The Enid Blyton Society
The Mystery of Tally-Ho Cottage
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Book Details...

First edition: 1954
Publisher: Methuen
Illustrator: Treyer Evans
Category: Five Find-Outers
Genre: Mystery/Adventure
Type: Novels/Novelettes

On This Page...

Reprint Covers
Artwork
Review by Robert Houghton
Further Illustrations

Reprints

Wraparound dustwrapper from the 1st edition, illustrated by Treyer Evans


1st German edition published by Erika Klopp Verlag in 1961,
illustrated by Egbert von Normann with the title Mystery of the Stolen Picture
Foreign Titles
German: Geheimnis um ein gestohlenes Bild
French: Le Mystère du Caniche Blanc
Dutch: De Vijf Detectives – Het verdwenen schilderij
Spanish: Misterio del Cuadro Robado
Portuguese: O Mistério da Vivenda Azul
Swedish: Mysteriet I Jagarvillan
Danish: Mysteriet om den hvide puddel
Finnish: Metsästysmajan salaisuus
Icelandic: Dularfullu leikarahjónin
Czech: Tajemstvi Lisakova Doupete
Malaysian: Misteri Seri Keruing



Brief Summary by Julie Heginbotham: 'Priceless old picture stolen from famous gallery,' says the papers. 'Thieves just escape the net of police, leaving their dog behind. Police are looking everywhere for the Lorenzos.' The Find-Outers decide to keep their eyes and ears open for the thieves, returning to Tally-Ho Cottage, where an elderly couple called Mr & Mrs Larkin, are looking after the Lorenzo's much loved dog, Poppet. Happily Ern is on hand to watch the elderly couple's cottage in case they decide to creep back in the cover of darkness, and is a great help to the Find-Outers. Then clever little Bets says something to Fatty that makes him instantly aware of where the escaped couple could be hiding. Clever Bets!

Full Review (This may contain spoilers):

Robert Houghton's Review
The twelfth book, The Mystery of Tally-Ho Cottage is another fine tale, involving a stolen painting and its whereabouts. Goon's nephew Ern once again comes to visit, supposedly to help his Uncle, but inevitably he sides again with the Five. This time, he has a bigger role to play, and actually has four whole chapters almost to himself in the middle of the book, when he is given the job of shadowing the suspects.

The suspects are the Larkins; typical dirty, lower-cass villains, one might think, but actually 'fences' for the real crooks, the much posher Lorenzos. Once again, they are actors, (this time 'fourth-rate film actors') and once again disguise comes into the plot when they actually take the place of the Larkins. A host of clues point to this deception, including of all things, a stolen rubber bone(!) which provokes Fatty to wonder why the Larkins would steal such a thing when they ill-treat Poppet the poodle so badly. That's because, of course, by this time, Mrs. Larkin isn't Mrs. Larkin at all, but Mrs. Lorenzo, who's soft-spot for her pooch is to prove her downfall.

Once again, it is Bets who makes an idle remark, "I'm glad that horrrid Mrs. Larkin is so much nicer to dear little Poppet. She might be Mrs. Lorenzo the way she fusses her now" and solves the crime. The painting is hidden in the dear little poodle's rug, wrapped in greaseproof paper, "quite unharmed". And, as Mrs. Lorenzo so aptly states as she turns to her husband, "Bill — the game's up!" These illustrations are hidden by default to ensure faster browsing. Loading the illustrations is recommended for high-speed internet users only.