The Saint in New York (1938) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

The New York police were desperate after Lieutenant Martin was killed and the case went cold. Witnesses were coerced or disappeared, and the crime commission demanded action. William Valcross proposed bringing in the Saint, a legendary British detective who operates outside the law, because conventional methods had failed completely.

Foreshadowing: The city's desperation is established early when the case collapses and public distrust in the police grows.

• simon templar
• saint recruited
• new york crime
• police desperation
• valcross

As the Saint worked through his list of six targets, he learned that the mysterious Big Fellow only communicated through Fay Edwards, his intermediary. She agreed to point him out at the bank meeting, finally revealing who had been pulling the strings behind the city's crime wave.

Foreshadowing: The Saint discovers early that the Big Fellow never meets anyone face to face, communicating only through Fay.

• big fellow identity
• fay edwards
• mastermind revealed
• saint investigation

Valcross shot Fay to prevent her from identifying him as the Big Fellow and to keep her quiet about the conspiracy. He had orchestrated the entire crime network and wanted the Saint to eliminate his competition so he could claim the three years of stacked profits for himself.

Foreshadowing: Valcross's arrival at the bank and his nervous demeanor hint at his stake in the outcome.

• valcross kills fay
• fay edwards death
• big fellow motive
• bank confrontation

Valcross hoped the Saint would eliminate his six rival gangsters so he wouldn't have to share the loot. After three years of crime profits stacked at the bank, he wanted sole control of the money and was willing to have the Saint do his dirty work while remaining hidden as a respected citizen.

Foreshadowing: Valcross's enthusiastic recruitment of the Saint seems overly invested for someone supposedly concerned only with public safety.

• valcross mastermind
• motive
• loot
• greed
• crime boss

The Saint used disguises and unorthodox tactics, exemplified when he appeared as a nun to kill Jake Irbell just as Irbell was about to shoot Inspector Fernack. He methodically worked through each target with cunning, courage, and calculated risk over a short period.

Foreshadowing: The disguise as a nun establishes early that the Saint will use any means necessary, including theatrical deception.

• saint kills gangsters
• disguise
• six targets
• method
• irbell

Fay was drawn to the Saint personally and saved his life twice during the investigation. Though she was the Big Fellow's liaison, she agreed to reveal his identity at the bank because she had developed genuine feelings for Templar and wanted to end the violence.

Foreshadowing: Their immediate attraction is noted when they first meet, and her repeated saves hint at her conflicted loyalty.

• fay helps saint
• romantic interest
• betrayal
• big fellow liaison

The Saint needed to get close to Irbell undetected, as Irbell was about to shoot Inspector Fernack. The nun disguise allowed him to approach unseen and strike at the critical moment, demonstrating his willingness to use unconventional methods and theatrical deception to achieve his mission.

Foreshadowing: This early scene establishes the Saint's signature blend of humor and lethal efficiency.

• saint disguise
• nun
• irbell
• surprise attack
• methods

The commissioner was reluctant but agreed because the civilian crime commission was pressing for results after the Martin murder case collapsed. With gang violence threatening the city and no other solutions available, he granted the Saint freedom to operate outside traditional boundaries if it meant delivering results.

Foreshadowing: The commissioner's reluctance is clear, but the escalating crime wave leaves no other viable options.

• police commissioner
• authority
• desperate measures
• saint free rein

Jake Irbell was arrested for Martin's murder, but the case fell apart when prosecution witnesses were coerced or disappeared. He was released, only to be killed later by the Saint while attempting to shoot Inspector Fernack, the Saint eliminating another target from his list.

Foreshadowing: Irbell's release fuels public distrust in the police from the very beginning.

• jake irbell
• arrested
• released
• killed
• martin murder

Fay had grown attracted to the Saint during their investigation and developed genuine feelings for him. She agreed to point out the Big Fellow at the bank because she wanted the violence to end and perhaps hoped to start fresh with Templar, despite the personal danger it posed.

Foreshadowing: Her repeated saves of the Saint throughout the story reveal her growing attachment.

• fay betrayal
• big fellow exposed
• feelings for saint
• sacrifice

The Saint was given a clear purpose: to dismantle the six gangsters who had terrorized New York. After months of tracking criminals across Europe and South America, he was offered a defined target and a chance to use his skills toward a concrete goal that aligned with his sense of justice.

Foreshadowing: Valcross's months-long pursuit suggests the Saint was seeking exactly this kind of meaningful mission.

• saint motivation
• purpose
• mission
• targets
• justice

Valcross spent months following a trail of dead criminals across Europe and South America to locate the Saint. This pursuit demonstrated both Valcross's determination and the Saint's reputation for leaving a visible path of eliminated targets wherever he operated.

Foreshadowing: The trail of dead criminals across continents establishes the Saint's legendary effectiveness.

• track criminals
• europe
• south america
• valcross search
• saint reputation