Reviewed by Craig Sisterson
Solve the mystery with the Secret Seven - everyone's favourite detective club! A brand-new, action-packed Secret Seven adventure by prizewinning author Pamela Butchart.
When Peter discovers an old skull hidden in his bedroom, it's time for an urgent meeting of the Secret Seven. Setting off to investigate, the friends see a gigantic hole in the grounds of a local hotel. Could there be any connection between the two strange events? The Secret Seven are determined to solve the mystery.
It's time to look behind the green door of the Secret Seven's shed again. Enid Blyton's much-loved detective club are back in a superbly entertaining new adventure
Growing up in New Zealand, the first mystery series I was really into was the Hardy Boys, even before Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie. But I also had a couple of Secret Seven books, which I enjoyed.
So a couple of years ago when I spied a new Secret Seven tale, written by award-winning kids author Pamela Butchart more than fifty years after the conclusion of the original Enid Blyton series, I couldn't resist grabbing it for my then three-year-old daughter's 'future reads' bookshelf. I thought maybe she'd like the kids mysteries too. I read MYSTERY OF THE SKULL back then, and thought it was a fun tale - it had been so long since I'd read a Secret Seven story I wasn't sure how close to Blyton's original characters and stories Butchart's continuation tale was, but it was a good fun read.
Recently I read it to Miss Now-Six, and she absolutely loved it. She's already a big Scooby Doo fan, so understands the idea of groups of kids banding up to solve mysteries, and MYSTERY OF THE SKULL just really clicked with her. We tore through it even faster than some other recent reads involving witches and magic etc (other favourite things), and she's really keen to read another.
It's been thirty-plus years since I've read a Secret Seven book, so I can't accurately weigh up just how close or far from the original series this new instalment is in tone and atmosphere etc. But the 'old gang' are all back - Peter, Janet, Jack, Barbara, George, Pam and Colin. As well as dog Scamper and youngsters Susie and Binkie, who live to annoy the older sleuths.
It's a simple story, of course, but full of fun and some spookiness and low-level danger or heroes-in-peril to provide thrills for the younger readers. After a skull is found, the Secret Seven decide to investigate, and link the discovery to a local hotel which is under new ownership. The kids get up to all sorts of hijinks as they try to find out the truth, coming up with plans then seeing them go well sometimes, and badly awry at others. There's plenty of fun for little readers, with chases and secrets and events that can make you laugh and sneaking around and disguises and more.
For me, THE MYSTERY OF THE SKULL read relatively timeless (eg no massive reliance on or reference to technology etc), while feeling somewhat modern rather than old-fashioned in tone.
It's a nice little mystery with some spookiness running through it that could delight younger readers. The kids are at the forefront, the heroes who drive the story with their actions. There's plenty of action and intrigue, and some funny moments. Tony Ross's quirky illustrations add further flavour.
Overall I think younger readers would enjoy this mystery, and be prompted to give Blyton's original books a go. There's enough crossover for it to feel like part of the same whole, while not feeling out-of-date. We tore through this quickly, and both had smiles on our faces throughout. Blyton created an interesting dynamic between her adolescent sleuths, and Butchart has picked up the baton well.
A fun, easy read recommended for younger mystery lovers, while still being a light and enjoyable palate cleanser for adult readers in among all the darker and more serious crime tales.
Craig Sisterson is a lapsed Kiwi lawyer who now lives in London and writes for magazines and newspapers in several countries. He’s interviewed hundreds of crime writers and talked about the genre on national radio, top podcasts, and onstage at festivals on three continents. Craig's been a judge of the Ned Kelly Awards, McIlvanney Prize, is founder of the Ngaio Marsh Awards and co-founder of Rotorua Noir. His book SOUTHERN CROSS CRIME, was published in 2020.
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