The Misfortunes of Mr. Teal/(Variant Titles = the Saint in London/the Saint in England)

Rating:
Summary: Unusual and Unpredictable Stories
Review: This book contains three stories; "The Simon Templar Foundation", "The Higher Finance" and "The Art of Alibi". They are typical Saint stories; the Saint fights a life-and-death fight with ungodly evildoers on one hand, and tweaks the nose of poor Inspector Teal on the other hand.

I liked "The Saint and Mr. Teal" that was written shortly before this book, but I like this book much better. All three stories are so unusual and unpredictable. Fewer dull parts, more twists and turns, and the stakes are much higher. The evildoers are so-called respectable men and they are more vicious than ordinary criminals.

If you want to know what happened to Rayt Marius, the Saint's arch-enemy in "The Last Hero" and "Knight Templar", you should read "The Simon Templar Foundation". It's about the strange and deadly legacy of Rayt Marius. "The Higher Finance" is a rather astonishing story; funny opening, uncanny development, and the climax is so sudden and shocking! "The Art of Alibi"; someone takes the Saint's trade-mark in vain. That's not so surprising, but the imposter's plan and how the Saint frustrates it are totally unpredictable.