Online Book Club Session 7

As we were building up to the 2026 Annual Gathering in Lowestoft, we took a close look at Sea Witch Comes Home, the only Lone Pine book set in East Anglia - and a book that does not feature Peter, Tom, Jenny, Penny or Jon. 

David, Dickie and Mary Morton head for Suffolk in this adventure. The Channing family are strange hosts and it turns out to be a holiday with a difference. As so often in Malcolm Saville's books, light rain leads to severe flooding.

Sixteen members joined our Zoom discussion and what a mixed bag of views we had!

This was clearly a “marmite“ book for the group.  As always, the landscape came through, with the crash of waves and sounds of the washing of stones and shingles easily conjured up.

The opening in Holland was not especially liked. (But, says me, how can the Sea Witch Come Home if it never went anywhere?) Lone Pine fans missed having the whole gang in the plot and felt that Peter would have brought more to the party. More action less talk? The twins, however, seemed to be less irritating and held their own, adding to the action through their sleuthing.

We switched in this book from not just merely neglectful parents but possibly feckless and, dare we say, criminal! Was Mr Channing  merely an innocent caught up in something or had he a history of being up for anything, to make a quick pre-decimal bob or two?

There was general agreement that this book may be a watershed in feeling a little more adult in the way the characters are presented and the plot itself. There were the familiar themes of kidnap, locked rooms, escape, and discovery of stolen goods hidden in the church. David acted heroically, of course...

Descriptions  of the flood were atmospheric, with rising tides, the WRVS tea urns, evacuations, road blocks and ringing church bells messaging danger.

Shame the 'Sea Witch' went under the waves...