Book Review #10: The Otterbury Incident

Narrated by first person George in fictional English provincial town of Otterbury setting. This is one of the two children novels written by Cecil Day-Lewis during the immediate post-World War II period. The story about group of boys of Otterbury who likes to play around the Incident, near the centre of the town that suffered one accidental hit from a mistargeted bomb which destroyed a few buildings.

Started from a war game between Toppy and Ted clans, into accidental breaking of school window by Nick. They establish Nick Yates Assistance Fund (NYAF) to raise money to replace the window or else Nick will be in trouble with his guardian uncle. Their money was stolen by local spiv Johnny Sharp and ‘The Wart’. In order to investigate the real culprit and to prove the modus operandi, the boys came across unexpected crime of trading in black-market goods and production of counterfeit coinage in Skinner’s Yard.

One event lead to another, they manage to help bust the criminals and get recognition from local police station.

Theme of the story are childhood time, crime, investigation and friendship. It has mix of Paddy Clarke…Ha…Ha…Ha rascality and Enid Blyton investigative hint to it.

RATING: Three and half star