Halo effect

I recently borrowed a short book from the library: The Saint and the Templar Treasure by Leslie Charteris. Or rather, by "Leslie Charteris." What I've since found out is that Charteris, though busy writing novels and short stories with his most famous creation for a period of about 30 years, largely left things to ghostwriters from the mid-late 60s onwards. The book is a good crime adventure, but it's "in the school of"  rather than by the original master.

Reading the story, it's pretty easy to hear Roger Moore in both Simon Templar's dialogue and in some of the narration. Moore was ideally suited to playing the Saint. He was winning as a bon vivant who loved fine wine and fancy baubles, but was ultimately a knight in shining armor. 007 wasn't as good a role for him because Bond shouldn't have easy charm, but rather be a little blunt.