The Mystery of the Burnt Cottage

The Mystery of the Burnt Cottage is the first in the series of

The Mystery of the Burnt
children's novels the Five Find-Outers by Enid Blyton. It was
Cottage
first published in 1943 and continues to be frequently reissued.[1]

Contents
Plot summary
Characters
References
External links

Plot summary
The novel centres on the mystery of who could have set fire to
Mr Hick’s cottage. The five children, Larry and Daisy Daykin,
Pip and Bets Hilton, and newcomer Frederick Algernon
Trotteville (later nicknamed Fatty from his initials), meet at the First edition cover
scene of the fire and end up solving the mystery together. Author Enid Blyton
Illustrator Joseph Abbey
Their suspects include an old tramp, a dismissed servant, a hostile
colleague, and the cook. They find certain clues: Broken-down Series The Five Find-Outers
nettles in a ditch, a footprint in a grassy field, and planes (which Published 1943
Mr. Hick mentions "flew over" the other day). Publisher Methuen

The children realise that as Mr Hick claims to have been in the Media type Print
London train when the cottage was burnt, but by his own report
he saw the planes which flew over the village at the same time, he is contradicting himself. Fatty finds
out that the cottage and the burnt papers Mr Hick describes as 'most important' were insured. The
children deduce that Mr Hick burnt his own cottage for the insurance money. The book also introduces
Inspector Jenks, who turns out to help the children and becomes a good friend of theirs.

Characters
Mrs. Minns - The housekeeper of Mr. Hick, who suffers from rheumatism
Clear-Orf (Mr. Goon) - The policeman of Peterswood
Mr. Horace Peeks - A former employee of Mr. Hicks, sacked for wearing Mr Hick's clothes
while Mr Hick was out and a suspect of burning down the cottage
Mr. Smellie - A learned scholar and former friend of Mr. Hick's. Also a suspect. Is obsessed
with papers and documents like Mr Hick
Miss Miggle - A kindly and gentle employee of Mr. Smellie
Hannah - The sister of Mrs. Minns who smells the fire before Mrs Minns even notices it
 Lily - An employee of Mr. Hick's and also reveals to be secretly dating Horace Peeks, as her
father will not allow her to even walk with him
Inspector Jenks - A good friend of the Five Find-Outers and an inspector of police, always
making Mr Goon nervous even though he is an extremely cheerful, kind and gentle man
Mrs. Hilton - Pip and Bets' strict mother

References
1. The Mystery of the Burnt Cottage at Fantastic Fiction (http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/b/eni
d-blyton/mystery-of-burnt-cottage.htm)

External links
Enid Blyton Society page (http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/book-details.php?id=218)
Summary and review of The Mystery of the Burnt Cottage (http://www.enidblyton.net/myster
y-series/the-mystery-of-the-burnt-cottage.html)

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This page was last edited on 10 September 2019, at 11:55 (UTC).

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