They didn’t figure in the trade figures but somebody was importing goods into Britain—human goodsWhen 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.

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...

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.

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.

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.