Le Saint Series by Leslie Charteris, John Telfer

The female of the species is supposed to be deadlier than the male.... Simon Templar is about to find out if that's true.In this collection of stories, the Saint encounters nine fascinating women. Whether they need help, to be avenged, or to be brought to justice, the Saint handles their cases with panache and in his usual gentlemanly style.Leslie Charteris was born in Singapore and moved to England in 1919. He left Cambridge University early when his first novel was accepted for publication... moreThe female of the species is supposed to be deadlier than the male.... Simon Templar is about to find out if that's true.In this collection of stories, the Saint encounters nine fascinating women. Whether they need help, to be avenged, or to be brought to justice, the Saint handles their cases with panache and in his usual gentlemanly style.Leslie Charteris was born in Singapore and moved to England in 1919. He left Cambridge University early when his first novel was accepted for publication. He wrote novels about the Saint throughout his life, becoming one of the 20th century's most prolific and popular authors. less

The first Saint book is also the best. In a remote coastal village in England, Templar tracks a ruthless smuggler, and meets his romantic partner through the rest of the series. It's one of those cases in which the villain must be one of a limited and unlikely group of suspects, and the solution is nicely handled.

Templar makes the acquaintance of his archvillain, destroys a dangerous death ray, and thereby saves the world from catastrophe and a second Great War. Written in 1930.