Leslie Charteris in a 1935 BBC radio interview.
Recently, the old Roger Moore TV-Series The Saint (1962-69) showed up on one of my streaming channels and I enjoyed revisiting a few episodes right away. I realized that I had never read any of the original Leslie Charteris books and selected an early one to try out.
Title card of The Saint TV-series. Image sourced from programme screen shot, Fair use, Link
Almost a century later these are very dated, but are still fun examples of pulp fiction adventures with the seemingly infallible anti-hero Simon Templar who used the alias of The Saint in committing his Robin Hood-like heists. It was steal from criminals though, with 90% of the proceeds going to charity and 10% for expenses. His modus operandi does not include the use of guns, but did have various James Bond-like gadgetry like exploding cigarettes, sword canes and throwing knives.
This 3rd Saint book is actually 3 stories/novellas which have been retitled and edited from earlier versions published in The Thriller magazine in 1929. In each of them, the Saint and various associates go up against crime gangs, getting away with the loot and turning the villains over to the authorities. The Saint has a somewhat friendly association with Scotland Yard Detective Inspector Claud Eustace Teal, although the latter does hope to catch him with ill gotten goods at times.
The so-called comic relief was provided by The Saint regularly using the Edwardian-era sexual innuendo of "as the Bishop said to the actress" and/or "as the actress said to the Bishop" several times, which grew a bit tiresome, but was probably considered quite risque at the time. I actually researched that phrase and though it likely came from common public usage, Charteris was apparently one of the first to ever use it in a published work. Read more at Wikipedia.
Soundtrack
The opening of The Saint TV-series always had a scene which ended with Roger Moore being introduced as Simon Templar at which point a halo would appear over his head and the theme music would play. You can watch a clip on YouTube here.
Trivia and Links
Leslie Charteris (1907-1993) was born Leslie Charles Bowyer-Yin in Singapore to an English mother and a Chinese father. He legally changed his name to Charteris in 1926, presumably to have a more anglo-saxon identity for his writing career which started quite early. Although he wrote several other novels, he is best remembered for The Saint series and its various adaptations in radio, TV and film.
February 24, 2014
There used to be this time when romantic ideals ruled the roost in terms of fantastic fiction.I mean characters like Robin Hood, Arsene Lupin, The Phantom and the person in question : Simon Templar. They all had this rather nasty habit of swindling the rich and arrogant buggers of the society and giving those away to the poor. They all come up with rather ingenious heists and leave the bad guys penniless by the time they are done.
The stories here all follow this thread and it is quite fun to read. There is no real sense of danger or fear in them even when intentions of the antagonists are nothing short of murderous. The authors daughter writes in the foreword that she could hear her father chuckling to himself as he tapped away these stories at his typewriter. It is not hard to imagine him doing so for he would have had oodles of fun writing these : car chases, damsels in distress, ugly villains and an ultra cool hero with nerves of steel. What more do we need ? It was more akin to watching a good old cartoon show and I could practically imagine the speech bubbles with words like 'bam' and 'ka pow' during the fight scenes.
While all of it was fun, I prefer a more refined thief. Mr.Daniel Ocean, this means you !
The stories here all follow this thread and it is quite fun to read. There is no real sense of danger or fear in them even when intentions of the antagonists are nothing short of murderous. The authors daughter writes in the foreword that she could hear her father chuckling to himself as he tapped away these stories at his typewriter. It is not hard to imagine him doing so for he would have had oodles of fun writing these : car chases, damsels in distress, ugly villains and an ultra cool hero with nerves of steel. What more do we need ? It was more akin to watching a good old cartoon show and I could practically imagine the speech bubbles with words like 'bam' and 'ka pow' during the fight scenes.
While all of it was fun, I prefer a more refined thief. Mr.Daniel Ocean, this means you !
April 10, 2018
I read some Saint books back YEARS ago (we're talking the 1960s here). I thought I'd try another just to how it held my interest.
I think you'l find the writing a bit dated and thus the characters. This will come off now as period piece even though at the time it was written that wasn't so.
I'd say (as in other cases) try some of these yourself. Templer is sort of a very urbane vigilante who does what's right...even if that is somewhat against the law.
I think you'l find the writing a bit dated and thus the characters. This will come off now as period piece even though at the time it was written that wasn't so.
I'd say (as in other cases) try some of these yourself. Templer is sort of a very urbane vigilante who does what's right...even if that is somewhat against the law.
April 15, 2018
"If Simon Templar had been a failure, he would have been spoken of pityingly as a man born out of his time. The truth was that in all the fields of modern endeavour – except the crazy driving of high-powered cars, the suicidal stunting of aeroplanes, and the slick handling of boxing gloves – the Saint was cheerfully useless.
Golf bored him.
He played tennis with vigour and shameless inefficiency, erratically scrambling through weeks of rabbitry to occasional flashes of a positively Tilden-esque maestria. He was always ready to make his duck or bowl his wides in any cricket game that happened to be going; and his prowess at baseball, on an expedition which he once made to America, brought tears to the eyes of all beholders.
But put a fencing foil in Simon Templar’s hand; throw him into dangerous swimming water; invite him to slither up a tree or the side of a house; set him on the wildest horse that ever bucked; ask him to throw a knife into a visiting card or shoot the three leaves out of an ace of clubs at twenty paces; suggest that he couldn’t put an arrow through a greengage held between your finger and thumb at the same range – and then you’d see something to tell your grandchildren." So writes Leslie Charteris in this book - the best description of what these books are. Escapism, of the rollicking, swashbuckling kind.
Three stories of which my favourite is the magnificent and atmospheric mystery- "The Policeman With Wings"
Sadly, the final story, focused on one of the little saints, "Dicky Tremayne" isn't quick as superb as the other two. ...And for Charteris super fans there's a mention of Terry Mannering the hero of X Esquire sailing with his new wife!
Golf bored him.
He played tennis with vigour and shameless inefficiency, erratically scrambling through weeks of rabbitry to occasional flashes of a positively Tilden-esque maestria. He was always ready to make his duck or bowl his wides in any cricket game that happened to be going; and his prowess at baseball, on an expedition which he once made to America, brought tears to the eyes of all beholders.
But put a fencing foil in Simon Templar’s hand; throw him into dangerous swimming water; invite him to slither up a tree or the side of a house; set him on the wildest horse that ever bucked; ask him to throw a knife into a visiting card or shoot the three leaves out of an ace of clubs at twenty paces; suggest that he couldn’t put an arrow through a greengage held between your finger and thumb at the same range – and then you’d see something to tell your grandchildren." So writes Leslie Charteris in this book - the best description of what these books are. Escapism, of the rollicking, swashbuckling kind.
Three stories of which my favourite is the magnificent and atmospheric mystery- "The Policeman With Wings"
Sadly, the final story, focused on one of the little saints, "Dicky Tremayne" isn't quick as superb as the other two. ...And for Charteris super fans there's a mention of Terry Mannering the hero of X Esquire sailing with his new wife!
January 31, 2016
Originally published on my blog here in September 1999.
Though not the first appearance of Simon Templar (that comes in Meet the Tiger, published two years earlier with a different publisher), Enter the Saint is the first novel in which he plays the leading role. After this, Leslie Charteris never felt the need to create another hero.
Like so many volumes in the Saint saga (as Charteris called it) Enter the Saint consists of three loosely linked stories about Simon Templar. Leslie Charteris happened to like writing the novelette length, stories containing about a dozen short chapters. This is an ideal book to see the early Saint, before Charteris fell in love with the States and Americanised him, and before a certain world-weariness set in. The Simon Templar of the early thirties enjoys life, and gets an immense kick out of the action he experiences as 'the Robin Hood of modern crime'. To the readers of thirties England, he must have seemed immensely different to the established heroes of other writers - to us, he probably recalls the bantering James Bond of the films (rather than the grimmer figure created by Ian Fleming). It is not surprising that he was phenomenally successful.
Though not the first appearance of Simon Templar (that comes in Meet the Tiger, published two years earlier with a different publisher), Enter the Saint is the first novel in which he plays the leading role. After this, Leslie Charteris never felt the need to create another hero.
Like so many volumes in the Saint saga (as Charteris called it) Enter the Saint consists of three loosely linked stories about Simon Templar. Leslie Charteris happened to like writing the novelette length, stories containing about a dozen short chapters. This is an ideal book to see the early Saint, before Charteris fell in love with the States and Americanised him, and before a certain world-weariness set in. The Simon Templar of the early thirties enjoys life, and gets an immense kick out of the action he experiences as 'the Robin Hood of modern crime'. To the readers of thirties England, he must have seemed immensely different to the established heroes of other writers - to us, he probably recalls the bantering James Bond of the films (rather than the grimmer figure created by Ian Fleming). It is not surprising that he was phenomenally successful.
September 10, 2015
As usual I've read each tale, as I've come to it. The first two are Saintly classics, the last one less so.
The Man who was Clever
I’m going to admit to being a bit confused with the tangled chronology of all this. In the introduction, Charteris says that these are the first Saint tales, however this is the third book (but apparently one of those books does make direct reference to events in these stories, so that don’t sound right). No doubt it’s just a matter of when the stories were written versus whatever order the publisher decided to put them out in, although alternatively it might be a ruse by Templar himself to confuse and befuddle us before he makes his big move.
That confusion though might help to explain e how it is that even though this is clearly set up as being The Saint’s first tale, it feels so fully formed. The Saint’s manifesto is already there in the most fulsome and lucid terms (fortunately he does drop the big and worthy speeches about it though); there’s his mastery of disguise and the long game and close quarter combat; the Saintly Gang are here; and we have a cameo from Patricia Holm. In short it is the kind of fresh, energetic and rollicking fun that you’d expect from a Saint story, with no faltering or tottering of any description. Simon Templar can impose himself from nowhere into a room, and so it feels appropriate that his debut tale arrives not as a rough sketch, but already brilliantly shiny and polished.
It’s just a shame he hasn’t met Teal yet….
The Policeman with Wings
Given the way the series developed, it must have been a source of bitter regret to Charteris that the first conversation between Mr Teal and The Saint actually takes place without witnesses. In fact, so does the second one. This is by any measure bizarre. After Simon, Teal is the most fully realised and crucially important character in these stories. What’s more when Teal finally does arrive on the page – at their third encounter – he is already his fully formed, lugubrious self. Like Simon in the previous tale, he isn’t a pencil sketch which needs work, but already fully developed to every gum chewing mannerism. It’s a crime then, as great as Simon’s most daring exploits that we don’t get to see the first moment they laid eyes on each other. With what carefree and gay witticism did Simon first greet Teal? And, after a lazy eyed moment on contemplation, how did Teal respond?
A frequently tense and delightful yarn of kidnapping, jewel theft and true love. Even for a Saint tale, it feels somewhat on the slight aide, but there’s no doubting the entertainment value.
The Lawless Lady
Reading a tale with the relatively uncharismatic Dicky Tremayne at the centre just slaps it into the reader’s face just what a stroke of genius Charteris had when he created Simon Templar. This adventure on the Mediterranean is perfectly serviceable, but the only bits which sparkle are the beginning and the end, when The Saint – as he always does – rivets us charmingly to attention.
The Man who was Clever
I’m going to admit to being a bit confused with the tangled chronology of all this. In the introduction, Charteris says that these are the first Saint tales, however this is the third book (but apparently one of those books does make direct reference to events in these stories, so that don’t sound right). No doubt it’s just a matter of when the stories were written versus whatever order the publisher decided to put them out in, although alternatively it might be a ruse by Templar himself to confuse and befuddle us before he makes his big move.
That confusion though might help to explain e how it is that even though this is clearly set up as being The Saint’s first tale, it feels so fully formed. The Saint’s manifesto is already there in the most fulsome and lucid terms (fortunately he does drop the big and worthy speeches about it though); there’s his mastery of disguise and the long game and close quarter combat; the Saintly Gang are here; and we have a cameo from Patricia Holm. In short it is the kind of fresh, energetic and rollicking fun that you’d expect from a Saint story, with no faltering or tottering of any description. Simon Templar can impose himself from nowhere into a room, and so it feels appropriate that his debut tale arrives not as a rough sketch, but already brilliantly shiny and polished.
It’s just a shame he hasn’t met Teal yet….
The Policeman with Wings
Given the way the series developed, it must have been a source of bitter regret to Charteris that the first conversation between Mr Teal and The Saint actually takes place without witnesses. In fact, so does the second one. This is by any measure bizarre. After Simon, Teal is the most fully realised and crucially important character in these stories. What’s more when Teal finally does arrive on the page – at their third encounter – he is already his fully formed, lugubrious self. Like Simon in the previous tale, he isn’t a pencil sketch which needs work, but already fully developed to every gum chewing mannerism. It’s a crime then, as great as Simon’s most daring exploits that we don’t get to see the first moment they laid eyes on each other. With what carefree and gay witticism did Simon first greet Teal? And, after a lazy eyed moment on contemplation, how did Teal respond?
A frequently tense and delightful yarn of kidnapping, jewel theft and true love. Even for a Saint tale, it feels somewhat on the slight aide, but there’s no doubting the entertainment value.
The Lawless Lady
Reading a tale with the relatively uncharismatic Dicky Tremayne at the centre just slaps it into the reader’s face just what a stroke of genius Charteris had when he created Simon Templar. This adventure on the Mediterranean is perfectly serviceable, but the only bits which sparkle are the beginning and the end, when The Saint – as he always does – rivets us charmingly to attention.
February 10, 2022
I’ve been wanting to read one of The Saint books since the movie came out some thirty years ago. I didn’t actually see the movie, but I remember that it looked interesting and Charteris’ series has a lot of books in it which promised a lot of entertainment if I liked it. So I finally acted on the impulse and while I wasn’t thrilled with the book, I wasn’t particularly disappointed either.
The Saint is a man who has dedicated his life to bringing criminals to justice, but not until he has bled them of significant financial resources first. He’s not greedy. He gives the money to charity. So he has a certain Robin Hood vibe to him.
I think the character can best be summed up by the word “attitude”. He has tons of it. No circumstance seems to discombobulate him. He loves putting on a disguise and he loves coming out in the open. He’s always ready for a fight whatever the odds. And he absolutely lives for the chance to make a criminal feel the shock of fear that comes from realizing he’s not actually in control of the situation.
So it was a fun book, but not so much that I feel compelled to run out and read the next one. If I happened upon one, I probably would, but if I wait thirty years to read the next one, that will be okay too.
The Saint is a man who has dedicated his life to bringing criminals to justice, but not until he has bled them of significant financial resources first. He’s not greedy. He gives the money to charity. So he has a certain Robin Hood vibe to him.
I think the character can best be summed up by the word “attitude”. He has tons of it. No circumstance seems to discombobulate him. He loves putting on a disguise and he loves coming out in the open. He’s always ready for a fight whatever the odds. And he absolutely lives for the chance to make a criminal feel the shock of fear that comes from realizing he’s not actually in control of the situation.
So it was a fun book, but not so much that I feel compelled to run out and read the next one. If I happened upon one, I probably would, but if I wait thirty years to read the next one, that will be okay too.
August 14, 2020
What a nice find ... classic mysteries/thrillers similar to those of Agatha Christie. Each book contains 2 or 3 short novellas ... all very light-hearted and so fun to read.
April 2, 2018
Leslie Charteris is famous for inventing and writing full-length novels, novellas, and short stories on the character of the Saint between 1928 and 1963, including 20 just in the 1930s. Further, according to the preface to the edition used in the audiobook, written by Patricia Charteris Higgins, the author’s daughter, whom he named after the Saint’s true love, the Saint has sold over 40 million copies in multiple languages, three television series,15 films, 10 radio series, and a comic strip that ran for over a decade.
Read the rest of this review and other fun, geeky articles at Fangirl Nation
Read the rest of this review and other fun, geeky articles at Fangirl Nation
June 26, 2024
Entertaining, short & direct novelettes introducing the Saint & his band of crime fighting ‘gentleman’ who conveniently don’t quite return all the spoils of any given heist as evidence.
The writing style is delightfully dated & it reads with the staccato rhythm of a 1940’s news cast or black & white film. Of course, with the themes, moods & affectations of that time.
The stories a fast-paced, well thought out & fun, quick reads. This was a delightful respite from some of the slog of modern novels trying too hard.
The writing style is delightfully dated & it reads with the staccato rhythm of a 1940’s news cast or black & white film. Of course, with the themes, moods & affectations of that time.
The stories a fast-paced, well thought out & fun, quick reads. This was a delightful respite from some of the slog of modern novels trying too hard.
abandoned
December 22, 2024Very good narration from John Telfer, but the stories just aren't my thing although I can see they'd be fun for people who like capers, heists and so on. James Bond for cosy fans, maybe? Even the violence is all a bit Tom and Jerry.
March 17, 2023
I came to this work through the 1997 Val Kilmer vehicle, which I enjoy in spite of some flaws, and though the two versions have almost nothing to do with each other, I can read in this the charm and spirit the film carried through. Despite the Saint's Holmesian qualities, his Gary Stu-like moments, there is something infinitely entertaining and enjoyable in this kind of buccaneering adventure, as Charteris put it.
April 3, 2022
Enter the Saint is a collection of three interconnected adventure novellas published in 1930. Simon Templar is the Saint. Just on the right side of the law, he dishes out his particular brand of justice.
The three novellas in the book are:
"The Man Who Was Clever": Simon Templar seeks to bring a drug smuggler to justice. In this story, Templar establishes his reputation as a crime buster. He's shown working with a team of mysterious individuals (akin to Robin Hood's Merry Men). Patricia Holm, Templar's love interest and fellow adventurer from Meet the Tiger, appears in a cameo. The "calling card" at his "crimes," a stick figure of a man with a halo over his head, makes its initial appearance.
"The Policeman with Wings": A direct follow-up to the above with Templar's reputation growing. He and his compatriot Roger Conway investigate two kidnappings connected to a bag of stolen diamonds. This story also features the Saint's first direct dealings with Insp. Claud Eustace Teal, who would become a regular ally/opponent throughout the series. Norman Kent, a member of Templar's group who plays a leading role in The Last Hero receives a brief mention.
"The Lawless Lady": Templar appears only briefly in this story. The focus is on one of Templar's agents, Dicky Tremaine. He infiltrates a crime ring intent on some seaside theft, only to fall in love with its female leader. Although the previous two stories and Meet the Tiger show that Templar can lethal force, this is the first Saint tale in which Templar is actually kills anyone. Most of the narrative takes place outside of the United Kingdom.
As they've been unrevised - the dated language and references remain, anchoring the stories in their period. The storytelling by John Telfer is great. He displays a broad range of voices: bringing them to life and adding to them.
The three novellas in the book are:
"The Man Who Was Clever": Simon Templar seeks to bring a drug smuggler to justice. In this story, Templar establishes his reputation as a crime buster. He's shown working with a team of mysterious individuals (akin to Robin Hood's Merry Men). Patricia Holm, Templar's love interest and fellow adventurer from Meet the Tiger, appears in a cameo. The "calling card" at his "crimes," a stick figure of a man with a halo over his head, makes its initial appearance.
"The Policeman with Wings": A direct follow-up to the above with Templar's reputation growing. He and his compatriot Roger Conway investigate two kidnappings connected to a bag of stolen diamonds. This story also features the Saint's first direct dealings with Insp. Claud Eustace Teal, who would become a regular ally/opponent throughout the series. Norman Kent, a member of Templar's group who plays a leading role in The Last Hero receives a brief mention.
"The Lawless Lady": Templar appears only briefly in this story. The focus is on one of Templar's agents, Dicky Tremaine. He infiltrates a crime ring intent on some seaside theft, only to fall in love with its female leader. Although the previous two stories and Meet the Tiger show that Templar can lethal force, this is the first Saint tale in which Templar is actually kills anyone. Most of the narrative takes place outside of the United Kingdom.
As they've been unrevised - the dated language and references remain, anchoring the stories in their period. The storytelling by John Telfer is great. He displays a broad range of voices: bringing them to life and adding to them.
April 10, 2022
Collection of short stories.
A collection of short stories set inn the Simon templar the saint milieu. These stories are set in the time period between world war one and two. The idea of a crook hunting crooks was pretty droll. These novels are now being sold quite cheaply and are a quick read.
A collection of short stories set inn the Simon templar the saint milieu. These stories are set in the time period between world war one and two. The idea of a crook hunting crooks was pretty droll. These novels are now being sold quite cheaply and are a quick read.
July 27, 2021
I'd asked a friend if I should read the books of this series in order; he said that, from what he could tell, one could simply dive in anyway. This book's position in the "books in order" list shows this as either the second or third book in the series. I've not read either of the other two contenders, but this work, with its three stories, serves as a superlative introduction to the most audaciously daring, utterly madcap, unpredictable knight errant ever created.
There are times, when reading this book, that I wasn't entirely sure if it was a clownish thriller or a serious caper-comedy. However one might describe it, it is a thoroughly enjoyable ride through a trio of "let's see you get out of this one" stories that will delight with their style and verve. I don't know how many contemporary readers might know the expressions "It's the bee's knees," to describe something wonderful. Charteris' Saint offers up "It's the caterpillar's spats," a sentence I read with a guffaw that made me glad that my sleeping housemate doesn't wake up easily.
Since I am "of a certain age" (a discreet phrase to mean "old person"), I have some memory of the mid-60s television series staring Roger Moore in the title role. I revisited a few episodes of the show (posted on YouTube), and I read this book imagining the world's reaction if, at that time, they'd let Moore present the character depicted in this book. I'm not at all sure they'd approve, but it would have been hilarious. It made reading the work more fun, imagining Moore delivering various lines.
I bring this up to tell you that, if your only experience of the Saint is from the TV show (or Val Kilmer's version in film), you really owe it to yourself to go back to the source material and enjoy the ever-lovin' heck out of it. It really is the elephant's tonsils! (You'll find that one in this book, too. Savor it.) My first Saint book; far from being the last!
There are times, when reading this book, that I wasn't entirely sure if it was a clownish thriller or a serious caper-comedy. However one might describe it, it is a thoroughly enjoyable ride through a trio of "let's see you get out of this one" stories that will delight with their style and verve. I don't know how many contemporary readers might know the expressions "It's the bee's knees," to describe something wonderful. Charteris' Saint offers up "It's the caterpillar's spats," a sentence I read with a guffaw that made me glad that my sleeping housemate doesn't wake up easily.
Since I am "of a certain age" (a discreet phrase to mean "old person"), I have some memory of the mid-60s television series staring Roger Moore in the title role. I revisited a few episodes of the show (posted on YouTube), and I read this book imagining the world's reaction if, at that time, they'd let Moore present the character depicted in this book. I'm not at all sure they'd approve, but it would have been hilarious. It made reading the work more fun, imagining Moore delivering various lines.
I bring this up to tell you that, if your only experience of the Saint is from the TV show (or Val Kilmer's version in film), you really owe it to yourself to go back to the source material and enjoy the ever-lovin' heck out of it. It really is the elephant's tonsils! (You'll find that one in this book, too. Savor it.) My first Saint book; far from being the last!
February 25, 2019
Enter the Saint is actually three short stories. As Charteris says in the forward, these might be called novellas today. This is a term that earned the form academic respect. At the time they were published, they were called novelettes--the term used for pure dime store fare.
The three stories were set around the time The Saint first became well-known. These are not quite an "origin story", but the first story does take place before The Saint even met Inspector Teal. Charteris is also quick to point out the early writing was a tad more juvenile and self-indulgent, but the first scrawlings of a master still tower above most other pulp writing.
I find my reaction a bit unusual, having read some other reviews, in that I actually liked the third story best (The Lawless Lady). This is the most unusual of the stories, focused mostly on Dicky Tremayne. I liked it perhaps because it was a palpable step in the increasing sophistication of the writing. It is held with very tight writing and a certain driving storytelling. It is also the least campy (even compared with later Saint stories), being the only one of the trio that doesn't climax with Simon Templar trying to free himself from being bound with ropes. It is also a love story--one that is rather believable compared to the typical pulp "guy gets girl" story.
All three are fun--and necessary canon for all Saint fans.
The three stories were set around the time The Saint first became well-known. These are not quite an "origin story", but the first story does take place before The Saint even met Inspector Teal. Charteris is also quick to point out the early writing was a tad more juvenile and self-indulgent, but the first scrawlings of a master still tower above most other pulp writing.
I find my reaction a bit unusual, having read some other reviews, in that I actually liked the third story best (The Lawless Lady). This is the most unusual of the stories, focused mostly on Dicky Tremayne. I liked it perhaps because it was a palpable step in the increasing sophistication of the writing. It is held with very tight writing and a certain driving storytelling. It is also the least campy (even compared with later Saint stories), being the only one of the trio that doesn't climax with Simon Templar trying to free himself from being bound with ropes. It is also a love story--one that is rather believable compared to the typical pulp "guy gets girl" story.
All three are fun--and necessary canon for all Saint fans.
October 29, 2016
Two and a half stars for these three Saint novellas. Marginally better than the second installment of the Saint series, here we have Simon Templar and his merry men getting down to the serious business of cleaning up crime while cleaning out the crooks' pockets in favour of charity. The Saint and his little angels will of course take their cut (well did you ever see a registered British charity that didn't?) but some of it really will get to hospitals and orphanages one way or another.
The first story I found most forgettable, the second moreso, the third at least gives us more background on Simon's second in command, Dicky Tremayne. In the course of the stories the author's prose becomes increasingly purple. What was missing was the spark of fun and scenes of luxurious good life that novels like this usually provide. Not Charteris' best work, but a light read, which is more than I can say for The Saint Closes the Case, which was such a trudge I gave up on it.
The first story I found most forgettable, the second moreso, the third at least gives us more background on Simon's second in command, Dicky Tremayne. In the course of the stories the author's prose becomes increasingly purple. What was missing was the spark of fun and scenes of luxurious good life that novels like this usually provide. Not Charteris' best work, but a light read, which is more than I can say for The Saint Closes the Case, which was such a trudge I gave up on it.
February 26, 2022
Fun and easy read. Very 'of its time' but still fun. I'll probably read some more of The Saint.
December 10, 2018
I’m a bit frustrated. I love the Saint. Husband recc’d the book.. didn’t know it was short stories. I was beautifully involved with story #1 , when it ended. Oh, the chagrin! Would love 1 single, wonderful (romantic) full-length escapade. With all the friends of course.
The result with the short stories is they all feel very similar, melding together a little after the fact.. especially since Simon is (understandably) identical in all. Problem is they all felt like they ended suddenly & too soon. In the 3rd story, I did enjoy Roger being prominent, but wished the saint had a bit more to do. Again, conundrum of a short story. Or these short stories anyway.
(Anyone see the movie with Val Kilmer & Elizabeth Shue? Oh. Loved it!)
The result with the short stories is they all feel very similar, melding together a little after the fact.. especially since Simon is (understandably) identical in all. Problem is they all felt like they ended suddenly & too soon. In the 3rd story, I did enjoy Roger being prominent, but wished the saint had a bit more to do. Again, conundrum of a short story. Or these short stories anyway.
(Anyone see the movie with Val Kilmer & Elizabeth Shue? Oh. Loved it!)
December 5, 2014
As good as I remember it.
I started reading the Saint during one of its many reprints and read most of the stories I was reluctant to reread them because so many early favorites haven't held up well on reread. This one does, as long as you understand that inflation has added up over the past 85 odd years and gay had a very different meaning when these stories were written
I started reading the Saint during one of its many reprints and read most of the stories I was reluctant to reread them because so many early favorites haven't held up well on reread. This one does, as long as you understand that inflation has added up over the past 85 odd years and gay had a very different meaning when these stories were written
April 16, 2021
I'm not destined to be a fan of the Saint. I did not find the tales in this book particularly energetic or engaging. When reading a book feels like eating your vegetables, it is time to move on.
April 26, 2025
Cute
This was such fun! I loved seeing the Saint and his henchmen flitting about and settling the hash of those wrong doers. Such fun!
This was such fun! I loved seeing the Saint and his henchmen flitting about and settling the hash of those wrong doers. Such fun!
June 13, 2018
Meet the Tiger (aka The Saint Meets the Tiger) published in 1928, was Leslie Charteris’s first book in the Saint Saga (even though Hodder & Stoughton later pretended that “Enter the Saint” was, presumably because they weren’t the publishers of the former).
Nevertheless, “Enter the Saint” is the book that introduces Simon Templar as he is in most of the books that follow, and as neither the cinema nor television has yet had the nerve to portray him: he beats people up, robs them, blackmails them, even murders them, and gets away with it. And the fact that his victims are particularly vicious thugs (Snake Ganning), dope dealers (Edgar Hayn), white slavers, war profiteers and so forth — and that he gives a large chunk of his profits to charity — would not excuse him to a strict moralist. The success of the Saint books for seventy years must mean that strict moralists are perhaps not as common as one ought to hope.
There are three longish stories; a reference that may be presumed to be to Sir John Bittle (from Meet the Tiger) dates the first at nine months after the end of that opus.
To enumerate plot details would probably be superfluous. Suffice it to say that Charteris was just starting to hit his stride, and that “Enter” introduces two of his best characters: the Saint’s friend Roger Conway, and his perpetual adversary, Inspector Claude Eustace Teal. Patricia Holm now lives with the Saint although (daringly for 1930) they aren’t married, and Orace is still the stalwart retainer.
A fine warm up to its sequel, what is possibly the best of all the Saint stories: The Last Hero (aka The Saint Closes the Case).
Nevertheless, “Enter the Saint” is the book that introduces Simon Templar as he is in most of the books that follow, and as neither the cinema nor television has yet had the nerve to portray him: he beats people up, robs them, blackmails them, even murders them, and gets away with it. And the fact that his victims are particularly vicious thugs (Snake Ganning), dope dealers (Edgar Hayn), white slavers, war profiteers and so forth — and that he gives a large chunk of his profits to charity — would not excuse him to a strict moralist. The success of the Saint books for seventy years must mean that strict moralists are perhaps not as common as one ought to hope.
There are three longish stories; a reference that may be presumed to be to Sir John Bittle (from Meet the Tiger) dates the first at nine months after the end of that opus.
To enumerate plot details would probably be superfluous. Suffice it to say that Charteris was just starting to hit his stride, and that “Enter” introduces two of his best characters: the Saint’s friend Roger Conway, and his perpetual adversary, Inspector Claude Eustace Teal. Patricia Holm now lives with the Saint although (daringly for 1930) they aren’t married, and Orace is still the stalwart retainer.
A fine warm up to its sequel, what is possibly the best of all the Saint stories: The Last Hero (aka The Saint Closes the Case).
December 4, 2023
Enter the Saint was the first collection of stories that Charteris claimed as authentic Saint. His original Simon Templar novel (Meet the Tiger, published 1928), was basically disowned by Charteris later on. Enter the Saint is therefore the author’s true introduction to his character. Enter features three novellas: "The Man Who Was Clever," "The Policeman With Wings," and "The Lawless Lady." With Man Who Was Clever we immediately enter into the modern [relatively] Robin Hood world of Simon Templar, debonair adventurer always just skirting the law while taking down those who would take advantage of the innocent. Policeman and Lawless, the two stories rounding out the collection go deeper into establishing the Saint’s character and his organization of hoods-for-the-good. Tempar’s use of disguises, his employment of the criminal underground’s own techniques against them, his lack of fear when putting himself in their clutches in order to break them, and even some of his regular characters (Patricia Holm, Insp. Teal, Orace), and certainly the flavor of the future Saint novels and stories, all are part of this initial collection. The Shadow became a similar character – stealing from, and crushing evil-doers in order to protect and benefit the innocent, while at the same time avoiding the law, which never trusted him, often viewing him as a criminal himself. Wonderful, classic pulp-era adventures. Try a couple – this volume, or The Saint in New York, are good starting points.
August 28, 2017
I Had No Idea!
“I was always sure that there was a solid place in escape literature for a rambunctious adventurer such as I dreamed up in my youth, who really believed in the old-fashioned romantic ideals and was prepared to lay everything on the line to bring them to life. A joyous exuberance that could not find its fulfilment in pinball machines and pot. I had what may now seem a mad desire to spread the belief that there were worse, and wickeder, nut cases than Don Quixote.” “Even now, half a century later, when I should be old enough to know better, I still cling to that belief. That there will always be a public for the old-style hero, who had a clear idea of justice, and a more than technical approach to love, and the ability to have some fun with his crusades.”
Leslie Charteris is a one-man franchise to rival Disney and Marvel in his scope. I always loved The Saint (Roger More) series in reruns, but never knew there was an exhaustive book series well worth reading.
The style and language is decidedly dated, to the point of offending current sensibilities. However, let that be a lesson to current day hipsters, writers, and politically correct hacks. Can the characters, the storyline, the plot stand the test of time? In Charteris' case, a resounding yes!
“I was always sure that there was a solid place in escape literature for a rambunctious adventurer such as I dreamed up in my youth, who really believed in the old-fashioned romantic ideals and was prepared to lay everything on the line to bring them to life. A joyous exuberance that could not find its fulfilment in pinball machines and pot. I had what may now seem a mad desire to spread the belief that there were worse, and wickeder, nut cases than Don Quixote.” “Even now, half a century later, when I should be old enough to know better, I still cling to that belief. That there will always be a public for the old-style hero, who had a clear idea of justice, and a more than technical approach to love, and the ability to have some fun with his crusades.”
Leslie Charteris is a one-man franchise to rival Disney and Marvel in his scope. I always loved The Saint (Roger More) series in reruns, but never knew there was an exhaustive book series well worth reading.
The style and language is decidedly dated, to the point of offending current sensibilities. However, let that be a lesson to current day hipsters, writers, and politically correct hacks. Can the characters, the storyline, the plot stand the test of time? In Charteris' case, a resounding yes!
October 4, 2022
Togliamoci dai piedi gli equivoci: qui non parliamo di un giallo classico né di un noir, tanto meno di un hard-boiled. Abbiamo tra le mani qualcosa di raro, in grado di miscelare trame da thriller con elementi intrisi di humor, personaggi tanto svitati quanto onesti e leali, e una buona dose di inventiva.
Entra il Santo è il secondo libro della serie dedicata a Simon Templar, personaggio che nell'immaginario comune ha l'eleganza di Lupin e l'etica di Robin Hood, e dosi d'ingegno e destrezza fisica che a volte verrebbe quasi da accostarlo a Sherlock Holmes. Brillante e irriverente nei modi di fare, lo ritroviamo in tre deliziose avventure, racconti che, nelle edizioni italiane, introducono al personaggio forse più celebre del genio di Leslie Charteris.
In questo libro c'è un po' di tutto: trame e intrighi tipiche dei gialli - ma di quelli briosi che non sconfinino nei rompicapi deduttivi o si sdilinquiscano nelle vertigini della psiche - e l'azione tipica dei polizieschi, perché sempre di giustizia sociale si tratta, quando il Santo entra in azione, anche se le forze dell'ordine non sempre sono dello stesso avviso.
Il racconto è perfettamente godibile. Lo stile rievoca i ritmi dei polizieschi, innestandoci però personaggi non privi di umorismo. In una parola: divertente.
Entra il Santo è il secondo libro della serie dedicata a Simon Templar, personaggio che nell'immaginario comune ha l'eleganza di Lupin e l'etica di Robin Hood, e dosi d'ingegno e destrezza fisica che a volte verrebbe quasi da accostarlo a Sherlock Holmes. Brillante e irriverente nei modi di fare, lo ritroviamo in tre deliziose avventure, racconti che, nelle edizioni italiane, introducono al personaggio forse più celebre del genio di Leslie Charteris.
In questo libro c'è un po' di tutto: trame e intrighi tipiche dei gialli - ma di quelli briosi che non sconfinino nei rompicapi deduttivi o si sdilinquiscano nelle vertigini della psiche - e l'azione tipica dei polizieschi, perché sempre di giustizia sociale si tratta, quando il Santo entra in azione, anche se le forze dell'ordine non sempre sono dello stesso avviso.
Il racconto è perfettamente godibile. Lo stile rievoca i ritmi dei polizieschi, innestandoci però personaggi non privi di umorismo. In una parola: divertente.
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