Thieves' Picnic

Thieves' Picnic

infobox Book |
name = Thieves' Picnic
also The Saint Bids Diamonds
also The Saint at the Thieves' Picnic
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption = 1967 Hodder and Stoughton paperback edition, with alternate title
author = Leslie Charteris
cover_artist =
country = United Kingdom
language = English
series = The Saint
genre = Mystery novel
publisher = Hodder and Stoughton
release_date = 1937
media_type = Print (Hardback & Paperback)
pages = 320 pp
isbn = NA
preceded_by = The Ace of Knaves
followed_by = Prelude for War

"Thieves' Picnic" is a mystery novel by Leslie Charteris featuring his Robin Hood-inspired crime fighter, Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". The book was first published in the United Kingdom in 1937 by Hodder and Stoughton, and in the United States by The Crime Club the same year. Later editions of the book were retitled "The Saint Bids Diamonds"; another alternate title is "The Saint at the Thieves' Picnic".

Plot summary

After Simon Templar intercepts a mysterious message intended for a jewel-smuggling ring during a trip to Spain, he and his sidekick Hoppy Uniatz follow the message's trail to Tenerife, Canary Islands where they rescue an elderly Dutch diamond cutter and his daughter from being beaten to death.

Templar learns that the old man is a reluctant member of the smuggling ring and, assisted by the daughter, sets out to bring down the gang. Things become more complicated when Templar learns that the man had been in possession of a lottery ticket worth the equivalent of $2 million, and that this ticket is now missing. So not only does The Saint have to rescue the diamond cutter and his daughter from the smuggling ring, he also has to track down the missing lottery ticket, which has sparked instability within the gang. Soon after, Hoppy and the diamond cutter go missing.

Templar, using his frequent "Sebastian Tombs" cover name, infiltrates the gang, posing as a freelance diamond cutter who is hired to replace the old man. (This despite the fact that Templar hasn't the slightest idea as to how to cut diamonds.) From within the gang, Templar plans to start the members double-crossing each other, but finds his work is already half done thanks to that missing lottery ticket.

Some later editions of this book include an afterword entitled "The Last Word" in which Charteris invites readers to join The Saint Club, a fan club that he founded in the 1930s. The annual dues for the club, Charteris writes, went to support the Arbour Youth Club located in east London, which at the time Charteris composed "The Last Word" was still recovering from the Blitz of World War II.

Television adaptation

"Thieves' Picnic" was adapted as an episode of the TV series "The Saint" as "The Saint Bids Diamonds". The episode aired during the fourth season on August 12, 1965. It was one of the few full novels used as source material for the series.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Eddie Picnic’s All Wet — Eddie Picnic s All Wet Концертный альбом AFI Дата выпуска 18 марта 1994 Записан 29 декабря …   Википедия

  • Beautiful Thieves — «Beautiful Thieves» Сингл AFI из альбома Crash Love Выпущен 12 апреля 2010 Формат 7 , промо CD, цифровая загрузка …   Википедия

  • Simon Templar — ist der Held einer Kriminalroman Serie des englischen Schriftstellers Leslie Charteris, die im Original The Saint (Der Heilige) heißt. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Übersicht 2 Verfilmungen 3 The Saint – Die Bücher …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Templar — Simon Templar ist der Held einer Kriminalroman Serie des englischen Schriftstellers Leslie Charteris, die im Original The Saint (Der Heilige) heißt. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Übersicht 2 Verfilmungen 3 The Saint – Die Bücher 4 Filme und Darsteller von …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Once More the Saint — also The Saint and Mr. Teal   …   Wikipedia

  • The Ace of Knaves — infobox Book | name = The Ace of Knaves also The Saint in Action title orig = translator = image caption = Early 1980s reprint edition, with alternate title author = Leslie Charteris cover artist = country = United Kingdom language = English… …   Wikipedia

  • Prelude for War — infobox Book | name = Prelude for War also The Saint and the Sinners also The Saint Plays with Fire title orig = translator = image caption = 1967 paperback edition with alternate title author = Leslie Charteris cover artist = country = United… …   Wikipedia

  • The Happy Highwayman — infobox Book | name = The Happy Highwayman title orig = translator = image caption = 1960s paperback edition author = Leslie Charteris cover artist = country = United Kingdom language = English series = The Saint genre = Mystery, Short Stories… …   Wikipedia

  • Count on the Saint —   …   Wikipedia

  • Patricia 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.Early… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”