Another glorious trip into the past with Arthur Ransome and his intrepid adventuresome children heroes. This one takes place in Norfolk and our heroes (who come from an interesting mix of classes which is never commented upon and is mainly noticeable in their different turns of speech) are being framed as boat vandals. They play detectives, led by Dorothea (Love that he always includes girls who are strong, smart, capable and independent!) and successfully find the villains. A strong environmentalist bent, including awareness of species extinction, makes the book seem curiously up to date, as the children are all devoted to protecting birds and their nests.

This story has become one of my favorite Swallows and Amazons stories.

the spirit of Agatha Christie walks the Norfolk Broads...

The Swallows and Amazons series returns to the Norfolk Broads for the sequel to Coot Club. There is an outbreak of setting boats adrift at night and this seems to happen wherever the Death & Glory boys (Joe, Bill and Pete, easily the most working-class of all Ransome's heroes) are. Tom, the local doctor's son and the Ds (science minded Dick and story-writing Dorothea, to whom we were introduced in Winter Holiday) help the pirates to clear their name. Alibis and assistance are provided by when the lads fish for eels and for pike. As a detective story it is childishly easy to identify the real culprit but as always the real excitement comes from the sailing, the fishing and, of course, the thrill of living in your own boat. And the characterisations are superb.

Another old-fashioned story with a slow build-up but the characters and the pitch-perfect observations and the gentle humour make it a page-turned from the start.

Love this one! The ingenuity and persistence of the kids as they gather evidence to defend their innocence. So frustrated with the adult investigators, though, that they automatically condemn the coots and won't listen to them, particularly when what they're accused of is so out of keeping with their characters. Of course, the kids made mistakes a couple times by running away instead of doing good they could have done. It's understandable, but it made them look guilty.

Joe, Bill, and Pete are fixing up their boat, the Death and Glory, with bunks, cupboards, and a little stove, so that they can camp out on the river all winter long. When someone starts casting off boats in the middle of the night, it gets blamed on the boys, and they have to prove their innocence. With the help of Coot Club members, Tom, Dick, and Dorothea, they start their own detective agency to track down the real culprits.

As always, I adore this interesting story, full of nautical knowledge and adorable characters. The plot really keeps the mystery moving as each clue comes to light, and the desperation and anxiety of the characters keeps the tension high, even if some of the plot points are a little predictable. The story is not so much about the mystery, as it is about how the characters follow the mystery.

Each character is so REAL, with their own little quirks and funny ideas different from the others. Young Pete is one of the most hilarious characters, because he is SUCH a child. Just like a real child with silliness and seriousness and his own mistaken ideas about the little world he lives in. The things he says are just so boyish and REAL. A little boy actually says just those sorts of things. I love how all these characters come to life on every page!

Reading this for the 3rd time, I love it just as much as the first time! Coots Forever!