Secret Seven Continuation Books by Pamela Butchart

[pete9012S]

Thanks - we'll try to slow down on the Bailey's Irish Cream this evening a bit and watch it tonight in bed.

[Tony Summerfield]

I'm actually reading this book for my bedtime reading at the moment and I have almost finished it. I thought there were one or two snags with her first book, but I think this one is much better. My only quibble thus far is the repeated mentions of Scottish Tablet as a treat - I had no idea what this was and I suspect that most Secret Seven readers won't know either - unless they happen to be Scottish Children. He may be worthy of many names but I have never thought of him as McPeter!

[Nick]

Thanks Tony, I wasn't going to bother getting this book after being thoroughly disappointed with the first one. I'll give it a go.

[Fiona1986]

Scottish tablet is a wonderful and delicious thing!

I've only read the first two chapters of The Mystery of the Skull and thought it pretty awful so far.

https://www.enidblyton.co.uk/the-secret ... l-extract/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I mean if it was just a regular mystery book I'd probably think it was OK, but how can you proclaim this as an Enid Blyton book and then write about Jack being 'freaked out'. It's basically nicking her characters and setting and doing mad things with them. I may change my mind if I read further, of course, but I'm not holding my breath.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Thanks for letting us know about the interview, John - and for providing a link, Nigel. I'm pleased that Pamela Butchart is a great fan of Enid Blyton and that she has kept her Secret Seven books in the right time period despite taking a couple of liberties (updating the characters' language a little and introducing more "girl power"!)

[db105]

I have read the two Pamela Butchart Secret Seven books, and unfortunately I can't recommend them. It's not that I'm necessarily opposed to official continuation books (I quite like the Pamela Cox Malory Towers and St. Clare's continuation novels, and I'm happy to place them side by side with Blyton's as part of the same series). However, these Secret Seven ones do not belong to the same series as the ones by Enid Blyton. The characters are very different, even if they have the same name, the writing style is very different, the style of story is different.

These are not as bad as the Claude Voilier Famous Five continuation novels, but I don't see the point of using the name Secret Seven and then not making the effort to make them fit with the series.