The Mystery of Holly Lane

The Mystery of Holly Lane is a 1953 children's mystery novel by English author Enid Blyton, and the eleventh book in the Five Find-Outers series.

The Mystery of Holly Lane

First edition cover
Author	Enid Blyton
Illustrator	Treyer Evans
Language	English
Series	The Five Find-Outers
Genre	Children's novel
Publisher	Methuen
Publication date	1953
Publication place	United Kingdom
Preceded by	The Mystery of the Strange Bundle
Followed by	The Mystery of Tally-Ho Cottage

Plot

The Five Find-Outers — Fatty, Larry, Daisy, Pip and Bets — are together again during the school holidays. Bored without a mystery to solve, they decide to practise 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. Will Fatty solve this mystery?

Characters

The Five Find-Outers and Dog:

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

External links

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