The year is 1940 and the British have their backs to the wall. Everyone is preparing for the battle that, as Winston Churchill said, would see the “whole fury and might of the enemy turned upon us.” Everyone including the young Miss Emily Seeton, London art teacher, who finds her strangely prophetic sketches do not go unnoticed by the secret services. At first suspected of being a fifth … columnist, she soon finds herself recruited by the dashing Major Gerry Haynes and sent to carry out a very special observance task at a rural Spitfire factory. Faced with bombs, sabotage and murder, Miss Seeton must summon all her courage – it is after all her nature to Keep Calm and Carry On! What people are saying about Miss Seeton: “Miss Seeton is a hoot! I was torn between laughter and eye rolling with each page turn. The characters are loveable and thoroughly British. This is a perfect specimen of classic British mystery.“ “What a joy Miss Seeton is. Why did I wait so long to read them? Splashy characters, lovely setting, and just plain funny.” “I’ve become a Miss Ess addict. Great characters that get better with each book. A must for anyone who loves a good British cozy with a twist, and surprising revelations of what a good brollie can do in a pinch.” “What a great series. This is one of the best in English light reading mysteries.” “Miss Seeton is a delightful sendup of the amateur sleuth. If your doctor has prescribed laughter as the best medicine, run and buy the entire series as fast as you can.” Editorial reviews: “A most beguiling protagonist!” New York Times “Miss Seeton gets into wild drama with fine touches of farce . . . This is a lovely mixture of the funny and the exciting.” San Francisco Chronicle “This is not so much black comedy as black-currant comedy . . . You can’t stop reading. Or laughing.” The Sun “Depth of description and lively characters bring this English village to life.” Publishers Weekly “Fun to be had with a full cast of endearingly zany villagers . . . and the ever gently intuitive Miss Seeton.” Kirkus Reviews “Miss Seeton is the most delightfully satisfactory character since Miss Marple.” Ogden Nash “I think, on the whole, Miss Seeton is the most loveable and entertaining of any of today’s fiction detectives. May she live forever.” London Mystery Selection
more
A classic. If you’ve not read any of the Miss Seeton books, you should. This one tells of her early life during The War and how she became invaluable to the war effort.
Interesting prequel to the Miss Seeton series
I have enjoyed all the Miss Seeton books.
Plain secretary to the rescue – but amusing and keeps moving.
A prequel to a series that successfully rounds out the main character of the books.;
Nice historical background for Miss Seeton
Although I have read most of the Miss Seeton books, this book is the best yet. This is a prequel so that we know something about her “powers” and even how she comes to have her infamous brolly (umbrella). She is young, passionate, and very patriotic. And is there a hint of romance for the young woman who swears she will never marry? She is a gentle heroine of WWII Britain. If you’ve never read Miss Seeton, start with this one and then plunge right in to her later life. You’ll enjoy them all.
Really enjoyed this book. Clever
What a fun read! This was the first Miss Seton book I have read, and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting this unique character. She has abilities that even she is unaware of as she commits her thoughts to charcoal and paper, and the result is something totally unexpected. The story is whimsical yet well plotted. Looking for a good escape? This might be the ticket!
A wonderful look at Miss Seeton in her youth. Excellent research on the time period!
Love the characters and can’t wait to read more!
I enjoyed the Miss Sefton character, an artist employed to do sketches at random in a Spitfire factory that was having problems with sabotage. Her placement was based on the theory that she might not be familiar with the manufacturing process, but her random sketches might show people or supplies that were out of order in the tightly controlled factory environment. Follow-up could help lead to the sabotageur. I found it more simply written than expected, the characters not given much depth. I enjoyed the book though, and will keep my eye out for other books in this series.
I found Miss Seeton’s service to her country to be as inspirational as it was unusual. Love the characters and am well into the other books in the series now. I would love to spend a fortnight with Miss Seeton in Plummergen – I’m sure we would stay busy and entertained while we solved the problems facing England.
I love ALL the Miss Seeton books. I always know I will be entertained by a clever, clean, relaxing, but not boring book.
I enjoyed the book immensely…though the romantic in me didn’t much care for the ending. I’ve just started my first Miss Seeton book (this apparently was the prequel) because I enjoyed this one very much.
Although the writing style was old-fashioned and therefore a bit challenging to follow at times, it was probably intentional to fit the time period. It was fun to read the backstory of the character.
The begining of a great series.
Enjoyed very much.
It had an interesting premise, but the book was only ok.
A satisfying beginning to the Miss Seeton series. Not being British it was an interesting and heart wrenching look into the struggles they endured during WWII and the first appreciation of Miss Seeton’s unique tallent.