The Secret Seven

The Secret Seven is a series of children's mystery novels written by the English author Enid Blyton, comprising fifteen full-length books published from 1949 onward. Its core is a group of child detectives who belong to a secret society and tackle small puzzles involving thefts, disappearances, forgeries or suspicious strangers. The first book grew out of a conversation between Blyton and her publisher, whose own children, including a son named Peter, had formed a secret society with passwords and badges marked "SS". Drawing on that anecdote, Blyton published the short story "The Secret of the Old Mill" in 1948, which explains how the society came to be, and it preceded the novels.

The series centres on Peter, the society's leader, his sister Janet, and their schoolfriends Jack, Barbara, George, Pam and Colin, accompanied by Scamper, the dog Peter and Janet share. Opposing them is Susie, Jack's younger sister, who detests the club and plays tricks to humiliate its members, though her behaviour is partly driven by a desire to be admitted. Unlike many of Blyton's other series, which take place during holidays, these adventures unfold during the school term, since the characters attend day schools. The tone is brisk and simple, mixing puzzle-solving with camaraderie, minor squabbles within the group and domestic humour.

The books were very popular in their day and helped secure Blyton's reputation as a writer of adventure and mystery for young readers, alongside series such as The Famous Five. Decades later, Pamela Butchart wrote two further adventures that added elements of horror, extending the group's appeal to new readers.