''The Saint Steps In'' is the title of a mystery novel by Leslie Charteris featuring his creation, Simon Templar, alias The Saint. The book was first published in serialized form in November 1942 in ''

Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...

'', with its first bound publication in 1943 in an American edition by

The Crime Club ''The Crime Club'' was an imprint of the Doubleday publishing company, which later spawned a 1946-47 anthology radio series, and a 1937-1939 film series. Literature Many classic and popular works of detective and mystery fiction had their fi ...

. Hodder and Stoughton published the first British edition in 1943.

Plot summary

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, a young woman whose father has invented a new form of synthetic rubber requests Simon Templar's aid when she receives a threatening note. Before long, The Saint is drawn into a web of war-related intrigue involving what appear to be gangsters, but soon turns out to be groups with differing opinions as to what it takes to be patriotic. The book reveals that, instead of enlisting to fight in the war, Templar has instead been working behind the scenes, carrying out quiet missions against enemy agents and, unusually for the character, his efforts in this case are actually supported by law enforcement. This is the third Saint book in a row to be set in the United States (previously most of Templar's adventures took place in England), following '' The Saint in Miami'' and '' The Saint Goes West'', and direct reference is made to the Miami novel.

References to other works

As was the case with the previous book, '' The Saint Goes West'', ''The Saint Steps In'' includes in-jokes related to Simon Templar's "second career" as a B-movie hero (as a series of films featuring the character made by

RKO Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orph ...

was underway at the time of its publication). The start of Chapter 5 includes a character referring to The Falcon, another character appearing in B-movies at the time, as "a bargain-basement imitation" of Templar. The Falcon was in fact created as a competitor for the Saint and the film series even used some of the same actors who played Templar.

References

* Burl Barer, ''The Saint: A Complete History in Print, Radio, Film and Television 1928-1992''. Jefferson, N.C.: MacFarland, 2003 (originally published in 1992), pp. 71–73. 1943 British novels Simon Templar books Novels by Leslie Charteris Novels set during World War II Novels first published in serial form Works originally published in Liberty (general interest magazine) Novels set in Washington, D.C. The Crime Club books {{1940s-mystery-novel-stub