The Saint in the Sun
Encyclopedia
The Saint in the Sun is a collection of short stories
by Leslie Charteris
, featuring the Robin Hood
-inspired crimefighter, Simon Templar
, whom Charteris introduced in 1928. The book was first published in 1963 by The Crime Club
in the United States
and by Hodder and Stoughton in the United Kingdom
in 1964. This was the 36th book of Simon Templar adventures, and was the first published after the start of the TV series The Saint
starring Roger Moore
as Templar.
This was the final Simon Templar book to be solely written by Charteris. Following this release, Charteris began to step back from writing the series and future volumes would be written by different authors but credited to Charteris (who continued on in an editorial capacity until the book series was retired in 1983).
This volume marks a one-time return to the travelogue
theme that had dominated the Saint books of the early-mid 1950s particularly The Saint in Europe
, The Saint on the Spanish Main
, and The Saint Around the World
as each story takes place in a different exotic locale. This was the last Saint book to feature short stories; hereafter the books would be either longer novella
s or full novels.
The book is dedicated to film director John Paddy Carstairs
who not only directed entries in the RKO Pictures
Saint film series, but also episodes of the Roger Moore series
.
.
All three stories appeared during the fifth season, with "The Russian Prisoner" airing on Oct 14, 1966, followed by "The Better Mousetrap" on November 25 and "The Fast Women" on January 13, 1967. "The Fast Women" was the last original Leslie Charteris story to be adapted for the series.
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by Leslie Charteris
Leslie Charteris
Leslie Charteris , born Leslie Charles Bowyer-Yin, was a half-Chinese, half English author of primarily mystery fiction, as well as a screenwriter. He was best known for his many books chronicling the adventures of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint."-Early life:Charteris was born to a Chinese father...
, featuring the Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
-inspired crimefighter, Simon Templar
Simon Templar
Simon Templar is a British fictional character known as The Saint featured in a long-running series of books by Leslie Charteris published between 1928 and 1963. After that date, other authors collaborated with Charteris on books until 1983; two additional works produced without Charteris’s...
, whom Charteris introduced in 1928. The book was first published in 1963 by The Crime Club
The Crime Club
The Crime Club was an imprint of the Doubleday publishing company, which later spawned a 1946-47 anthology radio series.Many classic and popular works of detective and mystery fiction had their first U.S. editions published via the Crime Club, including all 50 books of The Saint by Leslie Charteris...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and by Hodder and Stoughton in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1964. This was the 36th book of Simon Templar adventures, and was the first published after the start of the TV series The Saint
The Saint (TV series)
The Saint was an ITC mystery spy thriller television series that aired in the UK on ITV between 1962 and 1969. It centred on the Leslie Charteris literary character, Simon Templar, a Robin Hood-like adventurer with a penchant for disguise. The character may be nicknamed The Saint because the...
starring Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Sir Roger George Moore KBE , is an English actor, perhaps best known for portraying British secret agent James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985. He also portrayed Simon Templar in the long-running British television series The Saint.-Early life:Moore was born in Stockwell, London...
as Templar.
This was the final Simon Templar book to be solely written by Charteris. Following this release, Charteris began to step back from writing the series and future volumes would be written by different authors but credited to Charteris (who continued on in an editorial capacity until the book series was retired in 1983).
This volume marks a one-time return to the travelogue
Travel literature
Travel literature is travel writing of literary value. Travel literature typically records the experiences of an author touring a place for the pleasure of travel. An individual work is sometimes called a travelogue or itinerary. Travel literature may be cross-cultural or transnational in focus, or...
theme that had dominated the Saint books of the early-mid 1950s particularly The Saint in Europe
The Saint in Europe
The Saint in Europe is a collection of short stories by Leslie Charteris, first published in 1953 by The Crime Club in the United States and in 1954 by Hodder and Stoughton in the United Kingdom. This was the 29th book to feature the adventures of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint", and it also...
, The Saint on the Spanish Main
The Saint on the Spanish Main
The Saint on the Spanish Main is a collection of short stories by Leslie Charteris, first published in 1955 by The Crime Club in the United States and Hodder and Stoughton in the United Kingdom...
, and The Saint Around the World
The Saint Around the World
The Saint Around the World is a collection of short stories by Leslie Charteris, first published in 1956 by The Crime Club in the United States and by Hodder and Stoughton in the United Kingdom in 1957...
as each story takes place in a different exotic locale. This was the last Saint book to feature short stories; hereafter the books would be either longer novella
Novella
A novella is a written, fictional, prose narrative usually longer than a novelette but shorter than a novel. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards for science fiction define the novella as having a word count between 17,500 and 40,000...
s or full novels.
The book is dedicated to film director John Paddy Carstairs
John Paddy Carstairs
John Paddy Carstairs was a British film director and television director , usually of light-hearted subject matter. He was also a comic novelist and painter....
who not only directed entries in the RKO Pictures
RKO Pictures
RKO Pictures is an American film production and distribution company. As RKO Radio Pictures Inc., it was one of the Big Five studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheum theater chains and Joseph P...
Saint film series, but also episodes of the Roger Moore series
The Saint (TV series)
The Saint was an ITC mystery spy thriller television series that aired in the UK on ITV between 1962 and 1969. It centred on the Leslie Charteris literary character, Simon Templar, a Robin Hood-like adventurer with a penchant for disguise. The character may be nicknamed The Saint because the...
.
Stories
The book consisted of 7 stories:- Cannes: The Better Mousetrap
- St. Tropez: The Ugly Impresario
- England: The Prodigal Miser
- Nassau: The Fast Women
- Florida: The Jolly Undertaker
- Lucerne: The Russian Prisoner
- Provence: The Hopeless Heiress
Television adaptations
Three stories from this collection were later adapted as episodes of the 1962-69 TV series, The SaintThe Saint (TV series)
The Saint was an ITC mystery spy thriller television series that aired in the UK on ITV between 1962 and 1969. It centred on the Leslie Charteris literary character, Simon Templar, a Robin Hood-like adventurer with a penchant for disguise. The character may be nicknamed The Saint because the...
.
All three stories appeared during the fifth season, with "The Russian Prisoner" airing on Oct 14, 1966, followed by "The Better Mousetrap" on November 25 and "The Fast Women" on January 13, 1967. "The Fast Women" was the last original Leslie Charteris story to be adapted for the series.