The Mystery of Holly Lane

1st edition (publ. Methuen)

The Mystery Of Holly Lane, published in 1953, is the eleventh book in Enid Blyton's Mystery Series featuring the Five Find-Outers and Dog.

Plot summary

The Five Find Outers - Fatty, Larry, Daisy, Pip and Bets - are together again in the school holidays. Bored without a mystery, they decide to practice disguising themselves and shadowing people. Larry dresses up as a window cleaner, and unexpectedly the five children come across a robbery at a house in Holly Lane, the windows of which Larry has cleaned. The house belongs to a blind old man, who has apparently hidden his savings somewhere in the furniture. When the man reports the money stolen, the Find Outers initially believe it to be a simple robbery, but then in the middle of the night, all the old man's furniture is mysteriously spirited away as well.

The suspects include Wilfrid, the old man's grandson, and his cousin Marian. When Marian herself disappears, suspicion falls firmly on her and bumbling village policeman Mr Goon is convinced she is the thief - but Fatty thinks differently.

Characters

The Five Find-Outers and Dog:

• Fatty (Frederick Algernon Trotteville)
• Larry (Lawrence Daykin)
• Daisy (Margaret Daykin)
• Pip (Philip Hilton)
• Bets (Elizabeth Hilton)
• Buster - Fatty's dog

Other characters:

• Marian - the blind old man's granddaughter
• Mr Goon - the village policeman
• Mr Henri - a Frenchman who is staying next door to the house in Holly Lane
• Victim - blind old man
• Wilfred - nephew of the victim
• Superintendent Jenks - a friend of the Five Find-Outers

Chapters

The book contains 22 Chapters.

1. OFF TO MEET FATTY
2. A LITTLE BIT OF HELP
3. IT'S NICE TO BE TOGETHER AGAIN
4. A FEW LITTLE PLANS
5. FATTY ENJOYS HIMSELF
6. A FEW REPORTS
7. WHERE IS BUSTER?
8. MR GOON GETS A SHOCK
9. THE OLD MAN IN THE BUNGALOW
10. GOON TAKES CHARGE
11. TEA AT PIP'S
12. STRANGE HAPPENINGS
13. SUSPECTS-AND CLUES
14. FATTY TELLS QUITE A STORY
15. FATTY GETS GOING
16. MOSTLY ABOUT WINDOW-CLEANERS
17. A TALK IN THE ICE-CREAM SHOP
18. A CHAT WITH WILFRID-AND A SURPRISE
19. AN EXTRAORDINARY FIND
20. NIGHT ADVENTURE
21. MARIAN
22. QUITE A PANTOMIME

External links

• The Mystery of Holly Lane at the Enid Blyton Society website