The Holy Terror - The Saint by Leslie Charteris first edition 1932

CHARTERIS, Leslie. The Holy Terror.
 
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1932.
 
First edition. 8vo. 320pp. Publisher’s light blue cloth, lettered in black to upper board and spine, Saint monogram to lower board. No dust-jacket. A few faint marks to boards, slight rubbing at spine ends and corners, cloth bright and sound. Text block clean, paper lightly toned as usual. A previous owner has neatly written a small date on the front end paper,  a very good copy.
 
An early collection of Saint stories featuring Simon Templar, including “The Inland Revenue,” “The Million Pound Day,” and “The Melancholy Journey of Mr. Teal.”  Leslie Charteris (1907–1993) introduced Simon Templar in 1928; by the early 1930s the character had achieved significant popularity in Britain and internationally. Early Hodder titles in original cloth remain increasingly elusive in collectable condition. A solid example of an early Saint title.