Customer Reviews

Featuring the Saint

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Three stories from the early days of the Saint. In "The Logical Adventure" he deals in a pretty unequivocal way with a ring of (what used to be called) white slavers. "The Wonderful War" sees Simon planning and executing a bloodless revolution to overthrow a corrupt Latin American government, and in "The Man Who Could Not Die" he avenges the murder of a friend.

But although this is the fifth book in the Saint Saga, the exact chronology seems to be more involved.

The second story refers to events in the first, and is therefore later. But in that second story, the Saint still has his little throwing-knife Anna, which he loses in The Last Hero, the third book in the series.

On the other hand, in the last story Teal refers to Simon's Royal Pardon, which he gets at the end of the fourth book, Knight Templar. This is a strange, intense story, featuring a moody and irresponsible Saint; and I don't like it much, which is the reason for four stars instead of five.

Otherwise, vintage stuff from Charteris, whose excellent grasp of idiomatic Spanish stands him in good stead.

(Incidentally, those who view the Author's portrayal of Latin Americans with disfavour may be interested to know that he had previously written a book [The Bandit] with a Latin American hero. Probably not coincidentally, the Saint himself later [in "The Inland Revenue"] writes such a book. Could the outraged letter Simon receives in response be based on - perhaps even be taken taken verbatim from - one Charteris received?)

P.S. For a list of -- and discussion of -- all Charteris's Saint books, see my So You'd Like To... Guide.