Doctor Syn Returns is the third in the series of Doctor Syn

Doctor Syn

The Reverend Doctor Christopher Syn is the smuggler hero of a series of novels by Russell Thorndike. The first book, Doctor Syn: A Tale of the Romney Marsh was published in 1915. The story idea came from smuggling in the 18th century Romney Marsh, where brandy and tobacco were brought in at night...

 novels by Russell Thorndike

Russell Thorndike

Arthur Russell Thorndike was a British actor and novelist, best known for the Doctor Syn of Romney Marsh novels...

. It tells the story of Syn, who has tired of piracy, tries to settle down as the vicar

Vicar

In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...

 of the little town of Dymchurch

Dymchurch

Dymchurch is a village and civil parish in the Shepway District of Kent, England. The village is located on the coast five miles south-west of Hythe, and on the Romney Marsh. It is typical of this part of the coast, having been a village which became larger during the 1930s...

 in Kent

Kent

Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

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Syn's attempt to live an obscure life fails when he is drawn into the local smuggling

Smuggling

Smuggling is the clandestine transportation of goods or persons, such as out of a building, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.There are various motivations to smuggle...

 trade. To protect his parishioners from the agents of the King's Revenue Syn becomes the masked Scarecrow of Romney Marsh and becomes leader of the smugglers. He is one of the first costumed heroes in literature and is clearly inspired by earlier characters such as the Scarlet Pimpernel

Scarlet pimpernel

Scarlet pimpernel is a low-growing annual plant found in Europe, Asia and North America...

 and Robin Hood

Robin Hood

Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....

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Doctor Syn Returns was published in 1935. It follows Doctor Syn on the High Seas

Doctor Syn on the High Seas

Doctor Syn on the High Seas is the second in the series of Doctor Syn novels by Russell Thorndike. It tells the story of how the young clergyman, Christopher Syn, loses his wife to a seducer...

and is followed by Further Adventures of Doctor Syn

Further Adventures of Doctor Syn

The Further Adventures of Doctor Syn is the fourth in the series of Doctor Syn novels by Russell Thorndike. It is a highly episodic series of adventures as Syn, in his guise as the Scarecrow outwits the king's agents and keeps his band of Dymchurch smugglers out of prison...

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