I hadn’t read this series before, but it’s an enjoyable book nonetheless. Despite the time jump, it may not be the ideal series entry point, but it’s very readable & engaging.

Miss Seeton's inimitable approach to solving mysteries in rural England is once again featured in Crane's latest novel. For lovers of cosy mysteries and fine art.

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.

Another lively Miss Seeton novel in which she is set loose amidst a London deep into WWII. An enjoyable novel but still a bit of an imitation - sort of a cookie that you think will be chocolate chips and walnuts but ends up being carob and, like, hemp seeds. It's still a cookie but it doesn't really satisfy the sweet tooth all together. But, I"m willing to take my Miss Seeton in any form and this was neatly done. A recommend for sure.

Miss Seeton's Finest Hour, a prequel to the rest of the Miss Seeton series, has been reissued in ebook format. It gives Miss Seeton fans a chance to travel back in time to when she was only 29 years old, and doing her best to help with the war effort at the height of World War II. While helping with children left in wartime London and helping in the canteens, Miss Seeton somehow catches the eye of the government who sends her out to as an undercover detective to a factory producing Spitfires in the countryside where some sabotage is going on. The characters in this novel are well done as is the description of wartime Britain. I loved the first six novels of this series written by Heron Carvic. Then fourteen more were written by Hamilton Crane and some of them were good and some more mediocre. Of those produced by Crane, I have to say that this is my favorite and a worthy prequel to the series. Thank you Farrago and NetGalley for allowing me to review this title.

This book is a departure from the usual Miss Seeton novel. Instead of a lively tale of the elderly, retired Emily Seeton solving mysteries, Miss Seeton's Finest Hour jumps back in time to 1940. She's 29 years old, living with her mother, and helping in the British war effort. In spare moments when she isn't involved with the local canteen, Miss Seeton ventures out to draw. Her artwork, however, lands her in hot water, as a few of her drawings seem to show advance knowledge of military plans. Someone reports her as a possible fifth columnist. After a meeting with her, a local major is sure she isn't a spy, but he isn't quite sure what she is....how could such a quiet young girl figure out the things she sketches in her drawings? But he's determined to put her mind to work for England! Miss Seeton finds herself working in a Spitfire factory as a "war artist." She is to sketch things she sees at the plant and try to ferret out the cause of recent sabotage at the factory. When things escalate from faulty wiring in aircraft to serious accidents and murder, Miss Seeton finds herself in danger!

I loved this peek into Miss Seeton's past. The story not only shows what she was like as a young woman, but also explains a bit about her talent for knowing impossible things. It also sheds a bit of light on the reason Emily Seeton is a spinster. I liked the portrayal of war-time England.....girls carrying gas masks to work in a plane factory, sky lights pulled out and boarded over, windows taped and draped with blackout material, rationing and fear of spies. The plot was believable and not melodramatic. A very enjoyable read!

The Miss Seeton series has 22 books. The first five books were written by Heron Carvic, with the rest penned by Hampton Charles (Roy Peter Martin) and Hamilton Crane (Sarah J. Mason). Farrago's re-release of this series has brought it back to life! For the first time in 20 years, there will be a new Miss Seeton novel this year! Miss Seeton Quilts The Village will release in September!

I am so glad I found this series! I am a huge fan of similar characters like Miss Marple, Mrs. Pollifax, and Jessica Fletcher. Miss Seeton seems like an elderly version of Columbo....appearing a bit bumbling, feather-brained and scattered when actually she sees things quite as they are and expresses it in her art. The difference is that Miss Seeton knows things, but doesn't always realize or understand what she knows. Being an avid mystery reader since 1977, I am not sure how I missed this series. But I'm so glad to be reading it now!

**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from Farrago via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

Always, always when I read a Miss Seeton book I wonder, how did she get that way? Why did she never marry? Although we still don't know how she got her uncanny gift, we do know how she started solving crimes. Set during the early days of World War II, Miss Seeton's drawings come to the attention of MI5 because some suspect she's a spy.

After interviewing her, the Government puts her to work to puzzle out instances of sabotage in an aircraft factory. There she gets much more than she bargained for, including a couple of murders! Everything is solved and along the way we see the glimmerings of love.

Crane always fills the books with such wonderful detail about the time and the customs of people that reading them is such a joy. In this one she really captures the feel of what England was like leading up to the Battle of Britain. I finished it yesterday and I almost want to go back and read it again!

This is certainly a fun read but I prefer the 'proper' Miss Seeton who is an old spinster in the Miss Marple mould but who has the habit of stumbling into crime, trusty brolly at her side. The younger incarnation lacks some of the charm and humour of the older lady. That said, Miss Seeton fans may well enjoy this prequel that has their heroine spying for England!

A pleasant read dwelling on life in England during the early days of WWII. Depicts bumbling officialdom in scenes reminiscent of Dad’s Army and is quite amusing in parts. Miss Seeton is at first suspected as a spy and having been exonerated is appointed as a war artist to observe events in an aircraft factory. There is sabotage and murders and injuries by enemy bombing before matters are finally resolved and the enemy within dealt with. Unfortunately it is not very interesting for a reader who is a Londoner with firsthand experience of the period.

The story is set in WWII with Miss Seeton as an art teacher. She is very observant as is shown by her art work. After drawing the attention of MI5 she is ecruited into the war effort to help with some sabotage at a Spitfire factory.

There is enough here concerning the hardships of WWII in England to classify it as an historical novel..

Now that I know Miss Seeton exists (and that there are so many of her stories!) I can't wait to read more.

I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, the estates of Hamilton Crane and Heron Carvic, and Farrago in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

Heron Carvic began the tales of Miss Seeton and after his passing the tales were picked up by Hamilton Crane. This book contains a helpful glossary of terms not as well know by Americans as they are by Brits, as well as a link to Heron Carvic's essay covering the genesis of Miss Seeton.

This is an excellent historical novel, a prequel novel to the Miss Seeton series but totally stand alone. We have our excellent, comedic Miss Emily Dorothea Seeton in 1940, an elementary school art teacher pushing 30. Emily still lives at home with her mother Alice, in poor health since flu epidemic in 1919 and the death of her husband and younger child. There is much Emily would like to do for the war effort but she feels she must stay near her frail mother in her home village, so she volunteers with the Local Defence Volunteers, working at several troop canteens in surrounding villages to serve the British military. Until her art work, sketches done rapidly as she escorts the children to different outdoor attractions, is brought to the attention of the Ministry of Information who in turn involves MI5. But is she friend, or foe?

I found it very interesting after reading several of the Miss Seeton novels set later in WWII to meet this younger Miss Seeton. And to know a bit more deeply the person of Alice Seeton, often mentioned in later novels. This novel rounds out the personality of our Miss Seeton and reinforces the things that make her the staunch, patriotic woman we have come to know and love.

Interesting story. Realy good sense of the time and place where and when its set.

This book was provided by the publisher and NetGalley for my honest review.

I am a long-time fan of Heron Carvic’s Miss Seeton, having read the five originals from the library, acquired my own copies, and pre-ordered the electronic editions when they appeared. I’ve always avoided the further installments as being unlikely to capture all the magic. Recently, a trusted cozy mystery fan of my acquaintance has been plowing through the Hamilton Crane books. Thus when I saw this book at NetGalley, I was curious to read it for myself.

Is it Carvic’s Miss Seeton? Not quite. She says some of the right things, and others have some of the right reactions to her, but her inner life doesn’t ring true for me. The series of events and observations that bring her into the plot are appropriately Seetonesque, however.

For the rest, this was an pleasant cozy mystery with enjoyable characters and a good use of the wartime setting. I felt the plot became a bit cramped, fitting in the history lessons and setting up some Miss Seeton canon, but not unmanageably so.

Other readers should take my bias for Carvic’s creations into account; I enjoyed this book and other cozy fans may well enjoy it more. I won’t hesitate to look over more Crane installments in the future.

If you like a light mystery this is the series for you, this volume gives a bit of background to Miss Seeton and is perfect for her fans

Light-hearted, engaging, this was a lot of fun!

This is part of a series - and I have gone on to read several more with great pleasure.

An absorbing story, comical in parts and sad in others. Very authentic background to the story and captures the British attitude to adversity. Some great characters ands a fast moving storyline.

A school teacher who enjoys drawing. She draws/doodles everything she sees during war torn London.
But her sketchbooks come to the attention of the authorities; they wonder why she knows all about sensitive/secret codewords...they'd have to bring her in for questioning.
This book takes a different stance on WW2. and is the prequel to the Miss Seaton series.

I'd never read any of the Miss Seeton books,but I am quite a fan of WW2 books & need the occasional break from the usual psychological thriller/crime books I usually favour this seemed a good choice.

At first I found it rather hard going as the characters seemed more like caricatures, but I persevered and I'm glad I did. Once I'd got into the style of writing I enjoyed it. I really liked Miss Seeton and the quirky way she looked at things..

This was a gentle, not too demanding read. Thanks to Netgalley & the publishers for giving me the chance to read it.

This is the first book of this series that I have read. It is the story of a young art teacher who is sent to an aircraft factory during WW11 to sketch their daily activities in the hope that her sketches will unconsciously reveal who is sabotaging production. Miss Seeton is a clever, charming heroine, much in the style of a young Miss Marple. An enjoyable read.

Set just before the start of The Battle of Britain this tale immerses you in the paranoia and patriotism of an island fearing invasion from without (the Nazis) and within (fifth columnists) and yet retains the wry humor for which the Miss Seeton books are so justly famous. More of Emily Dorothea's early background is revealed and we learn why she is so concerned about her knees and how she comes to have an umbrella collection. There are also a number of unexpected tragic twists adding depth to the character who becomes the inimitable spry spinster whose talents once trapped traitors. In many ways this may be the best written novel of the series.

I am sad that it is also the last of the volumes as I haunted Netgalley for the rerelease of each of the 22 stories as they came out. I may just have to go back and start again at the beginning!