The Brighter Buccaneer
Encyclopedia
The Brighter Buccaneer is a collection of short stories
by Leslie Charteris
, first published in the United Kingdom
by Hodder and Stoughton in 1933. This was the eleventh book to feature the adventures of Simon Templar
, alias "The Saint". It was the first volume to make use of the short story format; previously Charteris had written either short novels (aka novella
s) or full-length novels featuring the character. This format would dominate the series during the late 1940s and through the 1950s.
Charteris originally wrote these stories for Empire News
, a British publication that contracted the author to provide a weekly series of stories featuring The Saint. These stories were published in Empire (many were retitled for the book) between August and November 1932, and therefore predate several of the stories in the preceding book, Once More the Saint
, though little attempt is made at maintaining continuity with the major novellas and novels.
Charteris would publish a second collection of Empire News shorts as Boodle
(also published as The Saint Intervenes).
The story "The Unblemished Bootlegger" introduces a new member of Templar's "family" - Peter Quentin.
.
"The Appalling Politician" was retitled "The Imprudent Politician" and was first broadcast during the show's third season on December 10, 1964. "The Export Trade" was retitled "A Double in Diamonds" and was first broadcast during the show's fifth season on May 5, 1967.
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
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...
, first published in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
by Hodder and Stoughton in 1933. This was the eleventh book to feature the adventures of Simon Templar
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". It was the first volume to make use of the short story format; previously Charteris had written either short novels (aka novella
Novella
A novella is a written, fictional, prose narrative usually longer than a novelette but shorter than a novel. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards for science fiction define the novella as having a word count between 17,500 and 40,000...
s) or full-length novels featuring the character. This format would dominate the series during the late 1940s and through the 1950s.
Charteris originally wrote these stories for Empire News
Empire News
The Empire News was a Sunday newspaper in the United Kingdom.The newspaper was founded in 1884 in Manchester as The Umpire. A penny newspaper, it was the first successful provincial Sunday newspaper in England. Owned by H. S. Jennings, the Umpire was subtitled "A Sporting, Athletic, Theatrical...
, a British publication that contracted the author to provide a weekly series of stories featuring The Saint. These stories were published in Empire (many were retitled for the book) between August and November 1932, and therefore predate several of the stories in the preceding book, Once More the Saint
Once More the Saint
Once More the Saint is a collection of three interrelated mystery novellas by Leslie Charteris, first published in the United Kingdom by Hodder and Stoughton in 1933. This was the tenth book to feature the adventures of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". The first American edition, published the...
, though little attempt is made at maintaining continuity with the major novellas and novels.
Charteris would publish a second collection of Empire News shorts as Boodle
Boodle (The Saint)
Boodle is a collection of short stories by Leslie Charteris, first published in the United Kingdom by Hodder and Stoughton in 1934. This was the thirteenth book to feature the adventures of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint", and the second short story collection featuring the character...
(also published as The Saint Intervenes).
The story "The Unblemished Bootlegger" introduces a new member of Templar's "family" - Peter Quentin.
Stories
The book consisted of 15 stories, the most of any Saint collection. Some editions list the separate stories as chapters. The stories are each approximately 10 pages in length. (Some editions appear to present these stories in different order). Although most of the stories are stand-alones, a few are connected to each other through plot or characters.- The Brain Workers: Templar engages in a minor bit of stock swindling.
- The Export Trade: Templar is hired to transport a valuable necklace to Paris, but the Saint has other ideas. This story takes place prior to the events of the story "The Man from St. Louis" (from the preceding book, Once More the SaintOnce More the SaintOnce More the Saint is a collection of three interrelated mystery novellas by Leslie Charteris, first published in the United Kingdom by Hodder and Stoughton in 1933. This was the tenth book to feature the adventures of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". The first American edition, published the...
). This is also the first Saint story since She Was a LadyShe Was a LadyShe Was a Lady is the title of a mystery novel by Leslie Charteris featuring his creation, Simon Templar, alias The Saint. The novel was first published in magazine serial form in 1930, and was first published in complete form in the United Kingdom by Hodder and Stoughton in 1931...
in which recurring character Patricia HolmPatricia HolmPatricia 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....
does not appear. - The Unblemished Bootlegger: Melford Croon is a con artist who specializes in swindling people in the name of non-existent benevolent causes. Templar decides it's time for Croon to make a donation to his own benevolent cause.
- The Owner's Handicap: Simon and Patricia go to the horse races in order to turn the tables on a notorious loan shark.
- The Tough Egg: Max Kemmler runs the busiest illegal gambling den in London, and after making his mint has decided to get out of town. But The Saint has a surprise going-away present.
- The Bad Baron: Templar discovers that he has competition—a jewel thief known as "The Fox" -- and it becomes a matter of pride for him to steal a priceless bracelet from an uncouth baron before the Fox does.
- The Brass Buddha: Simon encounters an unpleasant landlord who has a brass BuddhaBuddharupaBuddharūpa is the Sanskrit and Pali term used in Buddhism for statues or models of the Buddha.-Commonalities:...
that he has to sell for ₤2,000 as a condition of receiving an inheritance. The Saint decides to take him up on that offer and finds himself at the centre of a near-perfect con game. - The Perfect Crime: The Saint targets a crooked moneylender, but in order for his scheme to work, he has to go to jail first.
- The Appalling Politician: Inspector Claud Eustace TealClaud Eustace TealClaud Eustace Teal is a fictional character who made many appearances in a series of novels, novellas and short stories by Leslie Charteris entitled The Saint, starting in 1929...
recruits the Saint to help him solve a mystery involving stolen trade treaty documents. (Teal is referred to as Chief Inspector Teal in this story, suggesting a possible promotion since his previous appearance in "The Perfect Crime".) - The Unpopular Landlord: While looking for a new flat, Templar learns that a crooked landlord is making life miserable for little old ladies across London, and sets in motion a plan to ruin the man. This story features the first appearance of Roger Conway since Knight TemplarKnight Templar (The Saint)Knight Templar is the title of a mystery novel by Leslie Charteris first published in 1930. This was the fourth book -- and third full novel -- featuring Charteris' Robin Hood-inspired anti-hero, Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". The title of the book is a pun on the religious organization Knights...
and Monty Hayward since GetawayGetaway (The Saint)Getaway is the title of a mystery novel by Leslie Charteris first published in the United Kingdom in 1932 by Hodder and Stoughton. This was the fifth full-length novel featuring the adventures of the modern day Robin Hood-inspired crimebuster Simon Templar, and the ninth Saint book published...
. - The New Swindle: In this sequel to "The Brain Workers", Templar foils a jewellery insurance scam run by a man he conned in that earlier story.
- The Five Thousand Pound Kiss: The Saint sets his sights on stealing The Star of Mandalay, a huge diamond, during a private party, but he doesn't bank on encountering the female jewel thief from "The Export Trade".
- The Green Goods Man: Templar goes undercover as an accountant in order to draw out a swindler from America who specializes in making his victims believe they are purchasing small fortunes in counterfeit currency.
- The Blind Spot: After saving a down-on-his-luck inventor from killing himself, Templar takes on a crooked patent agent.
- The Unusual Ending: This followup to both "The Five Thousand Pound Kiss" and "The Brain Workers" sees Templar attempting to stop an investment swindler from leaving the country with his victim's money, only to find things complicated by the unexpected arrival of Chief Inspector Teal. Meanwhile, Templar tries to convince Peter Quentin that it's time for him to retire. This story is said to take place a year after the novel Getaway.
Television adaptation
Two of the stories in this collection were adapted as episodes of The SaintThe Saint (TV series)
The Saint was an ITC mystery spy thriller television series that aired in the UK on ITV between 1962 and 1969. It centred on the Leslie Charteris literary character, Simon Templar, a Robin Hood-like adventurer with a penchant for disguise. The character may be nicknamed The Saint because the...
.
"The Appalling Politician" was retitled "The Imprudent Politician" and was first broadcast during the show's third season on December 10, 1964. "The Export Trade" was retitled "A Double in Diamonds" and was first broadcast during the show's fifth season on May 5, 1967.