Missing Person

Adams Family Saga #6

by Mary Jane Staples, Annie Aldington (Reading)

The house in Caulfield Place, off Browning Street in Walworth, was haunted, or at least that's what the street kids said. So when two men, a woman and a parrot moved in, everyone was very interested, especially 14-year-old Cassie Ford, who was particularly fascinated by the parrot. And it was just about this time that Mr Finch, Chinese Lady's husband and Boots's stepfather began to get mysterious telephone calls. 

Mr Finch had never told the rest of the Adams family - except for Boots - the secrets of his past, or what kind of work he did for the government, and he decided not to tell them about the slightly sinister telephone calls either. It was when he took Chinese Lady on a summer's day jaunt in his Morris motorcar that things began to happen. For, in the Hog's Back Hotel, Chinese Lady went to the cloakroom, and when she came back Mr Finch had vanished. It took all of Boots's ingenuity to discover what had happened, and Cassie's knowledge of the Caulfield Place parrot was to prove a vital clue in unravelling the mystery.

Genres: Audiobook, Family Saga

Audio CD

First published September 1, 1994

About the author

Mary Jane Staples is a pseudonym used by British author Reginald Thomas Staples (1911-2005). He is also published under the name Robert Tyler Stevens, R.T. Stevens, and James Sinclair.

Reviews

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all)]

Oh, dear. Well, with long series of this type you expect to hit a few bumps or potholes, and this is one. It reads like filler, like a transitional novel between the "post WW1" saga and the "WW2 saga". The cover calls it "a sparkling new saga" and yet the one thing it does not do is sparkle, being rather lacklustre. The two main plots have nothing to do with each other and are never woven together. As for the main thrust of the book, the resolution of the main problem is laughably bad. I can't believe that those hardline hunters could be chased away by a few blows and a serious talking-to. Though it's meant to be suspenseful, the magically convenient ending just makes it silly as once again everything ends up loverly in Walworth.
A shaky two stars.

[Rhona Connor]

Jolly good book. Adams family no 6.

As usual we are following the Adams family, it is now 1930. Sammy has two children. Tommy has two children. The romance in the book is between Tilly Thomas a seamstress and Dan Rogers a mechanic who lives in Caulfield Place. Tilly becomes a lodger, Dan has two girls Bubbles and Penny-Farving nicknames. They are always up to mischief.
Edwin Finch takes Chinese Lady out for the day, and they break their journey home to have tea and toast at a hotel. But after a visit to the ladies, Edwin can't be found. Where has he gone?
The clue finally comes from Cassie, which Boots had remembered in a discussion with her earlier.
Looking forward to no 7.

[Jennsie]

A good continuation of the series with the return of the same characters and an introduction to new ones. The plot is predictable, and I knew half the way through what the parrot with saying and the plot. However, it’s still a good story.

[Alice Leak]

Another wonderful instalment in the Adams family saga. I am loving this series and can't wait to read more

[Dorcas]

3.5 stars
A good mix of old and new characters with no lagging storyline. Kept my interest

[Vera Petrovic]

as wonderful as almost all books of the Adams family .Love Cassie as well who is so attached to young Freddy Brown that she seems to know she wants a future with him and they are such a fun couple as almost all the cockneys in these books and matriarch Chinese Lady is a jewel in her own way xo

[Rob & Liz]

Mystery set in the Walworth area of London.

Liz

[Lynn Smith]

A good read and continuation of the Adams Family story.