Mystery mine (by Malcolm Saville)

(Amazon UK link)

As a teenager I wondered if I would still want to read Malcolm Saville’s ‘Lone Pine’ series in my twenties or thirties. In my forties I wondered if I would still want to read them in my fifties. Now I’m in my sixties, I’m just over half-way through yet another re-read, this time with most of the books in the full ‘Girls Gone By’ editions, rather than the abridged Armada editions from my teens. I no longer read them all over the course of a few weeks, but spread out, at a rate of about one a month, with other books in between.

I’ve just finished the twelfth Lone Pine book, ‘Mystery Mine’. This is the one book which I never managed to acquire in Armada - I’m not sure why. But since each book stands alone, it was never a problem; I would simply re-read the series without this one. And since my favourites were the first seven and the last seven, in my last reread (when I missed out the middle six) I didn’t even notice that I didn’t have this book.

All of which is a lengthy way of saying that I came to this as if I had never read it before. It’s possible that I read a hardback edition when staying with my grandmother as a child, but if so, I had no recollection at all of the storyline. I wasn’t even sure whether one character was a goody or a baddy until towards the end of the story.

Most of the story takes place in Yorkshire, where Harriet Sparrow’s grandfather has just bought an antique shop, exchanging it with a fellow dealer who wants his one in London. Mr Sparrow is close to retirement age, and has had enough of being in the middle of a city. He invites the Lone Piners to stay on his property - he had a caravan, and plenty of space for camping, and so after some discussion (and a bit of disagreement) David, his twin siblings Dickie and Mary, Peter, Jon and Penny all converge and find themselves in the middle of an adventure.

Mr Sparrow has been approached with an offer of buying his new acquisition at a higher cost than he paid for it, but he has no wish to sell. The offer then becomes rather more pushy, and he starts to feel resistant. Some of the Lone Piners spot a trespasser climbing down an old mine shaft on the property - and others come across a man whom they’re sure they recognise from somewhere, although his appearance is a bit different…

It’s an exciting book, and alongside the story there are some excellent interactions between the Lone Piners. Penny loses her temper more than once, but also displays immense courage and loyalty. Jon finally realises that Penny isn’t just an irritating cousin whom he’s fond of, but means rather more to him, although it’s not stated openly. The twins are on good form, but Mary’s special friendship with Peter is emphasised again, and she’s separated from Dickie in the climax to the book.

It’s the characterisation that makes these books so very enjoyable and re-readable; I feel as if I know them, which is why I used to feel such a sense of loss when I finished re-reading the entire series one after another. Reading in the GGBP editions makes them all the more believable as there are many more conversations and character-based interludes that don’t add much to the plot, so were removed when the books were abridged. Not that I’m aware of the abridgements in this book of course, as it all felt new to me. And what a treat it was, reading as if for the first time.

Of course I knew it would end well, as these books always do, although I had no idea the climax would be quite so tense. I’m pleased finally to read the short section where Harriet is officially accepted as a new member of the club, even though she hasn’t yet been to Shropshire to sign herself.

Definitely recommended, but best read as part of the series. Unfortunately the GGBP edition is currently not in print, and not easily available, but is sometimes available for sale on one of the Facebook book groups. 

Review copyright 2021 Sue's Book Reviews