Doctor Syn Returns

''Doctor Syn Returns'' is the third in the series of

Doctor Syn The Reverend Doctor Christopher Syn is the smuggler hero of a series of novels by Russell Thorndike. The first book, ''Doctor Syn: A Tale of the Romney Marsh'' was published in 1915. The story idea came from smuggling in the 18th-century Romney ...

novels by

Russell Thorndike Arthur Russell Thorndike (6 February 1885 – 7 November 1972) was a British actor and novelist, best known for the Doctor Syn of Romney Marsh novels. Less well-known than his sister Sybil but equally versatile, Russell Thorndike's first love ...

. It tells the story of Syn, who has tired of piracy, tries to settle down as the

vicar A vicar (; Latin: '' vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pre ...

of the little town of

Dymchurch Dymchurch is a village and civil parish in the Folkestone and Hythe district of Kent, England. The village is located on the coast five miles (8 km) south-west of Hythe, and on the Romney Marsh. History The history of Dymchurch began with ...

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. Syn's attempt to live an obscure life fails when he is drawn into the local smuggling trade. To protect his parishioners from the agents of the King's Revenue Syn becomes the masked

Scarecrow of Romney Marsh The Reverend Doctor Christopher Syn is the smuggler hero of a series of novels by Russell Thorndike. The first book, ''Doctor Syn: A Tale of the Romney Marsh'' was published in 1915. The story idea came from smuggling in the 18th-century Romney ...

and becomes leader of the smugglers. He is one of the first costumed heroes in literature and is clearly inspired by earlier characters such as the

Scarlet Pimpernel ''The Scarlet Pimpernel'' is the first novel in a series of historical fiction by Baroness Orczy, published in 1905. It was written after her stage play of the same title (co-authored with Montague Barstow) enjoyed a long run in London, having ...

and

Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is dep ...

. ''Doctor Syn Returns'' was published in 1935. It follows '' Doctor Syn on the High Seas'' and is followed by ''

Further Adventures of Doctor Syn The ''Further Adventures of Doctor Syn'' is the fourth in the series of ''Doctor Syn'' novels by Russell Thorndike. It is a highly episodic series of adventures as Syn, in his guise as the Scarecrow outwits the king's agents and keeps his band ...

''. 1935 British novels Historical novels Novels set in Kent Novels by Russell Thorndike Rich & Cowan books {{1930s-hist-novel-stub