Customer Reviews

Saint Errant (Black Dagger Crime Series)

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? ?rant is a great collection of some of the finest short stories that Charteris ever wrote. Each story is titled after a woman's name, and the plots are clever and very tightly written. My favorite Saint stories are the short stories from this era, and Saint Errant is the first such collection. This new Black Dagger edition is very nice, and features a nicely designed green dustjacket.

Leslie Charteris, a dynamic young Englishman, created one of crime fiction's most memorable characters - the mocking, ruthless, amoral Simon Templar aka "Sebastian Tombs" aka "The Saint"
in the late 20s. The early Saint was indeed a "modern Robin Hood," robbing the criminal underworld for his own personal gain. In novels like "The Last Hero" and "The Saint In New York" (two amazing fictions filled with violence, humor and tragedy - Simon's character developed by leaps and bounds. When WW2 broke out, Charteris had Simon emigrate to America where he worked against the Naziis. As the 50s loomed on the horizon, Charteris - perhaps mirroring elements in his own wanderlust life - fashioned Templar a well-known "citizen of the world" - always on the move, with no fixed location or love. The stories in SAINT ERRANT are from this latter period and are among the best (including the last one in the book, where Simon is killed).
Read and your own risk: like popcorn or shrimp or M&Ms, you can't stop with just one.

This, the last Saint book to feature Patricia Holm, consists of nine short stories, each bearing a lady's name. Various old adversaries also appear, such as Newt Haskins (from The Saint in Miami) and Alvin Kearney (from Call for the Saint).

The stories are varied and interesting, except for the last one which is just plain silly.

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

This collection of short stories represents the best of Charteris' work. Much closer to the TV series, this is worlds better than his earlier Shadow-esque work. Interesting plots, memorable characters, clean prose, and a smooth style make this the one Saint book you must have. If you've never read any Saint stories before, this collection will make you a fan!