First edition: 1958
Publisher: Brockhampton Press
Category: Secret Seven
Genre: Mystery/Adventure
Type: Novels/Novelettes
Book no:10
This story must take place soon after the previous spring adventure as it's set in the Easter holidays again — one week into them, in fact, though the illustrations show the nights are strangely dark for that time of the year. In it, we are introduced to two new and recurring characters.
The first is Susie's friend, Binkie, a poetry-reciting girl with a 'funny little twitchy nose and teeth just like a rabbit', of garrulous and giggly nature. She becomes Susie's regular partner in crime for annoying and tricking the Seven. The other is Matt, the shepherd, who works for Peter's father and lives in a hut up on the hills with the sheep. This sheep farming aspect is one of two new facts we learn about Old Mill House Farm, the other being the keeping of hens, whose hen houses are lime-washed by Peter and Janet.
This is an absorbing story of much incident. When the Bolan family's hillside shack goes up in flames, the Seven assist in preparing Matt's old caravan for them to live in. Later events include two thefts, one of clothes from a scarecrow and another of a violin from an antique shop by someone wearing the scarecrow's clothes, and a strange wailing noise heard on the hills at night. The story has a very rural setting and is again concerned with social problems. One instance I found very amusing was that Peter's school violin teacher was called Mr Scraper!
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