Five Have a Mystery to Solve
Five Have a Mystery to Solve is the twentieth novel in the Famous Five series by Enid Blyton. It was first published in 1962. As the penultimate book in the Famous Five series, it follows the usual formula of finding secret passages, drinking ginger beer, hunting treasure, and foiling evil-doers.
 First edition | |
| Author | Enid Blyton |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Eileen A. Soper |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Famous Five series Characters: Julian, Dick, Anne, George And Wilfrid |
| Genre | Mystery, Adventure novel |
| Publisher | Hodder & Stoughton |
Publication date | 1962 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover and paperback) |
| Preceded by | Five Go to Demon's Rocks |
| Followed by | Five Are Together Again |
Plot
The book starts out with the Five riding their bikes to the coast near Whispering Island. There they meet wild Wilfrid, and befriend him, although with a few upsets. Despite the Five's resolve to keep adventures out, they get stranded on Whispering Island, the island which is rumoured to have strange goings-on, as described by Lucas, the man who works at the golf-course on the coast (formerly one of the guardians of the island, recruited by the original owners). When Wilfrid accidentally finds out that someone is stealing the old treasures of the island, he needs to find out who, along with the Five.
As they climb into the grounds of the castle to find the stolen treasure, they get locked up in a cellar with the stolen treasure by the thieves. Before the they came back, the Five and Wilfrid used the items inside the cellar and escaped up a "ventilation hole", as described by Dick (This is a typical way of escape that Enid Blyton uses). The thieves bewildered, the Five manage to escape the cellar and run to the coast, along with flinging a table at some of the thieves as well. the Five managed to escape the cellar, but as they were tired out, decided to risk sleeping on the island and give up trying to look for WIlfrid's boat (the transportation Wilfrid originally used to get to Whispering Island when the Five (without Wilfrid) got stranded). The men stealing the treasure tried to escape using Wilfrid's boat, Anne and Timmy-dog managed to shoo them away from their boat and the men ended up escaping in their own. After this development, the Five and Wilfrid began to feel excited, and Anne convinced the others to row back to the coast and into Wilfrid's cottage.
Enid Blyton then quickly describes the Five and Wilfrid's day with the police, and skips over to the part where the Famous Five and Wilfrid are right beside the cottage enjoying themselves. Enid Blyton resolves the book happily.
Real Locations & Characters
Whispering Island is thought to be based on Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour.[1]
Lucas is thought to be based on the groundsman of the Isle of Purbeck golf-course, which her husband owned.[2]
Film adaptation
A 6-part Children's Film Foundation film serial was produced in 1964, directed by Ernest Morris. The film starred David Palmer (Julian), Amanda Coxell (George), Darryl Read (Dick), Paula Boyd (Anne), and Michael Wennink (Wilfrid). Filmed mainly on location in Cornwall, United Kingdom, and at Bushey Studios, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom. On one occasion, Enid Blyton visited the set during the filming and spent the day with all the cast and crew.