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Mysteries 1-3

Read this when I was a kid. "The Find-Outers" is such a great phrase. ( )

L-2

The third entry in Enid Blyton's fifteen-book Five Find-Outers and Dog series, about a group of children who spend their school holidays playing detectives, The Mystery of the Secret Room returns the reader to the village of Peterswood, just as Larry, Daisy, Pip, and Fatty are coming home for the Christmas break. Reunited with Bets, the "baby" of the group, the children (along with Buster the dog) soon find themselves involved in another exciting adventure, as they set out to investigate the strange furnished room that Pip discovers on the top floor of an otherwise empty house.

This entry in the series has the same formulaic plot and wooden prose of the first two books, although Blyton does manage to develop her characters somewhat. The friendship between Bets and Fatty - the two "outsiders" of the group - continues to strengthen, and Fatty's superior knowledge, clever ideas, and quick thinking prompt the others to make him the new leader, though they are still quick to depress his tendency to boast. There really isn't much here to interest the adult, but young readers - especially those with a taste for series - will enjoy these books. What they lack in suspense, they make up for in humor, particularly in the Find-Outers' dealing with slow Mr. Goon - nicknamed "Clear 'Orf" by the children - the local police bobby. ( )