Customer Reviews

Saint Intervenes

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a collection of very short stories; 14 stories in 190 pages. "The Ingenuous Colonel", "The Unfortunate Financier", "The Newdick Helicopter", "The Prince of Cherkessia", "The Treasure of Turk's Lane","The Sleepless Knight", "The Uncritical Publisher", "The Noble Sportsman","The Damsel in Distress", "The Loving Brothers", "The Tall Timber", "The Art Photographer", "The Man Who Liked Toys" and "The Mixture as Before".

I wouldn't say all the stories are nicely plotted, but they are all quite enjoyable. The Saint says "The bloke who takes money off the bloke who takes money off the sucker is something even brighter." Yes, he is a very bright guy, and that makes the stories smart and witty. The Saint gives various medicine to various villains. For example, he cons con men, blackmails a blackmailer, gives lessons to "respectable" men (such as a stock manipulator and an employer like a slave-driver) and helps Inspector Teal to solve murder cases. I like "The Prince of Cherkessia" best; no dull parts and the most unexpected ending.

Indeed 'The Saint Intervenes,' in short and succinct stories, pleases the instincts of fans of this genre - where each target of Simon Templar's unique brand of trickery get exactly what they deserve, and it is often their own greed that is their undoing. "Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit, and tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes, I will be brief" (Shakespeare)- Leslie Charteris is a genius. The author finds no briefer way to extol the knightly virtues of one knavish happy highwayman than in these saintly adventures. Although Boodle is his extemporaneous fortune, his mirthful enterprise does good turn for society as an added benefit, bereft of the shackles placed on the likes of Chief Inspector Teal. My only regret, the individualist nature of "The Saint" should have as a target one of the preeminent tyrants of all: politicians - but I'll keep reading, maybe some future Saintly story will reveal my desire.

When I first ordered this book, it was lost in transit. But when I wrote to Amazon, they sent it to me again - FREE! So now i finally have one of the best Saint compilations. It's got stories from that particular period in the Saint chronology that I love best - not too early, not war-time. Those who aren't into the Saint cult don't know what they're missing. Some day I will have every Saint book ever written.

Further lightweight but entertaining short stories of the Saint (in the same vein as The Brighter Buccaneer), wherein more mysteries are unravelled, more swindlers swindled, and more beer consumed.

Unlike some of his contemporaries, Charteris appears to have been neither a snob nor an inverted snob (although "The Noble Sportsman" contains some blistering remarks about the Huntin', Shootin' and Fishin' ethos). Politicians, however, get a tremendous series of bloody noses from the Saint books, and captains of industry do not fare well either, as here in "The Sleepless Knight".

Pat and Claud Eustace feature throughout, as usual; and Monty Hayward, Peter Quentin and (briefly) Dicky Tremayne drop in to remind us of old times.

The story "The Uncritical Publisher" is missing from some editions, so be careful which you get.

Variously published as "Boodle" and "The Saint Intervenes".

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

This is a collection of very short stories; 14 stories in 190 pages. "The Ingenuous Colonel", "The Unfortunate Financier", "The Newdick Helicopter", "The Prince of Cherkessia", "The Treasure of Turk's Lane","The Sleepless Knight", "The Uncritical Publisher", "The Noble Sportsman","The Damsel in Distress", "The Loving Brothers", "The Tall Timber", "The Art Photographer", "The Man Who Liked Toys" and "The Mixture as Before".

I wouldn't say all the stories are nicely plotted, but they are all quite enjoyable. The Saint says "The bloke who takes money off the bloke who takes money off the sucker is something even brighter." Yes, he is a very bright guy, and that makes the stories smart and witty. The Saint gives various medicine to various villains. For example, he cons con men, blackmails a blackmailer, gives lessons to "respectable" men (such as a stock manipulator and an employer like a slave-driver) and helps Inspector Teal to solve murder cases. I like "The Prince of Cherkessia" best; no dull parts and the most unexpected ending.