Watch the Wall, Miss Seeton

Another delicious Miss Seeton the wonderful english spinster mystery.A new case to be solved a new adventure to follow her on.This is an addictive series grab it.#netgalley #fargobooks

I would like to thank Netgalley and Farrago for an advance copy of Watch the Wall, Miss Seeton, the twenty fifth novel to feature intuitive artist Miss Emily Seeton of Plummergen, Kent.

In Ashford DSupt Brinton is dealing with a spate of metal thefts while DCS Delphick of New Scotland Yard is in another part of Kent at the behest of Customs and Excise to investigate a murder they stumbled across while trying to catch a smuggling ring. Neither of them get very far with their cases and take the decision to bring in the heavy artillery, a consultation with Miss Seeton.

I thoroughly enjoyed Watch the Wall, Miss Seeton which, with its mixture of situational comedy and amusing dialogue, had me laughing from start to finish. I have been reading this series from the start and this is amongst the best, probably because my all time favourite character Superintendent Brinton has a prominent role. The crime element is the usual nonsense of bad guys getting caught by the police’s ability, after several false starts, to interpret Ms Seeton’s whimsical, insightful “scribbles”, but, as usual, this is not where the joy of the novel lies. It lies in the absurdity of the plot and the reactions of the various characters to events.

Miss Seeton, the ostensible protagonist, bumbles her way through events, unaware, in her naivety, of what is really happening, preferring, as a gentlewoman, to put the best interpretation on others’ actions and does her duty by producing her interpretation of events in her scribbles when asked to do so. She is an anachronism, even in 1975 when the novel is set, but no less sweet for it. In this novel the real protagonist is Superintendent Brinton, the much put upon head of CID at Ashford. His troubles, including a diet imposed by his wife, and his reaction to them had me laughing from first to last. He is such a natural British character.

Watch the Wall, Miss Seeton (a reference to smugglers) is a well conceived and executed novel which I have no hesitation in recommending as a great read.

I enjoyed Watch The Wall, Miss Seeton enormously. These books are always fun, but I found this one especially good.

The plot...oh, who cares, really? I mean, who reads Miss Seeton for the plot? They’re always slightly bonkers and this is no exception, involving metal theft, murder (quite a grisly one, too, by Miss Seeton standards), misunderstanding and, of course, smuggling. Hamilton Crane enjoys herself enormously with the Kipling song and other literary references, even introducing a couple of minor characters with names from classic novels for us to spot. Miss Seeton is her usual benevolent self, Plummergen’s characters are as wonderful as ever and the MissEss’s inspired artworks solve the mystery as always.

It’s terrific fun, but the real pleasure here is the writing, which is witty, deceptively insightful into character and extremely skilful. I offer a couple of very brief examples which I enjoyed:
“In the post office, the regular gossips were gathered to discuss the latest doings, and to dissect the characters of the absent in a spirit of genial malevolence.” And this, after a character has used a number of (implied, of course) obscure and original swear words in the course of being arrested: “The voice of [spoiler redacted] was raised in more vocabulary-enhancing protest as he was led away...”

Profound literature or gritty thriller it ain’t, but the whole thing was a real pleasure to read. I don’t want to make direct comparisons, but there are hints of the prose style of people like P.G. Wodehouse, Margery Allingham, Colin Watson and others, while keeping a distinctive voice of its own. If you like that sort of thing, you’ll like this. Warmly recommended.

(My thanks to Farrago for an ARC via NetGalley.)

Watch the Wall, Miss Seeton by Hamilton Crane was another delightful addition to this series. I can always count on this series to provide me with an afternoon of mystery, chaos and laughter.

Miss Seeton is so naive in spite of everything that she saw during the war. Her naivety also allows her to be kind to even the worst of the scoundrels that cross her path. The mysteries this time provided the readers with more time to spend with Superintendent Brinton and Tim Foxon which was also fun. DCS Delphick does make an appearance along with Bob Ranger but not as often as usual in this series. The mysteries, there are two this time, are both in Kent and both need the gentle guiding hand of Miss Seeton and her intuitive sketches. I love this series and couldn't have asked for a better way to spend my afternoon.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Farrago via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.

I love this humorous and amazing series and I loved this installment.
It was funny and entertaining and I couldn't put it down.
Miss Seeton was amazing as usual and the cast of characters likable, quirky and funny.
I look forward to reading another instalment.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Farrago and Netgalley for this ARC

Another great entry in the series! I love this British cozy series. The characters are always wonderfully eccentric and the mystery always make me think. A fun read. I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

Sarah J. Mason, writing as Hamilton Crane, has truly revitalized the Miss Seeton series that was first penned by the late Heron Carvic. "Watch the Wall, Miss Seeton," the fourth one under the Crane byline, proves just as fun, quirky and mischievous as the previous ones I’ve read, "Miss Seeton Quilts the Village" and "Miss Seeton Flies High."

Miss Emily D. Seeton, a retired art teacher and spinster, becomes embroiled in looking into two cases, with the novel set in 1975: one of the murder of a nosy poacher on behalf of Scotland Yard and another of some metal-pinching gang on behalf of Ashford C.I.D. Are the two investigations related?

The kind, humble Miss Seeton, who always looks for the best in others, more than holds her own in this novel, the 25th since the series first began in 1968. And the old girl triumphs, while not looking her age (probably due to her firm commitment to the advice of "Yoga and Younger Every Day"). Today’s readers will love Miss Seeton, and they’ll appreciate Crane’s poking gentle fun of 1970s fashion and mores, written in the same spirit as those novels of 50 years ago. I cannot wait to be reunited with Miss Seeton again!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Farrago in exchange for an honest review.

Another fantastical and utterly bizarre outing with the wonderfully eccentric, madcap Miss Seeton. This latest addition to the long running series finds our intrepid heroine up to her armpits in smugglers on the, normally calm and quiet, Kentish coast. An absolute joy from start to finish - Miss Seeton is a tonic for all of life's ills and evils and is not to be missed under any circumstances.

Another lovely Miss Seeton story, a satisfactorily comforting read for a chilly evening. These are ideal books for anyone who likes their crime a little bit old fashioned.

Another good read in the Miss Seeton series. This is number 25. I enjoy Miss Seeton's combination of innocence (always believing in the good of people) and yet not being shocked by the world. I like how the author has numerous mysteries going and yet can get them all tied together at the end.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion. - these are always a fun read.

Miss Seeton strikes again and does not disappoint. What better way to spend your reading time than with the quirky Miss Seeton? This has been such a fun series and I look forward to more. Thanks to Farrago and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have been reading this series for a very long time, I think I read the first one in 1996 and went through every one I could get my hands on. I liked that it was a lot like Miss Marple with an older Protagonist, I was on a reading spree of British mysteries. Sarah J. Mason, writing as Hamilton Crane, (14 books) has truly revitalized the Miss Seeton series that was first penned by the late Heron Carvic.

Watch the Wall, Miss Seeton, the twenty fifth novel to feature intuitive artist Miss Emily Seeton of Plummergen, Kent.. In this installment the protagonist seems to be Superintendent Brinton, the much put upon head of CID at Ashford. as well as Ms. Seeton. She will bumble along thinking the best of everyone and producing her interpretation of events in her scribbles when asked to do so.

It was funny and entertaining and Once I got into it, I couldn't put it down. Miss Seeton was amazing as usual and the cast of characters likable, quirky and funny.

I look forward to reading another instalment. in this fabulous series. If you haven't read the originals I do recommend doing so.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Farrago via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own..

Starting a new Miss Seeton novel, is like settling into a comfy armchair. First you wiggle around a little, until you find just the right place, then you sink into the story. One of the delights of this series is the respect that the senior policemen have for the elderly woman, “everybody’s aunt”. Of course the younger policemen are awed and respectful (this is Britain after all…), but she is treated with such care and respect by the powers that be. I’ll read anything in this series with delight!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

As anyone who follows my reviews will know, I do love a good mystery; quite especially a period mystery and I'm a great fan of Miss Seeton books!

Once again, we find ourselves steeped in the happenings of Plummergen, where Miss Seeton resides. For such a small place, there is plenty of gossip and usually some underhanded skulduggery going on in the neighbourhood. As with previous novels in this series, there are all the normal activities a small place is involved in and Miss Seeton is never far away from the heart of things.

Miss Seeton herself reminds me strongly of Miss Jane Marple; although there are few similarities in the way both ladies get to the bottom of things, there is definitely a resemblance and they can both be accurately described as 'gentlewomen'. When the police request the help of our heroine, her art proclivities come into play and she produces a sketch which she doesn't always understand, but as the evidence mounts up, the officers of the law find these drawings to be of considerable assistance in solving crimes. As always, this is a riveting read and one I struggled to put down but as I reached the final page, could happily close with a sigh of satisfaction that all the questions which were swimming around in my head had been answered, all puzzles solved, and everything was right in the world. If only real life was as organised! Beautifully crafted as always, well written and so enjoyable!

My thanks to publisher Farrago for my copy via NetGalley. This is, as always, my original, unbiased and honest review.

Watch The Wall, Miss Seeton is the twenty-fifth book in the A Miss Seeton Mystery series.

After a twenty year hiatus, Hamilton Crane has returned to bring this enjoyable series back to life. I started this series when Hamilton Crane took over the series from Hampton Charles and was sorry when it ended. But, rejoice, Miss Seeton is back once again ready to prepare sketches to help the police solve the mysteries that they are having a problem.

In this book, the reader gets to spend more time with Superintendent Brinton and his assistant Detective Constable Foxon with the Ashford Police Department and Chief Inspector Harry Furneux in a nearby community just over the county line from Brinton’s county. And of course, Chief Superintendent Delphick and his assistant, Bob Ranger, are around to work with Miss Seeton.

The police departments are looking to solve two different mysteries. One is that thieves are stealing anything metal, street signs, park benches, gates, and fences. They begin calling on scrap metal dealers in hopes that someone will be able to get them some clue as to who the thieves might be. The second is that a dead body is found in a field and police feel that it is the body of a poacher. But they soon believe that the poacher while setting his snares might have interrupted a smuggling operation. Finally, they call on Miss Seeton to see if she can sketch something that will lead them to the guilty party.

This is another wonderful story featuring Miss Seeton and rural England. This series always has a cast of wonderful characters that will have the reader chuckling and shaking their heads. Miss Seeton is still in awe as to how her “scribbles” can lead the police in the right direction. And the police are just as surprised that with so little information given to her she can get them in the right direction. I wish Miss Seeton would have been more involved in the book. On the other hand, it was quite enjoyable to watch the interaction of Brinton and Foxon.

I am looking forward to reading more of these wonderful stories with Miss Seeton.

Many critics claim that authors such as Virginia Woolf, James Joyce or Sylvia Plath are the masters, or mistresses, of the ‘stream of consciousness’ narrative technique. Stream of consciousness is a way of depicting the many and various thoughts and feelings that flit through someone’s mind. And whilst those authors I mentioned might be rather good at at, by far best of all is Hamilton Crane.
I’ve read quite a few Miss Seeton stories by now and I love how we hop in and out of our characters. We see the world from their points of view – and trust me, those are always totally unique. How all these original takes on events meld together is one of the many fascinating facets of these novels.
Watch The Wall, Miss Seeton joyously combines such disparate elements as twitchers, smugglers’ descendants, metal thieves, a school concert and good old customs and excise. Of course, not forgetting the local police force of and Miss Seeton, complete with umbrella and sketch pad.
The plot is clever and entertaining, and the whole book is alive with nonsense, quirkiness and wit. The writing is fresh and lively, whisking us along at a spanking pace. The characters we meet, well, they really are characters in every sense of the word! There isn’t one you’d call boring!
Fabulous story, absorbing and never a dull moment!

I have read a number of books in the Miss Seeton series and have enjoyed them all. Miss Seeton is an art teacher, whose talent for inserting her subconscious and psychological insights into her drawings, help the police to solve crimes. At the same time, she is a delightful, slightly muddled old lady, who has little idea of her own talent for solving crimes.

There are some similarities between Miss Seeton and Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple. Both are elderly ladies, who live in small English villages, and both have special insight into the workings of the criminal mind. However, Miss Seeton is much less aware of her “gift” and her insight sometimes seems nearly accidental. Miss Seeton also seems more innocent, always expecting to see the best in people.

As always, Hamilton Crane’s plot is excellent and he manages to tie together a bunch of seemingly unrelated threads into a cohesive and satisfying whole. For anyone who enjoys a gentle British village mystery, this book has a lot to offer. I enjoyed it very much.

I had never heard of Miss Seeton before seeing this book advertised. I decided, somewhat diffidently, I admit, that it sounded quirky and interesting. Well, wasn’t it just?!

Miss Seeton is a retired teacher who has a knack of drawing pictures that contain messages from her subconscious which help the police to solve baffling crimes. The novel worked well on a stand-alone basis and I really didn’t feel that starting with the 25th book in the series was problematic at all. Most (all?) of the characters (apart, obviously from the villains) appear to have appeared in previous books and have well-established back stories. That doesn’t matter because the dialogue brings them to life delightfully.

Even though the novel has a gruesome murder in Chapter three, I would still classify it as the epitome of a cosy mystery. The actual murder isn’t described, just the state of the body and somehow, using the name of the victim, Isaiah Gawdy, makes it seem matter of fact. After all, you can’t have a murder mystery without a murder.

There are various policemen and their different characters are well delineated. We identify with them as separate individuals and are pleased when they are successful, e.g. when Superintendent Brinton’s sugar-free diet is assuaged by a peppermint. DC Foxon has a wayward taste in clothing – not many detectives would proudly wear a blackberry-coloured jacket of crushed velvet to the station.

The rustic dialogue is handled well, with the spelling urging the reader to almost say the words out loud for pleasure.

Yes, as Sid Nuncious has written “… who reads Miss Seeton for the plot? They’re always slightly bonkers…”

#WatchTheWallMissSeeton #NetGalley #FarragoBooks

Miss Seaton a retired Art Teacher had a talent for intuitive sketching to help the Police with there cases.
She resides in the sleepy village of Plummergen where doors can be left unlocked and all your neighbours look out for you. In this story of smuggling and murder you are led into it gently as Miss Seaton sees most occurrences through rose coloured glasses even mistaken one of the smugglers for a twitcher. This is a cozy mystery that you will enjoy to wile away a sunny afternoon with.
I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Smugglers Revisited

The wait is over and another tale from the life and times of Emily Dorothea Seeton, spinster and adopted maiden aunt, brings fresh breath to the 1970s. Lovingly interwoven with not hundreds, but thousands of years of local history (the grudge with Murreystone goes back to the Vikings!), as missing fences and traffic signs, and a ghastly murder, set the story aflight. Yes, you ornithologists, there is a rare bird sighting, as well. You will want to whip out your Rudyard Kipling to read (or reread) the poem inspiring much of the action when titivated by the Mixed Infants' rendition for a school fundraiser. Hamilton Crane continues to wave the banner of humor (sorry, "humour") and mystery with panache.

This is the first of the Miss Seeton books not written by Heron Carvic that I've read. I started it with trepidation, expecting it to be a poor copy of the original writings, but it isn't. It's just as good, as interesting, quirky and witty as Carvic.

As usual Miss Seeton aids the police to clear up several crimes that have them baffled. I recommend it to anyone who wants an old style detective story.

Watch the Wall, Miss Seeton is the 25th Miss Seeton mystery (the first mystery prequel was numbered 0, so this one is listed as #24). Originally written by Heron Carvic, the series was taken over and written in an homage style by Hamilton Crane after Carvic's death.

Released 21st Feb 2019 by Farrago, it's 243 pages and available in ebook and paperback formats.

There are only a handful of series, however well written, which keep me coming back for more year after year. The Miss Seeton books are amongst of the coziest of cozies, silly and very fluffy but they have an undercurrent of wickedly campy humor. They're very tongue in cheek and full of sly lampooning of everything from police procedurals to rural English village life in the mid 1970's.

I did feel this entry in the series was maybe a trifle more scattered and difficult to follow than most of the others. There were several disparate plot threads and they crossed and intertwined and were sometimes difficult for me to keep track of. The characters, both the returning ensemble cast and the new, are well fleshed out and clearly written.

The language is relatively clean with the occasional 'hell, damn, or bloody' but nothing worse. No sexual content and no graphic or triggering violence.

I love these books so much, they're always a treat to be savored.

Five stars, Miss Seeton, may she live forever!

An entertaining cozy mystery that will keep the reader following the misadventures with Miss Seton and her cast of characters. This series of books is avidly followed because the writers always give the reader a good though often screwy mystery to solve as well as another chapter in the always entertaining life of Miss Seton. Smuggling is the oft repeated theme of this chapter but it's the interaction between the characters that will make you glad you picked up this book. The Miss Seton mysteries should be on everyone's TBR list.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Miss Seeton is a retired teacher who has a talent for drawing pictures which help the police to solve puzzling crimes. The book worked as a stand-alone and not having read the previous books didn't pose a problem. Characters are well written and vivid to the reader and the dialogue helps to both move the action along and give the characters more depth. The story, which could be considered a cosy mystery, moves along well and I found it to be engaging overall. All loose ends are tied up, no questions are left unanswered and it feels like a satisfying read. I'll pick up more from this series in future.