Saucers over the Moor (by Malcolm Saville)

While not, in general, a fan of adventure novels, I always liked Malcolm Saville's 'Lone Pine' series about a group of teenagers who solve mysteries and find excitement in Shropshire and elsewhere. As a teenager I collected almost all these books, and re-read them about twenty-five years ago. A few months ago I decided to read them again - interspersed with others.

'Saucers over the Moor' is the eighth in the Lone Pine adventure series. I suppose I must have read it at least twice before, along with all the others, but - unlike most of the others - I didn't remember it at all. Possibly because it's not one of my favourites. There's very little character development in this book, for one thing. Coming, as it does, right after the enjoyable book 'The Neglected Mountain', it was a bit disappointing.

Moreover, although most of the books seem a bit unlikely, this adventure feels totally unbelievable, with secret service agents, flying saucers, and spies. As ever, the children are brave and resourceful, overcoming kidnappings, fights and imprisonment without any serious harm - something that would not be encouraged in children's literature today!

Worth reading as part of the series, I suppose, but it could easily be missed out altogether.

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 11th September 2009