The Young Detectives

by R.J. McGregor

Five children, intent on adventure as they spend the holiday on the English coast, discover a secret passageway in their old house and are instrumental in the capture of a gang of smugglers.

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1934

Reviews

[Avril · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. First published in 1934 and then published as Puffin Story Book 47 in 1948, this is one of the books that Geoffrey Trease condemned in Tales Out of School: A survey of children's fiction (1948). Not by name, but definitely by implication.

Five children, aged between seven and nearly thirteen, go for a holiday to a large house in Devonshire, bought for the family by 'Daddy' with the money he is making from a visit to America. 'Daddy' is working overseas, but 'Mummy' and 'Auntie' both accompany the children, together with Cook and a couple of maids. The house is already equipped with a full time gardener, and a local farmhand takes care of the family pony.

One of 'Mummy's' roles is to be very firm with the police about what investigations they can do into the smuggling operation run from the property; her children's holiday is more important than law and order.

The class issues are atrocious! Despite having spent my childhood reading the appalling End Blyton, this is the first time I've seriously wanted the bad guys to win, preferably by smothering the heroes. I know one theme of these 'holiday' books is children proving themselves smarter than adults, but the cheekiness of these children to adults of the 'lower classes' is painful.

Most unlikely of all is the language the children use. For example, here is Jean, aged ten or eleven: 'Oh!' said Jean. 'Train travel is no longer vulgar; all the best people are going back to the railway for travel. There is no longer any room on the roads so the train is coming into its own again. (p. 155) Really?!?! Any ten-year-old who spoke like that, 1930s or not, is asking for a slap.

So, I'm sorry Eleanor Graham and Puffin; this particular Puffin Story Book does NOT deserve a place in the Puffin pantheon.

[Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite book from my childhood. I'm pretty certain it won't have stood the test of time in terms of class, gender etc etc, but I have such fond memories of it!

[Roberto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kedves, bájos történet, egy család nyaralásáról, Angliában, majd 100 évvel ezelőttről.
A család 5 gyermeke keveredik egy kalandba, ami izgalmas, így elolvasva is. (Örömmel részt vennék magam is benne.)
Jól megírt sztori, ami viszi magával előre az olvasót.
Csak ajánlani tudom.

[Tammie Groeneman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great, mostly because the mom is a part of the adventures. It's what you imagine the best summer spent by the seashore in England might be as a kid in 1938 or today!

[Christine Goodnough · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting, fast-moving children's story set in the 1930s on the south coast of England. The conversation is antique, but delightful. The children had quite the vocabulary!

[Fanni Sütő · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book when I was like 9 but my copy didnt have the last chapters so I never knew the end...

[Phil Ferri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although Mc Gregor has his critics and this book can be a bit stilted at times , in the context of its time its a ripping yarn full of adventure and excitement. Re reading it as an adult left a gap but I have rated it 'as when' I read it at age 10 - a different time and different culture.

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best holiday adventure story from the 1930s, but it has a certain charm. There is a lot of plot, and not much character - the Mackies are puppets, rather than people. Should you be tempted to read this tale of kidnapping, smuggling, and secret passages ... and it's not a bad way to pass an hour or so, if you've nothing more pressing or interesting to do ... well, you'll also find a lot of middle-class 1930s attitudes and somewhat stilted dialogue, all of which is tiresome rather than entertaining.

But it was a book I enjoyed enough in childhood to read more than once, and acquire as an adult. So the plot carries it through. Think posh Famous Five, supervised by Mummy throughout.

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

what a charming book about 1933 life in a family with 5 children. Having bought a large house in Devon, the children (with Mummy's help) thwart the baddies and help foil the smugglers of dangerous explosives.....

[Robina Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it. It had excellent atmosphere and good dialogue, but not much suspense - it was pretty clear what would happen.