Enter the Saint

Some good writing but also somewhat affected, like Philo Vance.

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.