Miss Seeton Undercover

Miss Seeton #17

by Hamilton Crane

‘Ibbley, obbley, onker, my first conker!’ The ancient warcry of English conker battles heralds autumn in the Kentish countryside, where Plummergen, Miss Seeton’s home village, and its great rival Murreystone, are holding their Produce Show and – this year – impromptu fisticuffs!

Plus it’s Trafalgar Day, and at Admiral Buzzard’s ‘gin pennant’ party for local ex-officers there’s another near punch-up. Altogether a riveting backdrop for the presenters of a popular TV cookery show, visiting in search of rare heritage apples like the Plummergen Peculier.

Only the police have time to notice the worsening local crime wave – antique shops ramraided, homes robbed, then a life lost – until Miss Seeton is coaxed into playing a core role.

Serene amidst every kind of skullduggery, this eccentric English spinster steps in where Scotland Yard stumbles, armed with nothing more than her sketchpad and umbrella!

Genres: Mystery, Cozy, British Literature, Detective

265 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 1994

About the author

Hamilton Crane is the pseudonym adopted by Sarah J. Mason when she was invited to continue the Miss Seeton series originally created by Heron Carvic, who died in 1980. “Hamilton” after her hall of residence at St Andrews University (the big red building behind the 18th green on the Old Course) and “Crane” to continue the bird theme – a crane has a similar form to a heron.

Series:
* Miss Seeton

Reviews

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and Farrago for a review copy of Miss Seeton Undercover, the 17th outing for Heron Carvic's eponymous heroine and the 9th written by Sarah J. Mason using the pseudonym Hamilton Crane.

Plummergen is gearing up for the Harvest Produce Show which, due to problems with the church hall, they will be sharing with deadly rivals Murreystone. To add a frisson to the deadly rivalry there will also be a conker competition. In the meantime Chief Superintendent Delphick of Scotland Yard is troubled by ram raiders targeting antique dealers and stealing to order and Superintendent Brinton of Asford is dealing with the sideboards swipers, so called because they burgle homes and clear out whole rooms. Superintendent Delphick asks Miss Seeton for help but her drawings don't produce anything useful. Superintendent Brinton doesn't ask for help but Mel Forby, star reporter on the Daily Negative, manages to interpret the drawings as part of his case.

As usual Miss Seeton Undercover is an amusing read. The usual cast of characters is all there, the Nuts spreading their lies and innuendo, which is really too farcical to be anything other than annoying, Nigel Colveden falling love again, Mel Forby saving the day, Superintendent Brinton dreading anything to with Plumnergen, Chief Superintendent Delphick using and worrying about Miss Seeton and she sails through it all sublimely unaware of the havoc she causes.

There is nothing new in this novel as it just re-hashes previous characters in a slightly different set of circumstances but it is a light hearted read and an easy way to pass a few hours so I have no hesitation in recommending it as a good read.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first Miss Seeton book that I have ever seen, let alone read. I love the concept: a retired art teacher who bought herself some property, lives by herself, does some substitute teaching, and is always concerned about other people's feelings and what the right thing to do might be. She also seems to have some second sight which comes out in her drawings, which she starts to work on rather compulsively when a peculiar urge comes on. The police, who know her well, find this quality valuable, to the bafflement of Miss Seeton. I have known an art teacher or two in my day, and there often is some heightened intuition, strange coincidence, and mildly compulsive and unusual activity going on when they are about. This lovely, quiet, creative, woman has a sadly hilarious following of a bunch of fellow townspeople who think she is a witch, and true to conspiracy theory lore, they home in on any little clue that they see in her speech and behavior to get themselves into a ferocious and dangerous dither. Except for the fact that people get killed, this is all fun.

The problem that I have with this volume is that it reminds me of a gigantic bowl of linguini with sauce and somewhere in the tangled strands you will find bits of meatball, or tofu burger if you would rather, if you probe around long enough with your fork. There have been a string of robberies in London and the countryside where someone has been ramming vehicles backwards into antique stores, then loading up, and another series of burglaries in the homes of the recently bereaved. These escapades are called the "Ram Robberies" and the "Sideboard Swipers" respectively, causing an array of law enforcement officers to seek out the help of Miss Seeton and her odd drawing habit, as they have done many times before. In addition, we meet a roving TV chef who is visiting any property he can charm his way into, searching for a rare apple that he wants to showcase on his program. He has a secretary and a journalist in tow, and they makes pests of themselves whenever possible. The cast of the two random subplots meet at the annual harvest fair in Miss Seeton's little town, where all manner of mischief and mayhem break out, set off by an age old rivalry between the town and its neighbor over a game of "Conkers", where they each try to demolish the local horse chestnuts of the other. To do so, the townspeople make a practice of finding new and different ways to harden the shells of the nuts before they play. I am not kidding. Anyway, there is a storm, things crash, they blow up, catch fire, and so on. Whoops, I forgot about Miss Seeton's all important umbrella and her broom, suspicious possessions indeed.

Back to the spaghetti bowl. About three quarters of this book is chatter: chatter between journalists, chatter between police officers, chatter among the townspeople, chatter everywhere, and it all sounds alike, random, confusing, and distracting. In addition, a LOT of sentences are broken up with more random comments inserted with the aid of dashes or parentheses. This sort of thing went on and on and I could not figure out by the end of a paragraph or even a sentence, who these people were, or what they were talking about. I couldn't find the meat! It was darned annoying and spoils the book. There is one clump of excellent descriptive and atmospheric writing towards the end, so this mess is a shame. I see from the list of the Miss Seeton adventures listed in the front of my book that there have been many, and that they have been written by three different authors. If I read another "Miss S", I will try one of the earlier writers, and hope for a better return on my time investment. Speaking of.......this book does not deserve such a long review.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plummergon is all excited as a TV produced is staying at the George and is looking for a special apple to due to a story on it. Most want their gardens to be a feature. The village is getting ready the annual Grand Conkers Contest with Murreystone. Sir George has revived the Village Watch. Miss Seeton is teaching at the school. The children are all excited by her method of hardening the Conkers (fruit of the horse chestnut tree). Scotland is looking for a gang of antique thieves. As usual, these various plots are brought together to form a pleasing story. Miss Seeton with her Brolly is the middle of actions causing turmoil before the villains are caught.

Disclosure: I received a free copy from Prelude Books through NetGalley for an honest review. I would like to thank them for this opportunity to read and review the book. The opinions expressed are my own.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just finished this and I'm still not really sure what the 'mystery' was. Or were. Miss Seeton is NOT Miss Marple.

[Justkeepreading · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley, Farago and Hamilton Crane and Heron Carvic for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

You can read my review on both Amazon and Goodreads. From today. Goodreads under Karen Whittard and Amazon under k.e.whittard.

I love visiting the villiagr of Plummergen and catching up with all the characters and finding out what has been going on.

This time in the village there is a television crew looking for the rare Plummergen apple which will be spotlighted on a special show about British food.

The police are also trying to look into a case about antiques thrives. Who have been breaking into some houses in the villiage. As always the police need the help and special skills of the charasmatic Miss Seaton in order to solve the mystery.

This is yet again a lovely addition to the series. I love this series and the lightheartedness of it. I really enjoy catching up with all the characters too and finding out what is happening with them all especially Miss Seaton whose special powers always prove invaluable to solving the crimes.

Happy reading everyone

[Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this but I just didn't. I was hoping for Miss Marple. Miss Seeton is no Miss Marple! While Miss Marple is frequently overlooked because of her age, she's still really sharp. Miss Seeton is much more fuddled. Apparently her subconscious makes connections she doesn't recognize and draws them. The police and journalists see the drawings and "follow" her connections and solves the mystery. I just couldn't buy it. No more Miss Seeton for me!

[Georgene · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this Miss Seeton story quite tedious. Any mystery novel that takes me a month to read is not engrossing.

I found Miss Seeton, with her continuous over explanations, to be silly and her constant blushing a bit much to take.

my advice is to skip this novel unless you are an extreme die-hard Miss Seeton fan.

[Betsy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't finish this book. Dialogue and sentence structure was bumpy. I compare it to going through a reader's "obstacle course."

[M Eve · Rating 2 out of 5]

What happened to this series. I was a huge fan of 1-8....read like 'Ms. Marples merged with PinkPnther'. This book was really NOT good.

[Marie Balcazar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the best Miss Seaton. She was very under used in this book. Too many other characters cluttered up the book in my opinion.

[DelAnne Frazee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Miss Seeton Undercover - Miss Seeton Mystery Book 17
Author: Hamilton Crane & Heron Carvic
Published: 12-15-2016
Publisher: Farrago
Pages: 265
Genre:Mystery, Thrillers & Suspense
Sub Genre: British Cozy Mystery; Amateur Sleuths; Humor; Hobbies & Crafts
ISBN: 13: 9781911440062
ASIN: B01MXOSX6K
Reviewer: DelAnne
Reviewed For: NetGalley
Rating: 4.5 Stars



I received a copy of "Miss Seeton Undercover" from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.


Description

"Ibbley, obbley, onker, my first conker!" The ancient warcry of English conker battles heralds autumn in the Kentish countryside, where Plummergen, Miss Seeton’s home village, and its great rival Murreystone, are holding their Produce Show and – this year – impromptu fisticuffs!


Plus it’s Trafalgar Day, and at Admiral Buzzard’s ‘gin pennant’ party for local ex-officers there’s another near punch-up. Altogether a riveting backdrop for the presenters of a popular TV cookery show, visiting in search of rare heritage apples like the Plummergen Peculier.


Only the police have time to notice the worsening local crime wave – antique shops ramraided, homes robbed, then a life lost – until Miss Seeton is coaxed into playing a core role.


Serene amidst every kind of skullduggery, this eccentric English spinster steps in where Scotland Yard stumbles, armed with nothing more than her sketchpad and umbrella!



My Review of "Miss Seeton Undercover"


Miss Seeton and the othe villagers, The Nuts, Sir George and others return with all their idiosyncrasies to raise the thrill and laughter of village life. Plummerger is once more at odds with their rivals from Murreystone during the annual Produce show for biggest and best. Not to mention a televisions show search for the famed Plummergen Apple. Round it all of with a death and Miss Emily Seeton being labeled a witch and you have a plot filled with humor and suspense. If you have not read any of the Miss Seeton Mysteries then you are in for a prize.


Using her sketches and trust umbrella Miss Seeton tackles the local crime spree and charges of being a real witch. Even if you have not read any of the previous books you will have no problems with "Miss Seeton Undercover" , but a word of warning this series is addictive. So be prepared to visit Plummergen often.


My rating for "Miss Seeton Undercover" is 4.5 out of 5 stars. A great story for any lover of British Cozy mysteries and humorous characters.


Explanation: Ram raided - a robbery in which a shop window is rammed with a vehicle



Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MXOSX6K/...


Barnes and Noble link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/miss-...


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[Elissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I rounded up a bit because it is definitely more than a "mere" 4-star read although not quite "best in show." For those who follow my reviews you are aware that I haunt Netgalley until the next title appears and then put my feet up to enjoy. In this hectic holiday season I've fallen behind a bit but having Miss Seeton to turn to put Merry Mayhem in perspective.

The blurb/description will set you up for what happens at the harvest festival. The robberies and their ultimate physical toll (well, murder is fairly ultimate, wouldn't you say?) become almost an afterthought to the ongoing village antics in this latest adventure.

I am of the opinion that the original publishing order (and even writing order, for that matter) may be somewhat scrambled. In terms of events this title (and the next, "Miss Seeton Rules") should slide BEFORE the last two tales including the wonderfully timed, Christmas-themed "Starring Miss Seeton." The good news is that any one of the stories in the series can be read on its own with full enjoyment. Rumbles with Murreystone, wild speculation by the Nuts, gossip at the Post Office and a not entirely oblivious but discreetly polite Miss Seeton at the center of it all remain the keystones; the much-maligned (by mal-wishers) Miss Seeton's rambling style of speech which can cause such confusion to listeners reflects (to my way of thinking) not dementia but an extremely rapidly firing brain shooting out thoughts faster than she can clarify.

Conclusion? Happy reading!

[George · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of a series of mysteries involving Miss Seeton who is a Miss Marple type character. The central issue, a series of art and antique robberies by a couple of gangs, serves primarly as a background issue through much of the story while a lot of time is spent dealing with the personalities and and issues of the village Miss Seeton lives in. Miss Seaton has a past record of helping Scotland Yard solve mysteries and so she is again used to help solve the on going robberies.

A bit of humor and much character development of various people in the story. I felt the story spent too much time on the people and issues of the village which eventually come together to solve the mystery.

[Nancy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't know where I got this book---perhaps passed on by a friend, perhaps at a library "bag sale," but I had no business reading it.

I struggled through the confusing "village chatter" and tiresome descriptions of the little-old-lady detective who was no doubt supposed to be clever and engaging and instead was annoying and totally unbelievable.

My compliments to the author for finding a publisher and apparently selling many books in this silly series. Honestly, I don't know how she did it. That's the magic of this book.

[Eileen Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plummergen - a hot bed of gin parties, conker tournaments, prize vegetable competitions, theft and murder.
All in all a normal day at the office for Miss Seaton!
Great read and very highly recommended.
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Farrago via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.

[Chris Curtis · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried but could not get interested in this book. Maybe if I read the series from the beginning and got to know all the characters it would be different. It seem to be much more about the characters than they mystery plot.

[Judi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun story, but the conversation, especially of Miss Seeton, is rather convoluted and sometime I had to read a sentence a few times before I figured out exactly what the character was trying to say, as well as other regional words and spellings. Apart from that, it's a very entertaining book.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like Pollifax better, good, sometimes confusing

[Elizabeth White · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too difficult to follow. Disjointed. Was there a plot? I have a vague idea, but lost interest almost immediately. As I recall the very early Miss Seeton books were much better.

[Peggi Warner-Lalonde · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really expected to enjoy this, but i found it difficult to follow.

[Shanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful

Absolutely wonderful !!!! Keeps you laughing with every turn of the page. Miss Seeton is a riot, the world needs old girls like this!

[Helen Fleischer · Rating 3 out of 5]

a bit too scatty and disjointed

[Delores Alger · Rating 1 out of 5]

skimmed