Well Done Secret Seven

Well Done Secret Seven was the third book of the Secret Seven Series. It was followed by the book Secret Seven On The Trail and preceded by the book Secret Seven Adventure

Plot
The Secret Seven abandon their meeting shed for this adventure—it is obviously summer, and they are all 'melting'. After drinking some orangeade, and taking the biscuit tin with them, they wander around Windy Woods in search of a likely-looking tree in which to build a tree house. They find one, and return the next day with the necessary boards, rope, cushions, rubber sheet (to keep the cushions dry at night) and plenty of sustenance in the form of chocolate, orangeade and biscuits. I love Janet's comment during their first meal up the tree: "It's funny how grown-ups don't like us to eat just before we have a meal...I could eat six of these super biscuits and still feel hungry for my lunch!"

During their second trip to their new meeting place, Scamper comes out of his "sentry-box" (a hole at the base of a nearby tree), barking at an intruder—a boy with a kitten. The boy hears the Seven up the tree, but retreats from the growling Scamper and vows to come back later when they are not there.

The next morning the Seven discover biscuits missing and a half-empty lemonade bottle. The girls, Colin and Jack seem to think it's a squirrel, but Peter and George can't believe a squirrel can open a lemonade bottle and replace the cork!

That night Colin and Peter return to the tree to retrieve a book that may be ruined with the rain. They discover the strange boy, whose name is Jeff, along with his kitten hidden in the tree house. They let the frightened boy stay the night and return with the rest of the Seven the next morning to hear his story. A strange story it is too—his uncle and a man called Mr Tizer were talking while he was half-asleep on the couch, and they are after him because they thought he heard something of their plans. He can't remember much though—they said something about MKX, a red pillow, a grating, the date Thursday the 25th, and Emma Lane.

The Seven can't make head nor tail of this, and Peter consults his father who is inclined to think that the boy, Jeff, is lying. When the Seven return to the treehouse he is missing, but has left the kitten and a note saying that Mr Tizer and his uncle have found him. Janet takes the kitten in, and the Seven begin to agree with Peter's father—the boy must be very bad to leave his poor kitten behind. They do begin investigating their strange clues regardless of what they think of Jeff, after Colin and George decide to meet at Ember Lane and mishear each other, thinking that they are saying "Emma Lane". This sets them on the track of puzzling out the other clues, and suddenly everything ties together nicely and the police are called in for a most thrilling finish!

The ending of the book is probably the most exciting of all the Secret Seven books—the children viewing the whole thing from a window of an abandoned building in Ember Lane—at the express invitation of the Inspector. Jeff's mother reappears from hospital, completely recovered, and Jeff can also live happily ever after.



