When a waiter at an Indian restaurant is crucified, and when a customer of that restaurant happens to be the infamous Simon Templar, it spells trouble for one of the more unusual import-export businesses that you've ever heard of. 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.