Emily Seeton, aka Miss Seeton, Miss Ess, or the Battling Brolly, is the fictional heroine in a series of British cosy mystery novels written in part by Heron Carvic; then following Carvic's death, by Roy Peter Martin, writing as Hampton Charles (I guess preferring to focus more on his own "The Superintendent Otani Mysteries" under the name of James Melville); then picked by Sarah J. Mason (writing as Hamilton Crane), before branching out on her own with the “Trewley & Stone” series .
In each book, we find Miss Seeton using her skills as an art teach as she randomly draws psychologically and, perhaps, psychically informative sketches that allow Inspector Delphick of the Yard, and his assistant Bob Ranger, to solve the crime. The primary storyline is the seemingly naive and oblivious Miss Seeton finding herself in awkward situations, then managing to provide enough random clues and insights for the detectives to use to solve these mysteries.
I have read a number of titles in the series (of which there are 23 - 22 and a prequel). The character of Miss Seeton is standard cosy fare (elderly spinster involved in solving crimes); the villagers, distinctly unique (reference "The Nuts"); the crimes predominantly local with a few trips further afield; the community, typically English of the 1950s style. Whilst the first five stories were original and charming, as the series goes on, it does get a bit repetitive, and with so much crime in one sleepy village, I'm surprised Scotland yard has opened a branch there! In the end, Miss Seeton comes across as a poor man's Miss Marple crossed with Inspector Clouseau as the final author, I feel, struggles to provide anything original with which to involve our heroine.
So a little synopsis of the titles (those I have read are prefaced with ***):
Heron Carvic Books:
*** Picture Miss Seeton: our introduction to Miss Seeton and the story behind "the battling brolly". In this outing we are faced with kidnappings, a drug ring, series of untimely deaths of rich elderly people.
*** Miss Seeton Draws The Line: series of child murders, robberies; introduction of the recurring character of reporter Amelita Forby.
*** Witch Miss Seeton: heroine is call in to infiltrate the latest witchcraft craze, Mss Ess takes on a teaching role and (unofficially) joins the Yard.
*** Miss Seeton Sings: setting is Geneva, with Miss Ess on a mission for the FO and Bank of England; art fraud, and attempt on her life, introduction of Thrudd Banner, investigative journalist.
*** Odds On Miss Seeton: gambling and a casino are the setting, a day at the races, a shooting, a death, a kidnapping.
Notable lines:
"... she is one of those people things happen to - or she happens to them .."
"... arm her with a brolly and all hell let loose. But take it away and everything quietened down at once .."
Hampton Charles Books:
Miss Seeton By Appointment: Buckingham Palace, a traitor, royal treasures.
Advantage Miss Seeton: tennis anyone?
Miss Seeton At The Helm: luxury cruise to the Greek islands, warring art experts.
Hamilton Crane Books:
*** Miss Seeton Cracks the Case: highway robbery and a series of break ins linked to the past.
Miss Seeton Paints the Town: best kept village competition, arson.
Hands Up, Miss Seeton: Miss Ess is mistaken for a thief and jailed.
Miss Seeton by Moonlight: how to trap an art thief - with Miss Seeton at the centre of a sting operation.
*** Miss Seeton Rocks the Cradle: kidnapping case; feud between the Campbells and MacDonalds; revival of the Jacobite cause; lost gold mine.
*** Miss Seeton Goes to Bat: cricket is the word of the day, inter-village competition, burglaries.
Miss Seeton Plants Suspicion: hop-picking season, and the unsolved gruesome “Blonde in the Bag” murder.
*** Starring Miss Seeton: village pantomime of Cinderella is the back drop to a series of robberies baffling the Yard; a bomb is set off and a treasure uncovered.
Miss Seeton Undercover: konker battle, a popular TV cookery show in search of rare apples, gin party.
Miss Seeton Rules: Guy Fawkes Night sees modern day treachery and treason, and a vanishing princess.
Sold to Miss Seeton: a relentless storm, a visit to an auction house, an ancient chest.
Sweet Miss Seeton: artiste of the chocolate medium, a rejected muse, a gang of criminals.
Bonjour, Miss Seeton: a screening of Henry V, a trip to France, murder and mayhem at the grand bulldozer race.
*** Miss Seeton Quilts the Village: a wedding, mystery dating back to WWII with Roman silver, Nazi gold, wartime collaborators and modern-day bikers.
Miss Seeton Flies High: a production of Camelot at Glastonbury, a hot air balloon, a missing heir.
Watch the Wall, Miss Seeton: smugglers and poachers, and a fundraising concert.
*** Miss Seeton’s Finest Hour (prequel): backstory of Miss Seeton during WWII, wich features wartime sabotage and or course murder; enter the brolly (umbrella).
see also: The Singular Miss Seeton and Farrago Books
I like my elderly mystery solvers to be clever. Miss Seeton is portrayed as clueless, and much less interesting.
ReplyDelete