Good Work, Secret Seven

The Secret Seven #6

by Enid Blyton

1

Genres: Childrens, Mystery, Adventure, Fiction, Classics, Young Adult, Middle Grade

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1954

About the author

See also:
Ένιντ Μπλάιτον (Greek)
Enida Blaitona (Latvian)
Энид Блайтон (Russian)
Inid Blajton (Serbian)
Інід Блайтон (Ukrainian)

Enid Mary Blyton (1897–1968) was an English author of children's books.

Born in South London, Blyton was the eldest of three children, and showed an early interest in music and reading. She was educated at St. Christopher's School, Beckenham, and - having decided not to pursue her music - at Ipswich High School, where she trained as a kindergarten teacher. She taught for five years before her 1924 marriage to editor Hugh Pollock, with whom she had two daughters. This marriage ended in divorce, and Blyton remarried in 1943, to surgeon Kenneth Fraser Darrell Waters. She died in 1968, one year after her second husband.

Blyton was a prolific author of children's books, who penned an estimated 800 books over about 40 years. Her stories were often either children's adventure and mystery stories, or fantasies involving magic. Notable series include: The Famous Five, The Secret Seven, The Five Find-Outers, Noddy, The Wishing Chair, Mallory Towers, and St. Clare's.

According to the Index Translationum, Blyton was the fifth most popular author in the world in 2007, coming after Lenin but ahead of Shakespeare.

See also her pen name Mary Pollock

Reviews

[Dr. Appu Sasidharan (Dasfill) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has almost everything that the readers want to see in the secret seven books. It has pranks, bonfires, fireworks, impersonations, robbery, trials, and mysteries.

There are some exciting events, like some from the group getting trapped inside the car, which was stolen. Will they be able to catch the car thieves? The author will answer it through this book.
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[Shreyas · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Good Work, Secret Seven' (The Secret Seven #6) by Enid Blyton.


Rating: 4.0/5.


Status: First read most probably. I don't recall reading this particular book during my childhood. [I had first read some of the Secret Seven books about 20 years ago. At present, I'm not sure which of these I had read earlier and which I haven't.]



Review:
Loved the mystery and the adventure.

I'm slowly warming up to Peter as a character; though he may be bossy, he does care for the members of his secret society. Like the earlier books, the boys did all the leg work.

It was good to see Pam contributing finally through her useful ideas. Still, there's a lot to improve in terms of utilizing the female characters to their potential and not reducing them to stupid characters who have giggling fits. Susie might seem intolerable and annoying, but it seems she is clever and resourceful enough to be a valuable asset to the Secret Seven Society. As of now, I think having her as a full-time member of instead either Pam or Barbara would have benefitted the Secret Seven Society. I do hope Pam and Barbara get an expanded role in the remaining books.

Indeed, it's a bit dated considering it was first published in 1954. Nonetheless, as a children's book, it is quite an interesting read even in today's time. As an adult, I also appreciated how they included the Fire Safety Code before starting on with the story.



Disclaimer: Ratings reflect the enjoyability factor of these books considering they are intended mostly for children. Not to be compared with my ratings and reviews for books primarily intended for YA and adults.

[Sandra Nedopričljivica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter i Janet su jedini svjedoci krađe automobila! Družina Sedam tajanstvenih odlučila je riješiti slučaj. Jesu li preuzeli pretešku zadaću?

[Bookish Indulgenges with b00k r3vi3ws · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read Famous Five and Secret Seven about the same time. I do not know if it is just me, but I found the Secret Seven mysteries to be a bit more mysterious… if you know what I mean.
But yes, all the early lessons I have learnt about friendships and life are from reading Enid Blyton Books early on. So I thoroughly encourage all children to read them. It is like passing a passage of life and the secret seven series is no different.

[David Sarkies · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Secret Seven hunt some car thieves
17 July 2014

The one thing that I like about these books is that they take a relatively short time to read (though that can be a problem in itself if you, like me, are writing a review on each of the books that you have read) and is quite entertaining as well. While the story itself was not all that bad, the edition that I picked up, which happened have been released in 2013, shows the much more modern response to Enid Blyton, especially with DON'T PLAY WITH FIREWORKS or warning to that effect just after the table of contents (it is actually somewhat more detailed, but it boils down to that, which makes me wonder if the original 1954 edition had the same thing written there). Mind you, the edition that I read also has a house blowing up on the cover (as well as reimagined drawings of the characters). Another interesting thing is that Secret Seven Fireworks seems to have similar aspects to this one (though I have not read that one yet so I cannot say for sure).
So, the rather short adventure (the Secret Seven adventures are always short and to the point, unlike the Famous Five ones in which the first half has them running around and playing before actually introducing the adventure) involves two of the seven (Peter and Janet) in the back of their father's car when a couple of car thieves jump in and steal it (only so they can get from point a to point b). While the father is none too worried about the event (simply because he got his car, and his children, back in one piece) the Secret Seven, who are always on the look out for an adventure, decide to investigate further. This, of course, leads them to some rather unsavoury places, including a cafe where the scum and lowlife of the town congregate.
So, while by this time there is little more to say about the book, or the series (simply because it is number six), it is still an enjoyable, and fast, read in which we get to see these children go out and solve another mystery. However, I am a little surprised that the front of the book does not have the warning DON'T CHASE CRIMINALS with a outline of the fact that criminals don't mess around and don't tolerate people sticking noses into their business, and that if they do see something suspicious, tell the police, don't go and investigate on their own. Okay, you may think I am over reacting, but if the publishers are concerned enough to put a warning in the book about playing with firecrackers, then maybe they should be just as concerned that children will be influenced by the story to go and attempt to bust open their local Hells Angels' chapter.

[Atharva Shah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Secret Seven Book 6
*Good Work Secret Seven*
This story is very much similar to various other SS books, especially the act of locating the suspects. It takes a bit from here and there and collaborates everything and builds a brand new story and amazes the readers. Susie, now, has truly become a main character and an antihero person. Scamper, the golden retriever is now much shown in the story. Peter and Janet are believed to be the most important SS members as they actually become victims to the crime of car theft and find important clues easily. The main story begins immediately after Susie's pranks. The book also gives a heavy recap for first time readers. The line "We haven't had meeting since ages" has really become so dull and monotonous as we see it in every book! Lol! Its a short and sweet book with some misleading and leadings as well. Also, the SS find out the thief by tracking the suspects with their address and contacts. Peter takes the role of a true leaders and appoints the SS committee for doing various tasks. A hint of character development and story building is also portrayed. Overall, as fair as expected. Nice Reading!!😎😇🙌

[sophie · Rating 1 out of 5]

okay furious tell me why peter calls the girls a 'couple of idiots' and says 'ive sometimes thought that youre not as good a secret seven member as the others are'. i think peter is what i think you call misoginistic because its always the boys that do the exciting stuff and the girls get left behind and told to do the boring stuff :(

my consensus of the 6 books is that the enemy famous five is without a doubt better. i enjoyed reading funny english words like 'helter-skelter' and 'bamboozled' in casual sentence. but in comparison to the epic adventures on private islands, moorlands, caravan holidays, lighthouses, etc etc, the secret seven just seem a bit lame sitting in a rot old garden shed around their flowerpot or whatever. also hate that the dog wasnt apart of the seven. thats another reason why the famous five is cooler. and i think that with as short as the books were, it didnt need seven people in the society. the famous five had much more detail in each character. i did like how after approximately every 3 pages of plot development they needed a refill of orangeade and chocolate biscuits to recuperate. i imagine that pace of living would make me very happy too.

[Nira Ramachandran · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you were a child in the fifties and sixties, Enid Blyton’s child detective series would have been an essential part of your existence. The Five Findouters and Buster, The Famous Five and Timmy, The Barney “R” Mysteries with Loony and Miranda, and of course, The Secret Seven with Scamper. In fact, The Secret Seven series has the largest number of books, fifteen in all, published between 1949 and 1963.
The sixth in this series, “Good Work Secret Seven” is an exciting mystery set in the week preceding Guy Fawkes Day. Unlike most of Blyton’s mystery stories, this adventure does not take place during the holidays, but very much when school is in session, so the young detectives have to confine their sleuthing to after- school hours, and still find time to complete their homework. The seven children, four boys- Peter, Colin, Jack and George, and three girls- Peter’s sister, Janet, Pam and Barbara form the group, the most important member of which is Peter and Janet’s beautiful golden spaniel, Scamper, who faithfully attends all the secret meetings, enjoys his share of goodies, and stands guard to prevent snooping by unwanted outsiders, especially Jack’s naughty sister Suzie, who delights in eavesdropping, uncovering their secrets and making them a laughing stock at school . The children are very serious about their Society, change the password regularly, (forget it equally, often) and meet several times a week, either in the garden shed at Peter and Janet’s house, as Peter is the Leader or at the homes of the other children. Their meetings are always accompanied by sumptuous eats: cakes, cream buns, chocolate biscuits and fruit provided by the host’s mother, and sometimes purchased with their own pocket money. Their meetings are becoming a bit routine and lacklustre, when Colin comes rushing in with a tale of a scuffle taking place in the bushes bordering the lane, and the seven are thrilled with the thought of a new mystery, but it turns out to be a damp squib. When the dejected children decide to forget all about mysteries and focus on fireworks and the coming Guy Fawkes Day, an accident occurs, and all their hopes of a smashing celebration peter out. Then one evening, Peter’s father picks up the brother and sister who were visiting their mother’s old nurse, and while the tired and overfed children snooze in the back seat, waiting for their father to collect a package at the station, the car is stolen. But the scared pair keep their heads and slide off the seat to remain hidden, and thankfully the car is abandoned by the thieves and the children escape unhurt. To their disappointment, their father feels that there is no need to report the theft as the car is undamaged. But the Secret Seven are not the kind to let go of things and they decide to find the thieves themselves. Much brainstorming takes place, but every lead they follow peters out, and they find themselves in the midst of a perplexing mystery, where they can’t make a breakthrough. Will they manage to help the police once again?

[Kirsti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another case of capturing theives, except these are car thieves who steal Janet and Peter's car while they are inside, in the backseat. A whispered conversation leads them to the thieves, and busts a bigger racket than their father gave credit for, since he didn't even bother reporting the car theft.

Another quick mystery knocked out of the park, but these are starting to get repetitive. Four stars.

[mishall ✧]

AHH i remember being obsessed with this series when i was younger!
i don't remember a single thing that happened in this book, but i know i read it so 😭

[Tara Book Queen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ella enjoyed this and we enjoyed Peter dressing up as a 'guy'.

[Reyansh Passari · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was fun reading this book. I enjoyed the part where Peter and Jack were arguing.

[Philip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another pretty average addition to the epic, sprawling saga of the Secret Seven. This one has everything; the Secret Seven stumbling on a mystery completely by chance, disguises, a summerhouse nearly burning down, a villain with half a finger missing (why do all the badies all have conveniently noticeable disfigurements. I'd give anything for a badie whose defining characteristic is narcolepsy). Oh and a bad guy who DROPS HIS GLASSES CASE WITH HIS NAME AND TELEPHONE NUMBER WRITTEN IN IT at a crime scene.

The book starts with another classic Suzie prank. I love this girl more and more every day, she is more consistently-written and has more personality that the whole of the Secret Seven combined. The antithesis of Barbara in that respect.

Talking of mundane characters, we get to hear Peter's true opinion of Pam; "'That was a very good idea Pam,' he said. 'I've sometimes thought that you're not as good a Secret Seven member as the others.'" Savageryyyyyy

The rest is pretty standard, I can't remember it well enough to write about it. I did note down this rather disturbing quote though...

"'Where is [Scamper]?'
'He's gone into the kitchen to make love to our cook,' said Colin."

[Jake Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent mystery with a rather fun idea to solve it, some real adventuring for the gang with some actual jeopardy, and for the first time a fairly strong sense of character for four or five of the Seven at one time. This is the Secret Seven series at its best (whetting the appetite well for the more "grown-up" Blyton adventure series) so for that reason it gets four stars.

[Vishwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet and merry book. Has usual standards of basic secret seven books. Will hate Susie if u have read this.

[Maria Carmo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I go on on my New Year's periple of Youth books... And these are really a lot of fun---

Maria Carmo,

Lisbon 5 January 2020.

[Sahil (w7) · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a fantastic and awesome story.

[Martyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good Work, Secret Seven is a title that practically begs for an exclamation point of sarcastic disbelief rather than genuine enthusiasm. This sixth installment in Enid Blyton’s indefatigable series is a masterclass in absurdity, where youthful exuberance meets the criminal underworld, only to be met with a heady mix of bumbling incompetence and laughable luck. It’s a tale that surely must have been penned during a particularly foggy day in Blyton's imagination, where clarity was cast aside like the very fireworks that threaten to blow this plot sky-high.

As the story kicks off, we find our illustrious seven—Peter, Janet, Jack, Barbara, George, Pam, and Colin—once again grappling with the most mundane of childhood dilemmas: what to do with all that time and no adult supervision. Naturally, their first order of business is to be mercilessly tormented by Susie, Jack's sister, whose talent for mischief is as underappreciated as it is effective. Her latest prank involves sending the Secret Seven on a wild goose chase, which, let’s be honest, would likely have been more thrilling than the actual “adventure” that follows.

Susie’s ruse leads the Seven to a shed. Yes, a shed. One can only marvel at how a group of seven children can be so easily duped into thinking a dusty old shed holds the key to anything more than perhaps a rusty lawnmower or a colony of spiders. But alas, in the world of the Secret Seven, this antic represents high stakes and perilous mystery. For a fleeting moment, you might believe the story could pivot to something vaguely interesting, but rest assured, Blyton is not one to indulge in such flights of fancy.

The plot thickens—or rather, coagulates—when Peter and Janet’s father’s car is stolen. Now, before you clutch your pearls, understand that the car thieves in this tale seem to have graduated from the school of criminal incompetence, as they abandon the car almost immediately, leaving Peter and Janet untouched. It’s the sort of criminal behaviour that leaves one pondering whether these car thieves might not, in fact, be part of the Secret Seven themselves, given their shared aptitude for getting absolutely nothing done.

Meanwhile, Bonfire Night looms on the horizon, an event that promises to inject some much-needed excitement into the proceedings. But once again, Blyton dashes any hopes for high drama when Scamper, the loyal but obviously pyrotechnically-challenged dog, manages to set the Secret Seven’s entire stockpile of fireworks ablaze. It’s a tragedy of epic proportions, not because of the lost fireworks, but because it marks yet another moment where Blyton could have let something interesting happen, only to extinguish it with all the fanfare of a damp sparkler.

But fear not, dear reader, for there is still the investigation into the car thieves! The Secret Seven, in their infinite wisdom, decide that the best way to catch these ne'er-do-wells is for Peter to disguise himself as a guy—yes, as in the effigy burned on Guy Fawkes Night. Here we have a crowning moment in the annals of juvenile detective work. Peter, presumably thinking that blending in with the local ragdolls will give him the upper hand, settles down in front of a café, no doubt blending in seamlessly with the regular clientele.

As you might predict, Peter’s cunning disguise and the Seven’s impeccable sleuthing skills bring the criminals to justice—or perhaps the criminals simply tire of the Seven’s antics and turn themselves in, it’s hard to tell. Either way, the Secret Seven triumph, or something resembling triumph, as they once again prove that even the most inept group of children can stumble into success given enough time and sheer luck.

Good Work, Secret Seven is a veritable romp through the fields of mediocrity, where the stakes are low, the tension is non-existent, and the characters continue to stumble through their “adventures” with a blissful ignorance that only childhood can bestow. It’s a wonder that Blyton didn’t name this book At Least They Tried! instead. For the discerning reader, it’s a reminder that sometimes, it’s best to simply let the fireworks burn out and call it a night.

[Roman Khan · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the funny parts is when Janet and Barbara looked at peter in the wheelbarrow that was pretending to be a guy. This book was about finding 2 naughty guys who stole peters dad’s car and there were 2 men inside. One was driving and one was just sitting there with his suitcase. Janet was sleeping and Peter was wide eyes opened like a wolf. The worst bit about the book was when they went inside Sid’s café and a few days later they went to the police station and said they went to Sid’s café and then the Policeman said “you never go there again”. That is a baaad place for gangsters.

[Daisy May Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bluntly determined, and full of that 'written whilst dinner was in the oven' Blytonian air, Good Work Secret Seven is a solid enough book, albeit one that I'd struggle to pick out of a lineup. The Seven have a mystery to solve through circumstance conspiring to present them with such, one of the boy characters says something spectacularly chauvinistic to one of the girl characters, and it's all done in time for tea. There's space here for a developing reader to test their independence (and indeed, their critical reading skills) but this will never be the highest of books.

[Steve Denton · Rating 2 out of 5]

** for my memory only*

None of the usual girls do this bit boys do that although Peter did tell Pam that he had always thought she was the weakest member ! Peter dressed up as a guy to watch for the men that stole the father's car.
Susie set them up again but Peter's father's car was stolen with them in it. Some robberies locally and the heard about Sid's place which was the café the boys stood outside with their guy .Sacamper knocks over a candle which sets off the fireworks but the police give them replacements as a reward.

[Farseer · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the Secret Seven books have a similar style, so if you like one you should like all. They are like the Five Fibd-Outers, only written for younger children, so the plots are simpler. But the idea is the same, a group of children who investigate mysteries in their own home town. Instead of Fatty as the leader, the Secret Seven has Peter.

In this one, we have more shenanigans regarding the rivalry with Susie, who once again finds out their password. She even makes a fake case for the Seven to investigate, just so she can laugh at them. In the end, the Seven find a real case, of course.

[Jenna Black · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I found my first dud in this series. It's not necessarily that it was badly written. I just found the story in this one a bit boring.

Complaints about Susie are getting really boring. Peter and Janet's father having Literally Zero reaction to his car - and his kids - being stolen was fucking psychopathic and the police rewarding the kids at the end with 200 fireworks honestly borders on an act of terror, even if I really try to suspend my disbelief. Also, the kids randomly setting a fire without any consequences was crazy work.

[Sohila Kaur · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book as a gift when I was eight. At the time I only read short story collections but dear god, did I love this one!
I got the first five books from a library near me. The library in my new school had these so I went ahead and issued them one by one and I started reading one book a week......
I read all the SS books, then I read all the Famous Five books.......
Reading has been one of the best activities I have discovered.

[Aviral Kochgaway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Secret seven stories are so good!
*SPOILER ALERT*
I can't say this was the best because in the last, I thought that the seven would go to that warehouse to see things from themselves. Instead a police arrived and asked everything about the prisoners and the guy with no finger. The seven could have gone there and observed it a bit and then go on their own to the police station to report the people and the stolen things over there in the warehouse.
But still a good book!

[Mario A · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say, I would read anything written by enid Blyton, also the books are a good gifting option for my nieces and nephews.

This particular book has an easter egg involving the famous five, whether it was out there intentionally I cannot tell, do read it to find out.

Also for day planners, for a person in their late 20's with fairly advanced reading skill, this would would take a little less than an hour to read.

[Sean Harding · Rating 2 out of 5]

Number six in the Secret Seven series and again one of the problems with this series is the way the characters, especially Peter are so unlikeable, in fact the only really character you end up cheering for is Jack's so called "annoying sister" Susie, and the books are at there most interesting when she appears, usually pranking the seven.

[Kylie Abecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I love the secret seven series, this one is far from my favourite. Regardless of the time the era in which the book is set, what parent doesn’t contact police when their car is stolen with their children inside? Also Peter is so obnoxious in this book he really becomes highly unlikeable as a character.

[Vinay Leo]

The Secret Seven series was the first “series” of Enid Blyton I came across, thanks to a book being passed on to me by my cousin. For a child, I think the series was fun. It made me want to explore the idea of forming secret clubs with badges and passwords and such. It is a box set I’ve acquired since then, and hope to reread soon.

[Saffron Mavros · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book series is meant for a younger age group, but thrilling and exciting nonetheless.

New plots, stunning escapes, and chilling mysteries keep you hanging on every word! And of course the descriptions of the elaborate meals that the seven have. Let's not forget the official "seven" meetings that each of us, deep down, wanted to be a part of, like those eavesdropping intruders.