The Three Investigators

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The Three Investigators was published by Random House (1964-1987) and others, in picture cover hardcover and paperback editions.
It was created by Robert Arthur Jr., who believed using the famous director Alfred Hitchcock would attract attention.
The Three Investigators are Jupiter "Jupe" Jones, Peter "Pete" Crenshaw, and Bob Andrews.
A 44th volume, "The Mystery of the Ghost Train", was in the works by M. V. (Mary Virginia) Carey when the original series was cancelled.
Here's a great Three Investigators resource.
    Cover Artists
  • Ed Vebell: 1, 2, 17
  • Harry Kane: 3-16
  • Jack Hearne: 20-27
  • Herb Mott: 28
  • Robert J. Adragna: 29-43
    Internals Artists
  • Harry Kane: 1-16
  • Ed Vebell: 17-19
  • Jack Hearne: 20-27
  • Herb Mott: 28
  • No Internals: 29-43
    Authors
  • Robert Arthur: 1-9, 11
  • William Arden: 10, 12, 13, 18, 19, 22, 25, 26, 28, 30, 33, 38, 42
  • Nick West: 14, 16
  • M. V. Carey: 15, 17, 20, 21, 23, 24, 27, 29, 31, 32, 34, 36, 39, 41, 43
  • Marc Brandel: 35, 37, 40
Harry Kane created the blue graveyard endpapers.

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01: The Secret of Terror Castle (1964)
Finding a genuine haunted house for a movie set sounds like fun -- and a great way to generate publicity for the Three Investigators' new detective agency. But when the boys arrive for an overnight visit at Terror Castle -- home of a deceased horror-movie actor -- they soon find out how the place got its name!

02: The Mystery of the Stuttering Parrot (1964)
Hot on the trail of seven talking parrots that have seemingly vanished into thin air, the Three Investigators are in more trouble than ever. Danger lurks at every turn as they search for the birds, each of whom can quote part of a coded message from a mysterious dead man.

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03: The Mystery of the Whispering Mummy (1965)
When Ra-Orkon, a 3,000-year-old mummy, begins to whisper strange words in an ancient Egyptian tongue, the Three Investigators are determined to find out the facts: Why is he speaking? What is he saying? And how is the horrible curse of Ra-Orkon about to be fulfilled?

04: The Mystery of the Green Ghost (1965)
A green ghost oozes through the walls of a crumbling old mansion, leading The Three Investigators to an open coffin and a grinning skeleton wearing a string of priceless Chinese Ghost Pearls. When the ghost disappears--along with the pearls--the sleuths are off on their strangest case ever!

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05: The Mystery of the Vanishing Treasure (1966)
Missing: One fabulous, jewel-encrusted belt, once owned by the ancient emperors of Japan. But when The Three Investigators offer their detective services to an official at the Peterson Museum, he throws their business card to the floor in disgust. Chasing thieves is work for men -- not boys, he tells them. Then a strange twist of fate brings Jupe, Pete and Bob back on the case. Soon they're surrounded by master criminals -- who will stop at nothing to keep their stolen fortune!

06: The Secret of Skeleton Island (1966)
Jupe, Pete, and Bob's next case sends them to Skeleton Island, an eerie spot inhabited only by pirates' bones and a young girl's ghost. A movie company has chosen the island as the perfect place to make a scary film, but mysterious events are disrupting the crew. They call in the Three Investigators. But just as the boys arrive on the island, so does the ghost!

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07: The Mystery of the Fiery Eye (1967)
The Three Investigators must solve an old man's riddle to uncover a great fortune for their friend, Gus. But they're racing against a sinister bunch of treasure hunters who are also hot on the trail. Who will arrive first at the mysterious Fiery Eye?

08: The Mystery of the Silver Spider (1967)
The prince of Varania must find the royal badge of office, a jeweled silver spider, in order to be crowned. There's just one problem--the silver spider has been stolen! It's up to the Three Investigators to find the spider and save the prince from his deadly political enemies!

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09: The Mystery of the Screaming Clock (1968)
The alarm clock went off with the bloodcurdling scream of a woman in mortal terror! Who could have made such a clock--and why? The Three Investigators immediately set out to discover where the mysterious clock came from. When they come across a run-down house in Hollywood, they find an entire room full of dreadful clocks--and time is running out!

10: The Mystery of the Moaning Cave (1968)
Many years ago, the young bandit El Diablo disappeared into a cave, never to be seen again. Now an eerie moaning sound is coming from his old hideout, and the ranchers who live nearby think he may still be alive. The Three Investigators set out to explore the moaning cave--and soon wish they had come armed with more than a flashlight!

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11: The Mystery of the Talking Skull (1969)
It all started with a dollar. One dollar paid at auction by Jupiter Jones for a dusty old trunk that once belonged to The Great Gulliver, a magician who vanished as mysteriously as one of his tricks. The trunk attracts a host of bizarre characters, like Zelda the Gypsy, Three-Finger Munger, and Maximilian the Mystic. But what's inside the trunk is even more bizarre--a skull that talks!

12: The Mystery of the Laughing Shadow (1969)
Jupe, Pete, and Bob solve a mystery involving a gold Indian amulet and a laughing shadow that appears to them in the night.

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13: The Secret of the Crooked Cat (1970)
With a clue provided by an unusual stuffed cat, the Three Investigators solve the mysterious troubles of an accident-prone carnival.

14: The Mystery of the Coughing Dragon (1970)
Henry Allen's dog is missing - and he thinks it's been eaten by a dragon! On the night the dog disappeared, Mr. Allen swears he saw a huge dragon slither into the sea caves beneath his cliff-top house. Could Mr. Allen really have seen a dragon? The Three Investigators doubt it, but they're determined to find the missing dog. That means exploring those dark, dangerous caves!!! And whether or not Mr. Allen's dragon is real, something terrifying and deadly is lurking there!

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15: The Mystery of the Flaming Footprints (1971)
When an eccentric local artist disappears suddenly, the Three Investigators look into the matter.

16: The Mystery of the Nervous Lion (1971)
Hired to discover why a wild-animal farm's tame lion has become unpredictably nervous, Jupe, Pete, and Bob begin an investigation that uncovers a smuggling operation

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17: The Mystery of the Singing Serpent (1972)
The Three Investigators become involved in witchcraft when they try to rescue a woman from the influence of snake worshipers.

18: The Mystery of the Shrinking House (1972)
The Three Investigators solve a case involving an international gang of art forgers.

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19: The Secret of Phantom Lake (1973)
While picking up a load of junk, the boys acquire a trunk from an old ship. A journal from a crewman is hidden in the trunk, giving clues to find a treasure that he hid before his death.

20: The Mystery of Monster Mountain (1973)
Jupe, Pete, and Bob solve a case of double identity while investigating the legend of Monster Mountain.

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21: The Secret of the Haunted Mirror (1974)
The three young sleuths discover who is haunting a mysterious old mirror--and why.

22: The Mystery of the Dead Man's Riddle (1974)
Three young detectives go on a high-stakes treasure hunt in order to restore a fortune to the rightful heirs.
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23: The Mystery of the Invisible Dog (1975)
The Three investigators are hounded by supernatural forces as they attempt to recover a stolen sculpture of a legendary wolf-dog.

24: The Mystery of Death Trap Mine (1976)
The Three Investigators, aided by their friend Allie, try to untangle the unusual circumstances surrounding an abandoned silver mine.

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25: The Mystery of the Dancing Devil (1976)
The Three Investigators search for a stolen statue only to find that it has mysteriously come to life.

26: The Mystery of the Headless Horse (1977)
When Jupe, Pete, and Bob search for a valuable old Spanish sword lost since the Mexican War, the headless statue of a horse yields a clue.

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27: The Mystery of the Magic Circle (1978)
Is former movie star Madeline Bainbridge an innocent victim--or a target of revenge? Thieves have just stolen her valuable old films. And her memoirs have mysteriously disappeared before they could be published. Why would anyone want the aging actress to suffer? When The Three Investigators look into her hidden past, they begin to understand. The lady is a witch--and her spells can kill.

28: The Mystery of the Deadly Double (1978)
The Three Investigators foil a plot to kidnap the son of a political leader in an African colony.

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29: The Mystery of the Sinister Scarecrow (1979)
The theft of some mutant army ants by a scarecrow leads the Three Investigators to the solution of two daring crimes in the art world.

30: The Secret of Shark Reef (1979)
The three young sleuths uncover a mystery buried since World War II when they come to the aid of a trouble-plagued environmentalist who is protesting the drilling of off-shore oil wells.

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31: The Mystery of the Scar-Faced Beggar (1981)
A wallet dropped by a scar-faced beggar sets the Three Investigators on the trail of bank robbers.

32: The Mystery of the Blazing Cliffs (1981)
Wealthy eccentric Charles Barron is convinced that aliens are planning to fly to earth and take him away. The detective trio resolves to prove that Barron is being taken for a ride--but not by hostile aliens.

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33: The Mystery of the Purple Pirate (1982)
Searching for a legendary pirate treasure, the Three Investigators find a band of modern day pirates.

34: The Mystery of the Wandering Cave Man (1982)
The three young sleuths investigate the disappearance of a caveman's bones from a museum and uncover skulduggery at a science foundation.

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35: The Mystery of the Kidnapped Whale (1983)
The Three Investigators, attempting to rescue a beached whale, end up searching for sunken treasure.

36: The Mystery of the Missing Mermaid (1983)
Something is fishy in Mermaid Court! First a little boy mysteriously vanishes, then a treasured statue of a mermaid disappears. An actor tells outrageous lies...a dog lover gets an unexplained bite...and lights flicker in the windows of the haunted Mermaid Inn! The Three Investigators are eager to find the lost child, but the other mysteries keep getting in the way. The super sleuths face one dangerous puzzle after another before discovering the amazing truth about the missing boy!

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37: The Mystery of the Two-Toed Pigeon (1984)
A pigeon with a missing toe leads the three young sleuths to a group of ingenious thieves.

38: The Mystery of the Smashing Glass (1984)
The Three Investigators try to trap an invisible vandal who has been breaking car windows all over town.

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39: The Mystery of the Trail of Terror (1984)
While accompanying Pete's inventor grandfather to New York where the old man plans to sell his new invention, the Three Investigators find themselves in the middle of a dangerous spy case.

40: The Mystery of the Rogues' Reunion (1985)
The reunion of a group of child movie stars plunges the three young detectives into a case of theft, kidnapping, and false identity.

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41: The Mystery of the Creep-Show Crooks (1985)
The Three Investigators tangle with a couple of shady producers of horror films when they try to track down a runaway teenager.

42: The Mystery of Wrecker's Rock (1986)
While attending a week-long family reunion on a California island, the Three Investigators find their photographs of the event hold an inordinate interest for someone else, and receive clues to that unknown identity from both an ancient and a modern boating accident.

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43: The Mystery of the Cranky Collector (1987)
When an ornery book collector disappears, the Three Investigators break into his secret computer files in search of clues and gradually uncover his mysterious past.

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Three Investigators DVDs

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