Paul Moxham

As an Enid Blyton fan, I love this idea. The concept of a group of children living adventures and solving mysteries during a more innocent time, before the internet and smartphones, is sound. There's no reason why there shouldn't be more books of this kind.

Having said that, what Enid Blyton does may seem simple, but it's not easy. That's the reason she was so successful and her books are still in print after so many decades. Paul Moxham does some good things to recover the spirit of Blyton's work, but he falls short in some ways.

His main characters are too generic. If you look at Enid Blyton's best series, they have some memorable characters. She is no Dostoevsky, but her characters are clearly defined. You know who they are, and how they are likely to react. They have a group dynamic that makes sense because each of them plays a defined role. When you read one of her books, it's like meeting old friends again, because you feel you know those characters. You know what makes them tick. Here, I couldn't tell you in what ways Will and Joe's personalities differ. They are just generic heroic children who do heroic things. They don't have any kind of friction among themselves.

The story is fast paced. Very fast paced. Frantic. Dangerous things are happening all the time. Fast. Some readers will love that. Personally, I really appreciate the quiet moments in Enid Blyton's books. Before the adventure begins, we get a lot of flavor, building the setting and giving us nice character moments. Then, when the adventure begins, I appreciate it more because of the contrast with the quiet parts. Here, it's so fast that it kind of overwhelms you. At least that's me; your mileage may vary.

One thing that I did not like is that the children were not just daring. They were completely reckless. They searched the bad guys' house several times. With the bad guys inside. They risked drowning and several kind of death with no instinct of self-preservation. That made it difficult for me to suspend disbelief.

On the other hand, we have caves, tunnels, smugglers, exploration, escapes, overheard conversations, captures... how can my inner child not enjoy that? Unlike in the much older Enid Blyton's books, where the boys tend to have the most dangerous parts, here the girls have their fair share of heroic moments. Even though they are set in the 50s it's noticeable that they have been written with more modern sensitivities.… (altro)

Five Minute Middle Grade Mysteries Volume 2 (Solve It Yourself Mysteries) by Paul Moxham
Didn't think I'd like these books but I am hooked on them. Love that I can solve the mystery myself and when we read them with the kids, who are helping to also read them. we pay attention to the clues and it's so fun. Great way to spend time with kids with things they can understand.
Very descriptive and detailed. Entertaining and enjoyable.
To top that there is a bonus book at the end, a full length one, The Mystery of Danger Island,… (altro)

Five Minute Middle Grade Mysteries Volume 1 (Solve It Yourself Mysteries) by Paul Moxham
Love this collection of stoies for many reasons. They are fun to read, mysteries that you can solve yourself just by reading the story and if you get stuck there is a hint and also the answer is in the book.
Fun characters and their friends still finding new things to solve in everyday life various locations around town and elsewhere.
They are well prepared for any event that occurs and know who to call for help.
Great for a bunch of kids to get together to read and solve these.… (altro)