Saint Bids Diamonds, The

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.

The Saint's holiday in Tenerife comes to a dramatic end when he rescues an elderly Dutch diamond cutter and his daughter from a vicious attack. It seems the old man is a reluctant member of a jewel-smuggling gang, and naturally Simon offers to help him out for just a small share of the boodle. But things get complicated when the Saint learns the old man had a lottery ticket worth two million dollars—which has now gone missing. As the plot gets more complex, Simon struggles to play a winning hand.

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.