A collection of suspense stories, puzzle stories, whodunits and tricky whydunits involving police detectives, private eyes, talented and sometimes lucky amateurs, armchair detectives, and ethnic detectives

THE NATIONAL DEBT In which the Saint disguises himself as a dusty professor in order to save a lovely damsel from the clutches of a sinister conspiracy. THE MAN WHO COULD NOT DIE In which the Saint's well known sensitivity to the adventurous possibilities of any situation lead him to pursue the current fortunes of the extraordinary Miles Hallin, a seemingly unimpeachable man about whom it has been said that if Miles Hallin could have walked a tight rope he would have walked a tight rope stretched across the crater of Vesuvius as a kind of appetizer before breakfast

In these two novellas, crooked charity collectors and bent boxing promoters attract the Saint's attention... and will wish they hadn't

On an errand of mercy to help an elderly neighbour, the Sainted Simon Templar meets a very distraught — and very beautiful young woman. Seems she is missing a brother, and someone is missing a Rembrandt. Together they track the fiend behind it all: The Masterpiece Merchant. On the other side of the Atlantic our “afficionado of the unexpected, the master of the unpredictable,” Simon Templar, makes the acquaintance of a lovely young heiress at a Mainline charity ball. But a little sleuthing reveals that one member of the Social Register is also listed on the Who’s Who of Organised Crime

In which the Saint dallies with millionaires and murder, is the life ans soul of a "Tea Party", and discovers the intricacies of a double double-cross

When the Saint and Patricia spot a country house on fire they rush to help, but are too late to rescue one man trapped inside. The dead man's door was locked, and Simon concludes there's a murder to be answered for, despite the coroner ruling otherwise. He launches his own investigation — getting engaged along the way — and soon gets caught up with generals, financiers, and an assassination plot designed to start a war

In these nine mysteries the criminal backdrops vary, but each requires the touch of Simon Templar, The Saint. Templar's reputation tends to precede him. A double-cross episode triggers his latest round of specialist crime-prevention, and in the ensuing tour of Americas' iniquity, he encounters racketeering, roulette and banditry

Two stories set in 1950, when Simon Templar was still proving that a wartime interlude of at least semi-respectable endeavour had not permanently impaired his piratical propensities. “The Midas Double”, in which the Saint’s assistance is called upon by a Greek shipping magnate who is being brilliant impersonator, is a convolution of false identities and double-dealing. And hard-hitting action is promised when he is enlisted to infiltrate a gang of ruthless mercenary commandos in “The Pawn Gambit”. In this duet of hitherto unrecorded adventures the Saint shows himself at his reckless and impudent best

Simon Templar has been called everything from the law’s best friend to the law’s worst enemy. But the Saint is a man’s man, a woman’s dream, and a swashbuckling hero who does everything up big. His greatness, however, is that he can always be interested in small matters if they seem big enough to him. These four Latin-American adventures are “big enough” even for the Saint. They contain the ingredients which author Leslie Charteris can mix so well: beautiful blondes, a well-to-do matron from Indiana, two professional revolutions, a father and “daughter (?)”; both the "dark, back- alley" and the Baedecker approach to sight-seeing; and sprightly, gripping plots that bounce and twist

A female FBI agent, a lady executive and an amateur actress prove that all the women the Saint meets are not angels

Otto Penzler rounds up the most cunning, ruthless, criminals in mystery fiction. The best mysteries — whether detective, historical, police procedural, cozy, or comedy-have one thing in common: a memorable culprit. For all the heroes in earnest pursuit, there are malefactors on the loose, determined to outfox their efforts and sow trouble in their wake. These are the rogues and villains who haunt our imaginations, but they often have more in common with their heroic counterparts than we might expect (and, as we shall see, some even moonlight as detectives or do-gooders themselves). The seventy-two handpicked stories in this collection introduce us to the miscreants who have schemed and slashed their way through the mystery canon over the past hundred and fifty years, captivating and confounding readers in the process. MEET DELINQUENT PSYCHES OF ALL STRIPES, INCLUDING gentleman thieves, calculating crooks, fearsome body snatchers, masters of disguise, morally-challenged lawyers, deceitful doctors, heinous hit men. charismatic con men, amoral adventurers, supernatural suspects, deviant detectives, vile villainesses, and cold-blooded killers IN UNFORGETTABLE TALES BY Robert Louis Stevenson, Bram Stoker, Washington Irving, Jack London, L. T. Meade, 0. Henry, Sinclair Lewis, Edgar Wallace, Leslie Charteris, Erle Stanley Gardner, Edward 0. Hoch, David Morrell, Loren D. Estleman, and countless others

Curious events almost seem to cry out for the Saint's intervention, and in these stories he is faced with enough peculiar crimes to keep him well occupied. The various adventures he gets himself into lead him to kiss a policewoman, buy a racehorse, invest in bootlegging, dabble in antiques, rent a flat, recover a treaty, get arrested, demonstrate an invention — and always come out on top

In this collection of nine short stories the Saint encounters a clever detective who isn't, a well-meaning mayor, a man who likes ants and a producer who turns out, much to the Saint's surprise, to be actually quite smart. American version

Two intriguing tales of criminal strategy that feature The Saint at his best. In The Pastor’s Problem, Father Bernardo, pastor of St. Jude’s church, has a dilemma: the church owns a three-hundred-year-old jewel-encrusted silver chalice, bequeathed under the condition that it never be sold. But St. Jude’s is a desperately poor parish, and the money from the sale of the chalice would greatly relieve the plight of the parishioners. When The Saint comes up with an ingenious plan to steal the chalice and send Father Bernardo a “donation” for its assessed value, the pastor’s problem appears solved — until someone steals the chalice from The Saint! In The Unsaintly Santa, our hero finds himself in Cambridge shortly before Christmas, when a string of murders involving St. Enoch’s College are committed by a homicidal maniac dressed in a Santa Claus suit. With Christmas Day fast approaching The Saint must prevent this Unsaintly Santa from delivering anymore deadly presents

The Art Collectors The task befalls the Saint to rescue a beautiful girl from the clutches of some unsavory “art lovers.” Fairly routine for Simon Templar; not-so-routine is the lady’s possession of five paintings worth over a million which is making her a target for considerable international foul play. And where did she get those paintings? The Persistent Patriots The Saint’s nose for adventure takes him to Nagawiland, where, true to form, he happens to be in the right place at the right time to save the local P.M. from assassination. And then the fun begins

Readers are sure to enjoy rediscovering how ably Simon Templar, a.k.a. the Saint, manages to add a little more tarnish to his notorious halo. In this caper, the murderous, seamy life of Paris's Left Bank follows the Saint back to London and silently stalks its prey

Amos Klein was the name of the ingenious thriller-writer and S.W.O.R.D. (Secret World Organization for Retribution and Destruction) was the ruthless institution Amos Klein had created in fiction. Who was this brilliantly imaginative writer? One man was determind to find out, and when he did, a simple kidnapping would set his destructive plan in motion. His gang had already created a real-life S.W.O.R.D. — all they needed now was its creator. Neat? Very. Successful? Almost. Because they made two small but fatal mistakes. The beautiful, brainy Amity Little wasn’t Amos Klein’s secretary, and the man who accompanied her wasn’t Amos Klein — it was Simon Templar

On the eve of World War II the redoubtable Simon Templar (better known as THE SAINT) finds himself in the imperial city of Vienna, his attentions divided between a very sensuous countess and some legendary diamonds — both of which he is trying to keep out of Nazi hands. Since the days of the Holy Roman Empire, the legendary Hapsburg Necklace has been guarded by members of the Austrian nobility. But never before has it had so beautiful a protector as one Francesca, the Countess Malffy (also known as Frankie). And never before has it been so in danger of being stolen. For its hiding place, the Malffy ancestral manor, has recently been occupied by a new tenant — the Gestapo. And as THE SAINT and Frankie plan a mission to retrieve the necklace, it becomes increasingly apparent that the Germans are not their only adversaries. Also vying for the crown jewels is a most unpredictable eccentric who is every bit a match for Simon Templar

They didn’t figure in the trade figures but somebody was importing goods into Britain —human goods When a waiter at an Indian restaurant is crucified in a Soho garage and when a patron of that restaurant is the famous Simon Templar, it spells trouble for the most nefarious export-import business ever. In particular it spelled trouble for: Shortwave —a man so tuned-in, he couldn’t turn off. Kalki —who takes an underwater plunge which lasts a whole lot longer than the regulation three minutes. Fowler —the Boss who plays very dirty indeed — and fouls once too often

Bermuda, England, France, the Middle East, Malaya and Vancouver are stopping places for adventures to catch up with the Saint. They include a missing bridegroom, a lady and a gentleman Bluebeard, murder in a nudist colony, dowsing for oil for a Sheik, and putting a dent into dope smuggling. The trademarks of impudence and extravagant odds make this a lightfingered collection

The Saint and Hoppy Uniatz didn't go looking for trouble. But they didn't expect the barroom brawl, the gorgeous girl, or the murderous Reuben Graner and his gang. And they certainly didn't expect the two million dollar lottery ticket which read: "Pay to bearer"

In these three classic stories, the Saint investigates crimes that have left the police confounded. In The High Fence, he hunts down a villain who somehow manages to kill people just before they can reveal his identity; The Elusive Ellshaw sees him on the track of a man meant to have died a year before; and a letter calling for help sends him to a sleepy seaside pub disturbed by mysterious underground rumblings in The Case of the Frightened Innkeeper. One thing is sure: despite death threats, gunfire and kidnapping, the Saint will go on until his curiosity is satisfied

In these three stories set in the American west, the Saint finds ways to get into his usual trouble. He travels to Arizona in pursuit of a Nazi scientist who wants to take over a ranch to mine the mercury underneath, goes to Palm Springs and gets hired as the bodyguard to an alcoholic millionaire, and almost becomes a movie star in Hollywood

Simon Templar, the inimitable Saint, takes on three high adventures: The Spanish War puts him on the trail of a murder and forty thousand pounds, sterling; The Unlicensed Victuallers gives Simon a chance to play at his favorite American game — hijacking; and when a luscious movie star is threatened with blackmail in The Beauty Specialist it's the Saint to the rescue!

Three more stories of Saintly adventure show Simon Templar interpreting the law to his own advantage. In The Simon Templar Foundation, a poisonous legacy from his enemy Rayt Marius gives him the opportunity to make a great deal of money — if he can survive equally great danger. The Higher Finance puts him up against the police, a reclusive millionaire, and the wild beast that roams his mansion at night. And in The Art of Alibi, he faces the most impudent opponent of all: someone who is stealing his symbol, and committing crimes in his name

Simon Templar, alias the Saint, as he tours the gayest and deadliest spots in Europe and finds suspense and chilling action when he meets the man from Paris who lost his head, from the neck up; the Spanish Cow who wore a fortune in diamonds, a modern-day Rhine Maiden — and all the others who figure in this Grand Tour to Danger!

A mysterious summons and a hidden Nazi submarine scatter death from Miami's luxurious beach villas to the treacherous Everglades

How Simon Templar cleans up corruption in Manhattan and brings the mob along with its mysterious leader to justice all in the space of forty-eight hours. Another long weekend — for the Saint

The Saint is in Portugal on the trail of a young woman whose father was in the US Army and disappeared towards the end of the war. Her father worked as an investigator, tracing large sums of money. Soon the Saint and the Ungodly are on the trail of Nazi gold

Simon Templar, alias the Saint, has been called by some the law's best friend — by others, its worst enemy. As he himself puts it, "I'm a catalyst. Half the time I don't have to do anything except stand around. Somebody hears I'm the Saint, and I shoot a few arrows in the air, and the fireworks start." A man's man, a woman's dream, the Saint moves with equal ease through the highest and lowest strata of international society. In these seven fast-paced adventures the Saint heads for sunny climes, hitting the fabulous — and corrupt — pleasure resorts of two continents, among them Saint Tropez, Cannes, Nassau, and Florida

In this collection of short stories, the Saint intervenes to teach a motley bag of criminals the error of their ways. Crooked financiers, bookies, fake inventors, dodgy bankers, dealers in pornography, unethical businessmen, murderers, thieves and liars — all will come to regret the day their actions caught the Saint's attention

In which Simon Templar joins Scotland Yard's Special Branch to the surprise and consternation of Chief Inspector Teal, and confronts beautiful Jill Trelawney, leader of the London underworld. Consciousness raising for the Saint

When a shipment of iridium is stolen the Saint hatches a scheme to recover the goods — but then one of his prime leads is murdered and he's framed for the crime. He escapes to Galveston in Texas in pursuit of a man who has been sabotaging weapons factories, only for him to turn up burnt to a crisp. The Saint has to contend with the local police, a trio of mysterious men and a beautiful Russian in his attempt to get to the bottom of what is going on

The Saint is a traditionalist — he knows what a good pirate story needs. Gold, hidden treasure, smugglers, dastardly villains and damsels in distress. From Bimini to Nassau, via Jamaica and Haiti, the Saint travels the Caribbean — interrupting his holidays to settle disputes, solve murders, overthrow governments, and hunt for treasure. Wherever he lands, you can be sure that the Ungodly will get what's coming to them

The saint, whose real name is Simon Templar, is back, in some very special adventures that will captivate his TV fans and fascinate all lovers of good mystery fiction. Violence and murder among students, hippies and members of the “youth culture” involve. The Saint this time. An arch-black-mailer, a psychological experiment that involves students in a “murder game” that turns into the real thing these are some of the far-out ingredients in this boiling cauldron of homicidal happenings

Murder and Mystery Ride the High Seas With The Saint and: A BEAUTIFUL BLONDE IN A BATHING SUIT who climbs on board his boat one night — under a hail of bullets! A MILLIONAIRE PIRATE whose fortune had been made looting sunken treasure ships — operating under the noses of the salvage companies. PLUS A strange invention which leads the Saint to a death-struggle at the bottom of the English Channel — with a fortune in gold bullion awaiting the winner!

When the Saint goes fishing, he catches an unusual specimen in the shape of a young lady claiming to be Adolf Hitler’s daughter. And when the Ungodly also arrive on the scene, it seems clear the fish will just have to wait

A new opium ring was flooding the country with all the misery, vice, and murder that go with the illicit traffic in drugs. How could Dr. Zellermann, the Park Avenue psychiatrist, be linked with the distribution of the dope? What did New York's bawdiest rendezvous for seamen, Cookie's Canteen, have to do with it? And where did 903 Bubbling Well Road, Shanghai enter the picture? It was the business of Simon Templar (The Saint) to find the answers to these questions. It was his job to track down and bring to justice the "top brass" of the criminal organization that made these connections profitable. But, the Saint was sick — love-sick. He had been so ever since he first laid eyes on lovely Avalon Dexter. She was utterly desirable; her laughter was like "bells at twilight"; and honesty seemed to look out of her eyes! The Saint "had it bad." Most important, Avalon was in a position to help him immeasurably with his mission. However, she might be one of the international gang he had vowed to smash! Templar had to be sure. His life was at stake!

With the outbreak of the Second World War, the Saint has almost turned respectable. Employed by a secret wing of the government to track down spies and take on cases the ordinary police can't touch, he is dining in Washington DC when a young woman asks for his help. Her father, a noted scientist, has invented a new form of synthetic rubber — and now he has disappeared, and she is under threat. Simon is sceptical — but he swiftly realises there's something to her story. Soon he finds himself on the hunt of a band of conspirators who will stop at nothing to ensure the invention never sees the light of day

Here, in his six intrigues, the Saint becomes involved with everything from haunted ladies, tycoon, and a Candy King in California to justice in Georgia and a Florida dragon whose scales were mathematical — and adventures that are “big enough” even for the swashbuckling Saint

Simon Templar is the Saint — daring, dazzling, and just a little disreputable. On the side of the law, but standing outside it, he dispenses his own brand of justice one criminal at a time In these three stories, the Saint finds himself embroiled in further plots and facing new enemies. The Inland Revenue sees him up against the most unyielding opponent ever — the taxman. In The Million Pound Scandal, a good deed leads Simon to uncover a plot to undermine the Italian economy, and in The Melancholy Journey of Mr Teal the Saint's retirement plans are scuppered when a couple of murderous diamond smugglers object to his scheme of taking their loot for his pension

The Saint was on the continent to get a little peace and quiet. But it was more to his liking to sample that lovely European intrigue that was so much in the air. It all began with a little man who had a pouch of diamonds chained to his wrist. Then there was the Munich chateau where the Baron displayed his fasinating medieval torture devices

In these stories, Simon Templar proves by his timely intervention that those on the side of the angels can trust The Saint to defend them. The Helpful Pirate: The Saint searches for an antique glass and finds a most important old gentleman. Hamburg. The Bigger Game: The Saint acts as referee for a dangerous bet between a former matador and an arrogant white hunter. London. The Cleaner Cure: The Saint's memory of a police-proof murder method helps a deserving victim of violence. Paris. The Intemperate Reformer: Simon revenges himself in beautifully apropos style against a hypocritical teetotaller. London. The Uncured Ham: A miscreant actor is neatly caught when the Saint sets a trap for a ham, baited with a chance to play Hamlet. Sweden and Denmark. The Convenient Monster: The Loch Ness Monster may have been the agent whereby a murder plan backfires. Scotland. All these stories have appeared in magazines prior to publication in this book. Scene: Europe and the British Isles

So the Saint pledged himself to a vendetta which took him to Sicily, a land particularly suited to that ancient bloody custom. From then on, except for an interlude with a luscious Italian pasta named Gina, it was all-out, heel-stomping war, with the Robin Hood of Modern Crime pitted against the arch-evil, centuries-old traditions of the Mafia!