This was my mum's book before it was mine, and I remember it very fondly. I hadn't seen the adult framing until I reread it as a grown up (grandparents forced to sell house because of money worries, mother being sent away for a break from the children 'to the good sea air') it's very light touch. For the kids, it's the discovery of a secret house lost in the woods, a treasure map hidden in the chimney, using compasses and cleverness and always staying one step ahead of the bad guys, and getting cake :-) ( )

This is, in my opinion, one of Blyton's best book. It has mystery, excitement and adventure. One gets caught up in the story as though one were a member of the Greyling family hoping to find a solution to the lost fortune. ( )

1966 dustjacket