The Mystery of the Burnt Cottage
by Enid Blyton (Methuen, 1943)
The first Five Find-Outers novel works well as a standalone, though lacking the assuredness and personality of later volumes. As Blyton feels her way, many elements of this great series emerge in nascent form. Only Fatty’s disguises (and latterly Ern) are missing.
The Ragamuffin Mystery
by Enid Blyton; ill. Gilbert Dunlop (Collins, 1959)
The final ‘Barney’ mystery is a fast, pleasant read, set in Wales and introducing another memorable animal (a goose named Waddle). Although there’s a sense of adventure, the children trip along rather than detect, and have too much access to adult help.
The Rat-a-Tat Mystery
by Enid Blyton (Collins, 1956)
The fifth ‘Barney’ mystery is, if anything, even slighter than its predecessors. Not much detecting goes on! Yet the children have fun—overseen on this occasion by Mrs Tickle—and the animals cause their usual mayhem. The story flies by pleasantly enough.
The Rubadub Mystery
by Enid Blyton (Collins, 1952)
In this fourth ‘Barney’ mystery, Blyton perfects the formula of having a mystery unfold around her young protagonists, to be fallen into as much as investigated. The clues appear innocuous for much of the story and then come together in a rush.
The Ring O’Bells Mystery
by Enid Blyton; ill. Gilbert Dunlop (William Collins, 1951)
This third ‘Barney’ mystery might easily have been written during a languorous English summer. The rustic idyll shines warmly from its pages and the adventure unfolds slowly, picking up pace only in the concluding chapters. A pleasant read enlivened by chaotic animals.
The Rilloby Fair Mystery
by Enid Blyton (William Collins, 1950)
The second ‘Barney’ mystery doesn’t really make good on its potential (in truth rather solving itself in the end) but Blyton lays down clues throughout and the children’s day-to-day adventuring makes for pleasant escapism. Blyton’s integration of animals makes the book memorable.
The Rockingdown Mystery
by Enid Blyton (William Collins, 1949)
A solid introduction to the ‘Barney’ (or ‘R’) mystery series. Standard Blyton characters Roger and Diana are superseded by their mischievous cousin Snubby, vagabond circus boy Barney and his monkey Miranda, and of course Snubby’s (actually Blyton’s daughters’) memorably madcap dog Loony.
Well Done, Secret Seven
by Enid Blyton (Brockhampton Press, 1951); audiobook read by Sarah Greene (BBC, 1998)
A simple little one-sitting mystery, which actually takes up less of the book than the children’s building of a treehouse. The Secret Seven think rather highly of themselves but here lack much by way of character – except for Scamper the Cocker Spaniel.
The Magic Faraway Tree
by Enid Blyton (George Newnes, 1943); audiobook read by Kate Winslet (ABC Audio, 2014)
Younger children will still thrill to the imagination of the Faraway Tree and the many lands that cycle into place above it. Adults may be less impressed, but at least must credit Kate Winslet for her composure in reading about toffee shocks.
The Mystery of the Secret Room
by Enid Blyton (Methuen, 1945); audiobook read by Ann Beach (Chivers, 2010)
The third book in the series but perhaps the best place to start if new to children’s detective fiction and/or the Five Found-Outers (and dog). Fatty and the others come into their own, outwitting Goon the policeman while solving another mystery.