Book 59f: Bagthorpes Haunted, by Helen Cresswell

I'm starting to get tired of the Bagthorpes again... it's odd, some of the books seem a lot better than others. This one felt like it was written purely to resolve the unhappy circumstances in which we left the luckless family at the end of the previous volume, Bagthorpes Abroad. Cooped up in a near-derelict, furnitureless house somewhere in Wales, beset by the crimes of Daisy and her goat, having alienated themselves from all locals and caused severe disruption and irritation to police in the area, the Bagthorpes are really not enjoying their holiday. Even the indomitable Mr Bagthorpe wishes to return home early. He cannot, however, merely change his mind: he has stated his determination to remain in Wales until he actually sees a ghost, and is far too proud to admit that the accommodation he has arranged is less than entirely suitable. Can he manage to curtail the six-week holiday without losing face? My favourite part was perhaps the auction attended by some of the clan in the hope of acquiring makeshift furniture for the remainder of their stay in Wales; either that or the incident with the sheep. On the whole, though, I would not count this among the best of the Bagthorpe books.