Enter the Saint

The Saint, Book 2

By: Leslie Charteris

Narrated by: John Telfer

The Saint is back - 50y audiobooks are now available starring the deboair classic crime hero.

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 early adventures, the Saint's reputation starts to rise, as he tackles thieves, smugglers, and killers. < /p>

In "The Man Who Was Clever" he outwits Edgar Hayn, a drug smuggler who thinks he's smarter than everyone. In "The Policeman with Wings" he stays one step ahead of Inspector Teal in the hunt for diamonds on Dartmoor, and in "The Lawless Lady " one of the Saint's gang helps him deal with sea-faring swindlers, only to fall in love.

Leslie Charteris was born in Singapore and moved to England in 1919. He left Cambridge University early when his first novel was accepted for publication. He wrote novels about the Saint throughout his life, becoming one of the 20th century's most prolific and popular authors.

©1930 Leslie Charteris (P)2014 Audible Studios

The Saint an original Super Hero

Would you consider the audio edition of Enter the Saint to be better than the print version?

I enjoy the theater of the mind offered by the narration

Who was your favorite character and why?

Of course the Saint is a favorite I also liked Conway as one of his backup men always around to help out.

What about John Telfer’s performance did you like?

I think John was bringing the story to life through his use of accents and emotion of each role, Bringing to each person in the story individualism and nuance.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Well it is not easy to have that much time so not in a single sitting. I listen while working when I am able to. I helps the tasks to flow for me.

Any additional comments?

I am looking forward to the next book

Classic Crime Capers

This is just a light fun set of crime caper stories staring Simon Templar, aka "The Saint."

I don't know why this was listed as Book 3. The stories contained here are the 2nd, 3rd and fourth stories written about The Saint.

For readers of current thrillers this may seem a little dated, but I found that to be part of the charm.

I enjoyed the stories and the character of The Saint that I might have to add the entire series to my wish list.

For The Saint, This is Where it all Began

The Saint gets off the ground with this early story.


John Telfer does a fine job narrating..

This is a terrific start to The Saint series.

I’m a Convert

Since finishing the last of the four Bulldog Drummond adventures available through Audible, I’ve pined for more of that post-Great-War mix of swashbuckling daring-do and high-spirited humor. At a total of 49 volumes, I’ve now struck a much richer vein of this special brand of escapism. Just what I was looking for, (as the Bishop said to the chorus girl).

Of course, swashbuckling was nothing new in 1930, when this series began. Dumas’ Musketeers and Baroness Orczy’s Pimpernel had broken the ground. But John Buchan and Sapper—especially Sapper—are Charteris’ true progenitors. And while raffish smiles and offhand jokes in the face of insurmountable odds are at the heart of this genre’s appeal, it must be admitted that Richard Hannay and Hugh Drummond are a tad more human, a shade less devastatingly suave than Simon Templar—or at least this iteration of him. Let’s hope The Saint assumes more anthropomorphic dimensions as the series progresses; the several intros and prefaces to this recording indicate that Charteris, looking back across the decades, was well aware of how his earliest work fell short. Admitting that his plots here are somewhat less than original, the third and final story is nevertheless a departure, focusing not on The Saint, but on the trials and temptations of Dicky Tremaine, one of his trusted comrades-in-arms.

And I’m not sure plots are even the point here. Flat writing impedes the best storyline (see Frederick Forsyth), while Charteris’ tone and attitude carry us along quite nicely. And both are conveyed impeccably by John Telfer. Unlike Templar, his brand of perfection doesn’t strain credulity and I’m glad to see that he’s at the mic for all 49 installments.

A Very British Rogue With A Sense Of Honor

What made the experience of listening to Enter the Saint the most enjoyable?

The writing. While the story points may be dated, the writing is whip-crack sharp. The author has a masterful take on the British language of the time and delivers it in perfect measure.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

This is actually a compilation of 2 or 3 novellas. I say 2 or 3, because the last one seems to end only part way through. Not sure if that was intentional or not. The first two were considerably longer and had quite appropriate endings.

Have you listened to any of John Telfer’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not had the pleasure, but he did a great job here.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Perhaps in 2 or 3 sittings - one per Novella.

Any additional comments?

You definitely get the sense in these stories, why The Saint became as popular a series as it had and why the interest in it continues to this day. The protagonist is someone you cannot help but root for.