Published in 1943, in the middle of World War II.

The Mortons (mother, elder son David and 9-year-old twins Dickie and Mary) are evacuated to Shropshire during the war, while the father is on the front. The children explore the area, make new friends and form the Lone Pine Club, whose aim is "exploring and watching birds and animals and tracking strangers". Mysterious strangers, kidnappings and explosives are all part of this gripping tale.

This is the first Lone Pine book, a series of 20 novels published from 1943 to 1978. It's a story clearly influenced by other British authors of adventure works for children like Arthur Ransome ("Swallows and Amazons" series) and Enid Blyton ("Famous Five" and other series).

Like the adventure works of Ransome and Blyton, here we have a group of children enjoying their holidays playing outdoors and exploring with their friends. This story is perhaps not as gloriously idyllic as Swallows and Amazons, or as tightly plotted and exciting as many of Blyton's adventures, but at the beginning it features some very vivid descriptions of the Shropshire hills, enough to inspire the imagination and thirst for adventure of its young readers.

The story is about wartime spies and saboteurs. The children are involved but never have the full picture of what is going on, and only at the end they get the whole thing explained to them. That seems to me a weakness because, although it makes perhaps for a more realistic depiction of how children might get involved with something like that, it's not as exciting as stories where they knowingly defeat the bad guys. Oh, and the young twins are a bit annoying at times.

Still, a good read and a very nice children's adventure story, from a time when children still played outdoors all day instead of spending their time with the internet and social networks. ( )

The first in the popular Lone Pine series of novels (twenty in total).

Sets the standard for all the other books. However, it is firmly dated in the middle of World War Two, and the Home Guard and food,in particular, date it.

The book starts with a journey (two trains and a car). The Mortons get to meet Peter, and Tom, explore the area around Witchend, Hatcholt, The Long Mynd and Stiperstones, and have “adventures” – namely walking in the countryside, eating sandwiches outside, and building camp fires.

Eventually, we have a “mystery” surrounding Mrs Thurston, Jacob, John Davies and Mr Evans. The twins are detained at Mrs Thurston’s house, and subsequently freed.

Separately, each Lone Piner uncovers evidence that strangers have an unusual interest in the reservoir at Hatcholt.

Eventually, the German spies (for that is what they are) blow up the reservoir near Hatcholt. However, they are all captured due to the excellent work of the Lone Piners. ( )

First in the 'Lone Pine' series about a group of children who have adventures, mostly in Shropshire. This one is set in the war years; a family go to stay near the Long Mynd while their father is away, and get involved in a puzzling series of incidents.

A little dated, but very well written with good characterisation - I enjoyed it as a teenager, and enjoy it again as an adult - I re-read about every ten to twelve years. Delighted to have acquired a GGBP edition that holds the full text, after many re-reads of the abridged Armada edition.

Definitely recommended.

Longer review here: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/2020/07/mystery-at-witchend-by-malcolm-savi... ( )

In Raadsels om de Heksenhoek wordt het eerste avontuur beschreven van de Eenzame-Sparreboomclub (= Lone Pine Club ). ( )