Simon Templar will come, but another fictional character must come first. James Bond has probably been an influence on my depiction of my family’s spy, Sir Anthony Standen. Kirkus say that The Spy who Sank the Armada has a ‘James Bond-esque atmosphere, whilst staying rooted in historical context.” That’s fair, I must be pretty close to having read all of the James Bond books. I certainly read all of Ian Fleming’s when I was a child.
Sir Roger Moore played James Bond the most times in the official Bond films. Moore found fame playing Simon Templar in The Saint on ITV, which ran from 1962 to 1969. Simon Templar was the creation of Leslie Charteris, who wrote over fifty Saint books. I read Vendetta for the Saint, as a child, but that’s the only one I’ve read so far.
Leslie Charteris led a remarkable life. Leslie Charles Bowyer-Yin was born on May 12, 1907, in Singapore to a Chinese father and an English mother. He changed his name by deed poll to Charteris in 1926. His unique heritage and diverse upbringing would greatly influence his writing and the creation of his beloved literary character.
It’s difficult to know what to say about Leslie Charteris. Some sources say he published his first book aged fifteen, whilst others say he left Kings College Cambridge after finding a publisher. One source says he served with the Royal Artillery in World War II, but his biography in the Independent doesn’t mention it. It does say that he worked as a gold miner, pearl diver, bridge player, bar tender, and fairground roustabout, before making his fortune through his Saint thrillers.
Charteris created a character who was not only a master of disguise and a cunning strategist but also someone with a strong moral compass. Simon Templar was not bound by the law, but he had his own code of honour and justice. He often targeted criminals who had evaded the law and used his intelligence and physical prowess to bring them to justice. This duality made the Saint a captivating and complex character.
Perhaps when I’ve finished reading Sharon Kettering’s Power and Reputation at the court of Louis XIII, I shall read another Simon Templar novel. Then I really must start writing the fifth novel in the Sir Anthony Standen Adventures.