The Saint's Lady
Encyclopedia
The Saint's Lady is the title of an unpublished novel by Joy Martin featuring the character of criminal-turned-detective Simon Templar
(alias "The Saint") who had been created by Leslie Charteris
in 1928.
According to the book The Saint: A Complete History in Print, Radio, Film and Television 1928-1992 by Burl Barer
, Martin sent her manuscript to Leslie Charteris as a present in 1979. On its own, this would qualify the novel as no more than fan fiction
. However Charteris, who at the time was editing a series of continuation books featuring The Saint (he had stopped writing the character full time in 1963) was impressed enough by the manuscript to offer it to the British publishers of the Saint series, Hodder & Stoughton
, for publication as the next book in the series.
Barer writes that Hodder & Stoughton rejected the manuscript, apparently on the grounds that Martin had made Templar sound too Scottish.
The manuscript is presently in the archives at Boston University
.
Although Barer does not describe the plot of The Saint's Lady, he does quote from the book, and it is notable that the novel would have seen the return of Templar's longtime girlfriend/partner Patricia Holm
after an absence from the Saint series of more than 30 years. (It is not known, however, if the title is a direct reference to Holm.) Martin would have also become the first woman to publish an English-language Saint novel, although it is not known whether she would have received author credit on the cover as at this time the practice was for the books to be credited to Charteris (with the collaborative authors credited inside).
This is not the only Saint novel to remain unpublished.
Barer also provides an outline of Bet on the Saint
, a 1968 collaboration between Charteris and Fleming Lee based on a Saint comic strip
storyline, which was rejected by Doubleday (Charteris' American publishers).
Also, according to "The Saintly Bible", Ian Dickerson was at one time developing a novel out of an unrealized film project entitled Son of the Saint. As of 2007 this book as yet to see print.http://www.saint.org/faq.htm#q21
Simon Templar
Simon Templar is a British fictional character known as The Saint featured in a long-running series of books by Leslie Charteris published between 1928 and 1963. After that date, other authors collaborated with Charteris on books until 1983; two additional works produced without Charteris’s...
(alias "The Saint") who had been created by Leslie Charteris
Leslie Charteris
Leslie Charteris , born Leslie Charles Bowyer-Yin, was a half-Chinese, half English author of primarily mystery fiction, as well as a screenwriter. He was best known for his many books chronicling the adventures of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint."-Early life:Charteris was born to a Chinese father...
in 1928.
According to the book The Saint: A Complete History in Print, Radio, Film and Television 1928-1992 by Burl Barer
Burl Barer
Burl Barer is an American author and literary historian. He is best known for his fiction and non-fiction writings about the character Simon Templar, also known as "The Saint".-The Saint:...
, Martin sent her manuscript to Leslie Charteris as a present in 1979. On its own, this would qualify the novel as no more than fan fiction
Fan fiction
Fan fiction is a broadly-defined term for fan labor regarding stories about characters or settings written by fans of the original work, rather than by the original creator...
. However Charteris, who at the time was editing a series of continuation books featuring The Saint (he had stopped writing the character full time in 1963) was impressed enough by the manuscript to offer it to the British publishers of the Saint series, Hodder & Stoughton
Hodder & Stoughton
Hodder & Stoughton is a British publishing house, now an imprint of Hachette.-History:The firm has its origins in the 1840s, with Matthew Hodder's employment, aged fourteen, with Messrs Jackson and Walford, the official publisher for the Congregational Union...
, for publication as the next book in the series.
Barer writes that Hodder & Stoughton rejected the manuscript, apparently on the grounds that Martin had made Templar sound too Scottish.
The manuscript is presently in the archives at Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
.
Although Barer does not describe the plot of The Saint's Lady, he does quote from the book, and it is notable that the novel would have seen the return of Templar's longtime girlfriend/partner Patricia Holm
Patricia Holm
Patricia Holm is the name of a fictional character who appeared in the novels of Leslie Charteris from the 1920s to the 1940s. She was the on-again, off-again girlfriend and partner of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint" and shared a number of his adventures....
after an absence from the Saint series of more than 30 years. (It is not known, however, if the title is a direct reference to Holm.) Martin would have also become the first woman to publish an English-language Saint novel, although it is not known whether she would have received author credit on the cover as at this time the practice was for the books to be credited to Charteris (with the collaborative authors credited inside).
This is not the only Saint novel to remain unpublished.
Barer also provides an outline of Bet on the Saint
Bet on the Saint
Bet on the Saint is the title of an unpublished novel by Fleming Lee , featuring the character of criminal-turned-detective Simon Templar who had been created by Charteris in 1928....
, a 1968 collaboration between Charteris and Fleming Lee based on a Saint comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
storyline, which was rejected by Doubleday (Charteris' American publishers).
Also, according to "The Saintly Bible", Ian Dickerson was at one time developing a novel out of an unrealized film project entitled Son of the Saint. As of 2007 this book as yet to see print.http://www.saint.org/faq.htm#q21