Stories
The book consisted of the following stories, which are standalone adventures although the third story makes reference to the first two:
- Arizona - Templar travels to the American West in pursuit of a Nazi scientist who plans to take over a ranch in order to mine the mercury located beneath, with the mineral destined for German munitions.
- Palm Springs - An alcoholic millionarie begins receiving death threats after he helps police track down (and kill) a gangster. He hires Templar to "guard his body" which soon threatens to become a literal instruction. Meanwhile, Templar finds himself distracted by the millionaire's trio of live-in girlfriends. This story describes a character reading a mystery novel published by The Crime Club, American publishers of the Saint books and ends with a metafictional reference to the Saint book series itself, as well as the Hays Production Code, a possible reference to the fact this story is a novelization of a film story treatment (see below).
- Hollywood - As word spreads of his recent adventures in Arizona and Palm Springs, Templar receives an offer to star in a motion picture about his life, spearheaded by a mobster-turned-movie producer. But when the producer is murdered, Templar finds himself playing another role - that of detective.
Some editions, such as the 1948 printing by Avon Books, omit the World War II-era story "Arizona", although references to it remain in "Hollywood".
Read more about this topic: The Saint Goes West
Famous quotes containing the word stories:
“Though Margery is stricken dumb
If thrown in Madge’s way,
We three make up a solitude;
For none alive to-day
Can know the stories that we know
Or say the things we say....”
—William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)
“Young man, there is America, which at this day serves for little more than to amuse you with stories of savage men and uncouth manners.”
—Edmund Burke (1729–1797)