Saucers over the moor (by Malcolm Saville)

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I am thoroughly enjoying re-reading the ‘Lone Pine’ series by Malcolm Saville, all the more because I now have the full (unabridged) editions of the books. I’ve just finished ‘Saucers over the moor’, which is the eighth in the series. I last read it in 2009 in the abridged Armada version, and had entirely forgotten the storyline. It’s not one I had as a teenager, so I haven’t read it as many times as I have some of the others.

This story opens in Rye, when the teenage cousins Penny and Jon arrive home from school for the holidays. Penny has lived with Jon and his mother for three years while her parents have been working abroad, but they’re expected home at last. She’s excited to be seeing them, but also slightly nervous. They have written letters to each other, of course, but in a pre-computer era, letters were slow, and there were no video chats; even phone calls were few and far between.

Penny’s parents have decided to rent a large house in Dorset for a few weeks, and suggest that Penny invite the friends whom they have heard about in their letters. So a few phone calls are made, and before long six of the Lone Pine club are together again. David and his best friend Peter (who is a girl, really Petronella), and David’s twin siblings Dickie and Mary are happily reunited with Jon and Penny. A slightly odd man called Donaldson is there to welcome them, and is taken on as a cook and cleaner.

Meanwhile a young man, just slightly older than Jon and David, is hoping for a ‘story’ to write for the newspaper where he works. Dan lives not far from the house which Penny’s parents have rented, and meets Peter when she’s on her way there, in slightly unfortunate circumstances. He’s seen what seems to be a UFO in the sky - and strangely enough, so have Jon and Penny, before leaving Rye. Jon is very excited about the science behind flying saucers, and Dan thinks it would make a superb story. However Penny is cynical and Peter very unhappy about the topic.

Unsurprisingly there’s quite a dramatic adventure that unfolds, with this unusual storyline on a topic which the author was clearly interested in, though it feels more surreal than some of the other adventures. There are some amusing incidents involving the twins and their clever patter; there are also some quite dangerous scenes where the characters were quite fortunate to emerge unscathed.

It’s a good story, which I feel is much better in the full version (I have a Girls Gone By edition now). The abridged ones tended to cut out conversation and character development, and those are the parts of the books I enjoy the most. I like the way that each of the Lone Piners becomes more distinct as the series progresses. Jon’s scientific bent comes to the fore in this one, and we see Penny alternately irritated with him and thrilled to be noticed by him. Peter’s warmth and strength of character come out too, and David’s natural leadership skills are used in a low-key way.

Certainly worth reading as part of the series, and I’m already looking forward to the next one. It can be expensive new, particularly in the full versions, but can sometimes be found at better value second-hand. Recommended for teens who like adventure stories, and nostalgic folk like me who first read Malcolm Saville as a teenager.

Review copyright 2021 Sue's Book Reviews