Rereading: CHIMNEY COTTAGE by M. E. Atkinson

Cover and illustrations by Dorothy Craigie

The eleventh book in Atkinson’s holiday adventures series featuring the Lockett children and their friends shows the formula stretched to the breaking point. Long gone are the relatively simple stories with Oliver, Jane, and Bill Lockett as the main focus, this one doesn’t even take place on a holiday break. And the new illustrator’s work is quite awful, with barely recognizable images.

Much of the book takes place in London with Evelyn Standish and her friend Veronica as the main characters. They also sparked the story in the last book, “Problem Party.” Evelyn is a fan of the Locketts, and wants to form her own gang for having adventures. They meet a boy, Rickie, in the park who seems interested, and he has a cousin, Caspar, who lives in his house who Evelyn wants to include, but Caspar proves difficult to befriend. He’s a musical prodigy, spending most of his time practicing the piano, when he isn’t laid low with health issues. Veronica finally gets to know him and becomes his friend, and she and Evelyn hatch a wild plan to kidnap Caspar’s doctor, who they think is not helping him, in a remote cottage in the country. Evelyn even asks Lockett nemesis Fenella for help with their plan. Soon Jane and Bill Lockett and another friend, Terry the boy detective, are also involved, trying to stop this dangerous plot. Everyone comes together at Chimney Cottage for the surprising finale.

Mildly recommended this time, when the Locketts get involved things improve.

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