The Mystery of Banshee Towers
 First edition cover | |
| Author | Enid Blyton |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Jenny Chapple |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Five Find-Outers |
| Genre | Children's novel |
| Publisher | Methuen |
Publication date | 1961 |
| Preceded by | The Mystery of the Strange Messages |
The Mystery of Banshee Towers by Enid Blyton is the last children's novel in a series of fifteen known collectively as The Five Find-Outers and Dog. The series ran from the mid-1940s to this one, published in 1961.[1]
Plot summary
During a holiday from school, the children are told by their parents to spend their time visiting sites in the adjacent countryside, rather than spend their time in the village searching for mysteries. Together, they visit an old stately home (Banshee Towers) which is hosting a selection of famous sea paintings, which Ern and Little Bets love. The Towers are apparently haunted, with wailing noises regularly driving visitors away. The plot hinges on the fact that, on subsequent visits, Ern spots that a little boat he particularly admired in the piece de resistance of the collection is missing. On pointing this out to the owner the children unknowingly place themselves in great danger. After investigating, they discover that the owner of the Towers has been conspiring with an art forger and a second member of staff to replace the collection with copies and sell off the original. The novel ends with Fatty saying that they will get many more mysteries to solve.
Characters
The Five Find-Outers and Dog
- Frederick Algernon "Fatty" Trotteville – the leader of the Five Find-Outers
- Laurence "Larry" Daykin – a member of the Five
- Margaret "Daisy" Daykin – a member of the Five
- Philip "Pip" Hilton – a member of the Five
- Elizabeth "Bets" Hilton – a member of the Five
- Ernest "Ern" Goon – Mr Goon's nephew and the Five's friend
- Buster – Fatty's jet-black Scottish Terrier
- Bingo – pet dog of Ern
The Police Force
- Theophilus Goon – the local policeman and a rival of the five
- Superintendent Jenks – the police superintendent and the five's friend
The "Jolly Bad Lot" persons
- Flint
- Mr. Engler
- Poussin
- Francois Henri Ortalo