The Secret Seven

The Secret Seven is the first book in Enid Blyton's series of the same name. It is the opening title in a long sequence of short mysteries for younger readers.

The premise is a club rather than a character. Seven children have organised themselves into a society with rules, meetings and passwords, and the book's plot begins with the group following a lead in disguise through the snow to an old house. Because the detectives are children, the investigation has to be conducted around school and parental supervision, which is part of the format's appeal. The members are named and individuated, from Peter who leads the society to Jack, whose sister Susie keeps trying to join it and keeps being refused. The books take place during the school term rather than in the holidays, because the Seven go to day schools, which is unusual among the author's series.

Blyton published the series over two decades, and the books are deliberately short so that a reader can complete one in an evening. The series ran for fifteen books, and each one was written to be finished in a single sitting.