Customer Reviews

THE SAINT GOES ON

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Three more engaging stories from the days when the Saint was still firmly based in England, and Holm was where the heart was.

"The High Fence" is a fast-paced thriller.

In "The Elusive Ellshaw" (which is more of a mystery story), Mrs Ellshaw reminds once again of the author's ability to draw characters at once familiar and hilarious, also providing one of Charteris's few likeable aristocrats.

And "The Case of the Frightened Innkeeper" brings dear old Hoppy Uniatz to the fore again.

Other old friends include Sam Outrell and (of course) Claud Eustace.

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

The stories in this collection date from 1934 and 1935. They function as mysteries as well as suspense stories, although that's not Charteris' strong point. Charteris tends to rely on flash and dazzle to distract the reader from figuring out "who done it"; the short story form doesn't give him much room to develop many supporting characters as possible suspects while still allowing him to build a proper Saintly adventure. They're good stories, I hasten to add, just stronger as adventures than as mysteries.

Patricia Holm has a strong supporting role in the first story as the Saint's intelligent backup. Regrettably (from my point of view, anyway) two of the stories in this collection also include Hoppy Uniatz, who as a Saintly sidekick is a sad come-down from the earlier days of Norman Kent and Roger Conway, as he supplies loyalty, nerves, and brawn without much horse sense (though granted, he shows to much better advantage than usual in "The Case of the Frightened Innkeeper", the final story in this collection).

"The High Fence" is a bit unusual in my experience in that we enter the story from Inspector Teal's end of things before the Saint makes his entrance. The High Fence himself is an as-yet-unidentified fence who earned his nickname - and can pick and choose what stolen goods he'll buy - through the simple trick of paying twice as much as any other fence for them, "contenting himself with 100% profit instead of 300%". Teal ended up with the case because a jewel thief was murdered in police custody to keep him from talking - with the unfortunate side effect of landing Teal with the Police College graduate Junior Inspector who *had* handled the jewel thief up to that point. Teal, tired of having his perpetual battles with the Saint raked up whenever he gives the younger generation a lecture, wishes that they had as much to cope with as *he* has had in his time, only to have his wish granted very dramatically indeed.

In "The Elusive Ellshaw", on the other hand, the Saint cooperates with Teal freely and with a minimum of Tealbaiting on one side and bad feeling on the other, despite the fact that "The High Fence" happened not too long before. I enjoy seeing them work together for a change, and they need each other's information in this case, but it's not clear why the Saint came to Teal in the first place; one of the early scenes in the story opens in mid-conversation in Teal's office, without explaining why the Saint decided to share his information. (Incidentally, Patricia effectively isn't in this story, though we're not told why, and Hoppy is never mentioned.)

As for the adventure itself, "The Elusive Ellshaw" is the strongest mystery of the stories in this book. It has an unpromising beginning, as Mrs. Ellshaw not only approaches the Saint with an apparently mundane problem but is long-winded and querulous to boot. Ellshaw himself - a small-time conman who couldn't even support his family - left her without a word a year ago. The problem isn't to find him, though; she spotted him in a neighbourhood where she works as a cleaning lady, and has already confronted him. Her problem for the Saint is to find out what Ellshaw is up to - why he won't be seen talking to her, and how he suddenly got the cash he gave her when she caught up with him.

The Saint's problem, on the other hand, soon turns deadly; not only is Mrs. Ellshaw murdered shortly after speaking to him, but somebody booby-traps the Saint's own flat. Why is somebody - somebody with more resources than Ellshaw himself has ever had - willing to kill people over Ellshaw?

"The Case of the Frightened Innkeeper" is yet another of the adventures brought to the Saint's attention by someone writing to him for help and advice, though via the title character's live-in niece. She's been hearing mysterious late-night noises and sees that her uncle has some suspicious associates, but he won't tell her what's going on. The sixteenth century inn is located near both a harbour and near Larkstone Prison, allowing for possibilities ranging from secret passages, smuggling, and prison breaks.

The Saint for once shows a few human weaknesses by not only making several errors in judgement but having his opponents exploit them. He even has the novel experience of appreciating some of what he's put Teal through over the years, though neither Teal nor Patricia Holm appear.