I think this is a good Five-Outer mystery. But as I have commented in some previous reviews, I'm getting a little tired of this series. They are detective stories, and they don't capture my inner-child's imagination as much as Blyton's adventure stories. I thought the mystery in this one was pretty interesting, although unfortunately I guessed it quite early, so that spoils a lot of the fun of reading a mystery story. I'm sure that younger readers, who are the target audience, after all, will find this story thrilling.

One problem I have with this series is that even though it's about a group of children, it's really Fatty's show. Fatty is a great character, no doubt, but it's a pity that the others are just glorified extras. Well, Bets has a bit more to do, being the one who usually makes the innocent observation that allows Fatty to solve the mystery, but Pip, Larry, Daisy... they are just there. It's funny, because at this point in the series Ern has basically become one of the gang. Not that I dislike that: it's nice that the children become friends with someone from a different social class, but it's strange that Ern is always given a more important role than the titular Find-Outers, other than Fatty.

I have to say that Mr. Goon is a very good villain and comic relief. It's always satisfactory seeing how Fatty outsmarts him, and when it's time for the final revelation in front of Inspector Jenks it's always funny seeing Goon looking like a fool, as once more the children have managed to solve the case under his nose. ( )

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Ett världsberömt konstverk har blivit stulet! Nu söker polisen efter ett skådespelarpar som kan lämna viktiga upplysningar... Och just de två har tills helt nyligen bott i Jägarvillan i Peterswood, De fem deckarnas egen lilla by!
Fatty, Larry, Daisy, Pip och Bets har än en gång råkat på ett riktigt saftigt mysterium. Och de har god hjälp av Ern, ärkefienden Gerivägs egen brorson. Geriväg, konstapel Goon, kommer som vanligt på efterkälken. Men den här gången har han inte bara spårhunden Buster att räkna med utan också en söt liten vit pudeldam...

"A very fine mystery - there's more than meat on this rubber bone!"

Book twelve in this series was first published in 1954, and for me, it stands the test of time!
The Five Find-Outers: Fatty, Pip, Daisy, Larry and Bets - along with Buster, the dog, are soon on the trail of the thieves! The Lorenzos, tenants of Tally-Ho cottage, have vanished - just leaving behind their precious poodle, Poppet, with Mr and Mrs Larkin.
A priceless old picture is discovered to be stolen from a famous gallery.

Fatty needs to use all of his skills in the art of disguise, in order to find out information, clues and possible suspects! There are some really good characters in this story. Goon, the hapless village policeman, is once more struggling to keep up with the shrewdness of Fatty, and the other find-outers!

After some interesting and amusing encounters, the breakthrough finally comes when Bets makes an innocent and off-the-cuff remark about the sudden change in the behaviour of Mrs Larkin, in respect of dear Poppet! From that moment, going forward, there's no stopping Fatty, as he finally figures it all out - with the aid of a relaxing and thoughtful soak in the bath!

I found this story quite clever. It was not obvious to me, until quite close to the end, who the real perpetrators were! A very enjoyable read. A very good book for children that love to read an entertaining mystery. Recommended. ( )

The twelfth in Enid Blyton's fifteen-book Five Find-Outers and Dog series, in which a group of British schoolchildren play detective on their holidays, The Mystery of Tally-Ho Cottage sees Fatty, Larry, Daisy, Pip, and Bets (along with Buster the dog) engaged in a case involving a stolen painting and a couple of thieves on the run. When the elegant Lorenzos disappear from their rented home at Tally-Ho House, the entire country is put on the alert, and the Find-Outers keep watch at the cottage of their groundskeeper, Mr. Larkin. Could the Larkins be hiding the Lorenzos? And what can Poppet, Mrs. Lorenzo's beloved pet poodle, reveal about the case?

Read as part of a project to familiarize myself with the work of Enid Blyton, who, despite being virtually unknown in the United States, is the sixth most popular author in the world, the Five Find-Outers and Dog series has thus far confirmed some of the criticism I have read, that her writing is rather bland, her stories formulaic, and many of her social ideas outdated. For all that, I can understand why her work remains popular, as young readers often gravitate to series work, as a means of reinforcing reading skills, while being entertained. This particular title was fairly innocuous, despite the presence of Ern Goon, whose characterization in previous titles revealed some rather obnoxious classism. Somehow, his interaction with the Find-Outers was less irritating this time around, probably because there wasn't any ridicule of his pronunciation. ( )