If you only ever read one saint story ,you will be missing out on some great stuff, but THE SAINT IN NEW YORK would be the one to try . The saint at his best reckless as ever ,but coming very close to getting a set of wings to go with his halo . His way of expression ,english wit to hardend new york thugs is very amusing.Dont confuse this guy with the later tv saint, in this he bumps off the ungodly as quick as they would him ,with the help of gun ,knife and a mysterious female,beautiful but deadly.Trying to free the city from the clutchers of nicely sewn up crime ring,the saint works his way through some of the smaller fish,and gets dangerously closer to the sharp and powerfull jaws of the big fella,but who is the big fella ? GREAT STUFF .

As the other reviewers wrote, the Saint was unusually cold and merciless in this book. Because the enemy was so big, so strong and so merciless; even the Saint was severely cornered several times. But I was glad because he still held his characteristics that made him so charming; impudence, recklessness, sense of humor and sense of justice. I also enjoyed the story very much; well-plotted, fast-paced and thrilling. And the climax was so dramatic! It will be one of the best Saint novels. Highly recommended.

When Simon Templar, alias the Saint, is hired to avenge the murder af a millionair's son, he comes to New York to find a totally corrupt system. With impudence only he has, he cheerfully takes on the task of single-handedly cleaning up the City. We see the colder side of his personality when he swears to be completely ruthless after witnessing the mob's impersonal fatal "rides." This book is fast paced with a completely unexpected ending, with no dull spots anywhere. I would recommend it to anybody, even if you are not a Saint fan.

Burl Barer really captures everything about the Saint in this book. It is a huge source of information, and everytime I read it I find out something new!

Even if you aren't a fan of the Saint, you should still buy this book. It's a remarkable, inside account of how a character is translated into books, comics, radio, tv and film. A must-have for anyone thinking of breaking into publishing, tv or film

Burl Barer's book on the history of The Saint is "the source" for Saint fans yearning for more information about The Saint. It is a must-have for Saint fans, and makes for an excellent read, even for those detectivish fans who don't really know much about Simon Templar or Leslie Charteris to start with...

This book contains three stories; "The Gold Standard", "The Man from St. Louis" and "The Death Penalty".

The first story seems to be a continuation to "The Saint vs Scotland Yard" in which the Saint stole illicit diamonds and ran away to Europe. In "The Gold Standard", the Saint is involved in a murder at Paris and goes back to England to be a headache for poor Inspector Teal. The second story is a continuation to the first story, but the third story has little connection with the previous two stories and Mr. Teal doesn't appear on the stage.

All the three stories are much better plotted than earlier Saint novels (such as "Knight Templar" and "Alias the Saint" I read before). The stories are fast-paced and action-packed. And the endings are sophisticated; the Saint gets rid of the evil illegally as always, but he exhibits various solutions, not only simply kill the evil.

This book is that kind of "beloved jewels" that if you have ever liked thrillers, it deserves a place in your bookshelf. The Saint personality is the "ideal" way of behavior that every man had had at least once in his life. I have been involved in such dangerous adventures with my friend Simon Templar, that I encourage you to join us... Deliciuos reading, suspense, and the illusion of accomplishing impossible tasks utilizing methods that only true gentelmen are capable to perform. Do not miss this book!!!

The Saint, one of mystery's more unique characters, was the subject of over 40 books, many movies, and a television series. Simon Templar, the Robin Hood of Modern Crime was more than a dectective, more than a criminal -- a law to himself. In the name of Justice The Saint preyed on criminals and con artists that the Law could not or would not touch. At the same time he tweeked the noses of Scotland Yard, specifically Chief Inspector Teal. If you are looking for a hero with the morals of a pirate and the sense of humor of PG Wodehouse, the Saint is one

Rather than one connected novel, this volume of the Saint's adventures contains 7 short stories. As Charteris remarks in the first story, at this point in his career, Templar didn't have to seek adventure - it found him.

"The Effete Angler" (Bimini) - Why would a man who won't even use light tackle for game fishing have a bodyguard?

"The Arrow of God" (Nassau) - Why is a dead journalist found with a beach umbrella through his chest?

"The Black Commmissar" (Jamaica) - Templar meets an old acquaintance, one of the Maroons of Jamaica, on his way to the islands. (Forester's _Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies_ has an adventure in Maroon country, if you're interested.)

"The Unkind Philanthropist" (Puerto Rico) - The lovely Tristan Brown introduces herself as a lawyer for the Kiel foundation, on the lookout for worthy causes to receive funds. Quire, a local 'natural philanthropist', would love to get a chunk of money to disburse as he sees fit. So Templar, being familiar with the Colossal Lie strategy, begins checking bona fides and seeking opportunity, after seeing a man cheated out of his farm by one of the parties involved...

"The Old Treasure Story" (The Virgin Islands) - April Mallory, having inherited a small nest egg and the family legend of a sunken ship, has opted to be the first to *do* something about it.

"The Questing Tycoon" (Haiti) - The tycoon in question doesn't care about religion as such, but only about what he can use. Falsely promising to marry the daughter of a respected houngan to learn the ways of voodoo has certain drawbacks, though...

One of my favorite Saint novels. Seven short stories showing the good and bad side of the Saint.

One of the best Saint novels I have read. It is filled with both sides of the Saint: crime and good deeds. Even if you are not a fan of the saint, you will enjoy this book.

This is the third and the final round of the Saint vs his arch-enemies, Rayt Marius and Prince Rudolf, although Marius doesn't appear on this book. The first is "The Last Hero" and the second is "Knight Templar". Also, this is just after "The Saint vs Scotland Yard" in which the Saint decided to leave England. He goes to Europe where he unexpectedly meets the Prince again.

It's a little pity that Rayt Marius doesn't appear on this book. That doesn't mean I prefer Marius to Rudolf. On the contrary, I like Prince Rudolf far better. He is the most attractive enemy; the man of velvet and steel, sleek as a sword-blade, always suave and inhumanly calm. Still, I wanted the Saint to settle not only with Rudolf, but also with Marius.

Anyway, I greatly enjoyed the story. It's a splendid tale of adventure and chase; thrilling, fast-paced, full of actions and wits. The showdown is so breath-taking! I'm terribly sorry this is really the final round.

Ever wonder what the bishop said to the actress? Or what happened to Prince Rudolf after The Last Hero? Or where the Saint and Patricia Holm went after the diamond hijack in The Saint vs. Scotland Yard? The Saint has been good for three whole weeks, until a gang of toughs starts beating up an old man on a Bavarian country road... but why is the old man so unpleasant about being rescued? And why is Prince Rudolf getting involved? The Saint takes it as a sign that his swashbuckling days are not over yet.

If possible, you should read the following Saint books in publication order first: The Last Hero (a.k.a. The Saint Closes the Case), The Avenging Saint (a.k.a. Knight Templar), and The Saint vs Scotland Yard. (All three of them were republished as part of The Saint: Five Complete Novels by Avenel Press in 1983, if you can find it.)

This is the first round of the Saint vs his arch-enemies Rayt Marius & Prince Rudolf, continued on "Knight Templar" (a.k.a. "The Avenging Saint").

Although this "The Last Hero" still has the shortcoming that the style is rather long-winded, I bet it is the best of the Saint stories. I really enjoyed adventure after adventure of young Simon Templar and his jolly friends. Anyway it is much better than its continuation. In "Knight Templar", the enemy's plan was rather vague that made the whole story less thrilling. But in "The Last Hero", the subject is plain and simple; a fight for a devilish invention of a mad scientist. The story is much more thrilling and full of actions and wits. And the characters are much more vivid; Simon is so youthful and dynamic, his friends are so amiable, Marius is so ferocious and formidable, and Prince Rudolf's inhuman calmness heightened the tension of the climax.

(Also known as The Saint Closes the Case.) This book takes place in the early days of the Saint's career, when Scotland Yard still had no proof of his identity, and he still had the last of his original crew of adventurers (the other "wearers of the halo") with him: Roger Conway, Patricia Holm, and Norman Kent. The Saint in those days still pursued his career mainly for love of "battle, murder, and sudden death" - that is, adventure for adventure's sake. "He also...had heard the sound of the trumpet, and had moved ever afterwards in the echoes of the sound of the trumpet, in such a mighty clamour of romance that one of his friends had been moved to call him the last hero, in desperately earnest jest." This book introduces Prince Rudolf (later seen in Getaway), and is also the first appearance of Rayt Marius (international arms dealer, although the term doesn't do him justice). Briefly, Marius is trying to acquire a new, horrible weapon from an English scientist to sell to the prince. Templar and the other Saints are trying to prevent *anyone* from getting the weapon...

If possible, this should be read before The Avenging Saint (a.k.a. Knight Templar), which is a continuation of the story begun by The Last Hero. Both books are part of The Saint: Five Complete Novels (Avenel, 1983), if you can find a copy.

I have never found a copy of this book either. "The Sporting Chance" is a short story found in "The Saint Around The World", so it is probably either a renaming of that collection or a mistake. I called the publisher, and they said that when the got enough orders they would pull the book from the Library of Congress and reprint it. Good luck! There is no such title at the Library of Congress.

I have been seaching for this book since 1980. Even calls to he publisher have failed to confirm this book has ever existed at all. I double dare anyone to offer conclusive proof that his book, by this publisher, and with this ISBN #, actually exists!
I'm sure this book,if it exists, is wonderful because Leslie Charteris' books are always excellent -- but who has ever seen it, let alone read it?

This book contains three stories; "The Simon Templar Foundation", "The Higher Finance" and "The Art of Alibi". They are typical Saint stories; the Saint fights a life-and-death fight with ungodly evildoers on one hand, and tweaks the nose of poor Inspector Teal on the other hand.

I liked "The Saint and Mr. Teal" that was written shortly before this book, but I like this book much better. All three stories are so unusual and unpredictable. Fewer dull parts, more twists and turns, and the stakes are much higher. The evildoers are so-called respectable men and they are more vicious than ordinary criminals.

If you want to know what happened to Rayt Marius, the Saint's arch-enemy in "The Last Hero" and "Knight Templar", you should read "The Simon Templar Foundation". It's about the strange and deadly legacy of Rayt Marius. "The Higher Finance" is a rather astonishing story; funny opening, uncanny development, and the climax is so sudden and shocking! "The Art of Alibi"; someone takes the Saint's trade-mark in vain. That's not so surprising, but the imposter's plan and how the Saint frustrates it are totally unpredictable.

The book contains three stories , all dealing with the Saint's adventures in the West.The best is the first one where the Saint stops a gang of Nazis from mining Uranium in a ranch.The other two stories will also appeal to any reader.

While sleeping comfortably one night aboard a friend's yacht, Simon Templar is rudely awakened by shouts in the night followed by gunshots. Soon after -- and much to the Saint's surprise -- a pretty bikini-clad lady climbs aboard. Loretta Page works for an investigation company that is busy investigating one Kurt Vogel. Vogel is after a prize entombed in a sunken ship and will stop at nothing to get it. The thought of sunken treasure interests the Saint enough to help Miss Page, stop Vogel, and pocket as much of the treasure as he can pilfer.