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.

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.

Plummergen, Kent, 1975.

3 crimes – metal theft, smuggling and murder
3 police agencies – Scotland Yard, Customs and Excise and the local constabularies of Kent and Sussex

To the aforementioned add a drug addicted fading movie star named Catherine Earnshaw (shades of Wuthering Heights), Mrs., Flax the local town gossip and purveyor of superstition and snipes, an American tourist, a school concert, and a medley of unusual inhabitants and you have the basis for WATCH THE WALL, MISS SEETON.

Miss Seeton alias Miss Ess, is an eccentric spinster and somewhat accomplished artist who is an umbrella toting combination of Miss Marple and Jessica Fletcher who manages to find herself involved in the crimes and events in her adopted community.

While the book is amusing some readers may find the dialog of the locals that appears early in the narrative a bit difficult to understand. For example summat=something. That aside, lovers of Brit Lit and cozies will find this a welcome addition to their TBR list.

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..

Not compelling enough to keep the reader moving past the first few pages--slow and difficult to get into. Was looking forward to an older protagonist, but not this one.

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.

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.

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 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.

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 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.

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

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 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.)

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