In England it was first published by Ward Lock in September 1928; in the United States it was first published by Doubleday's The Crime Club imprint in March 1929 with the variant title Meet – the Tiger!. It was the first novel in a long-running series of books (lasting into the 1980s) featuring the adventures of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint".
The novel, which launched a long-running series of books featuring Simon Templar, also known as "The Saint", first appeared in England with Ward Lock in September 1928. In the United States, it was published by Doubleday's The Crime Club imprint in March 1929 under the alternative title "Meet – the Tiger!".