About the author: Leslie Charteris (1907 – 1993), was a British-Chinese author of adventure fiction, as well as a screenwriter. He was best known for his many books chronicling the adventures of his charming hero Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". Charteris spent 55 years – 1928 to 1983 – as either writer of or custodian of Simon Templar's literary adventures, one of the longest uninterrupted spans of a single author in the history of mystery fiction, equalling that of Agatha Christie (from Wikipedia).
This book consists of three novellas. The three should be read in sequence, as each refers to events in the previous.
The Inland Revenue
Simon Templar, The Saint, has a big income tax bill to pay (for income from his mystery book!). He is at a local club when blackmailer "The Scorpion" shakes down club owner Montgomery Bird. Simon intervenes and walks off with a blackmail payment as well the contents of the club's safe. This, of course, puts The Scorpion after Simon. Simon cooks up a deal with Chief Insepctor Claud Eustace Teal: If Simon delivers The Scorpion to Teal, Teal won't inquire where Simon came up with the money to pay the income tax. Simon makes use of an informer, Harold Garrot (Long Harry), to catch up with The Scorpion on a dark, deserted road. Simon's girlfriend, Patricia Holm, performs some gunplay to get the better of The Scorpion.
Mini-review: Two big surprises here. First, I never knew Simon wrote a murder mystery! Second, I never knew Patricia Holm to use a gun. Simon pens some outlandish poetry, which is a hoot in itself.
The Million Pound Day
Simon is returning from a trip in the early morning hours when he encounters a man running for his life, chased by a large Black man, Ngano. The man passes out, and Simon brings him to a hotel and arranges a doctor. Lacking his name, the Saint just refers to him as Beppo. When he awakes, he tells Simon he is the Duke of Fortezza, and president of the Bank of Italy. He had come to England to pick up the shipment of new Italian Lire notes. He had been adbucted by a criminal named Kuzela and forced to order an additional one million pounds worth from the printer, which would not make it back to Italy, but remain with Kuzela - genuine Lire notes, but "off the books". Simon finds Kuzela but winds up his captive, and fights hand-to-hand with Ngano.
Mini-review: A clever plot for the criminals to get an illicit haul of genuine notes, but marred by the unfortunate stereotyping of Ngano as a savage; emphasizing his race, size, and strength. He is even clothed in a loincloth for no apparent reason. Note the use of the n-word.
The Melancholy Journey of Mr. Teal
Frankie Hormer is a diamond smuggler working for Isadore Elberman, yet Frankie only lasts a page or two before being double-crossed and stabbed by Elberman's tough guy, Gunner Perrigo. Now Perrigo has the diamonds, and The Saint wants them in order to reach his financial goal prior to retirement. It appears Perrigo has them on his person, so the Saint takes him along until he can figure out where they are. The amusing climax occurs on the boat train as Perrigo attempts to flee to the continent, with Perrigo stashed in a prim lady's trunk.
Mini-review: This is the best of the three, although there are lingering racist remnants from the previous novella, as well as additional use of the n-word. The episode on the boat is quite funny and this alone makes it worth the read.
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