William Arden (1924–2005)

Highly recommended for young readers. I started reading these books in fourth grade, and the copy I own is the very one I read way back then: it is from the school library, a purchased DISCARD.

One of the odd things about the book, and what struck me as rather strange even when I first read them, was the way the author was designated. On the title page it is listed as "ALFRED HITCHCOCK and The Three Investigators in The Mystery of the Laughing Shadow." Hitchcock was making money, here, and show more this was a franchise operation. Below the title, in smaller type, was printed "Text by William Arden," etc.

Robert Arthur, a writer known for his ghost stories, started out the series. William Arden (and others, perhaps) took over. This book is as good as those early entries. There was no obvious decrease in quality as the series transitioned its authors.

The youth market series fiction industry was certainly an odd one. show less

The three investigators -- Jupiter Jones, Pete Crenshaw, and Bob Andrews -- take a trip to Santa Barbara with Bob's father who is gathering research for his latest news reportage. The event is a big environmental protest of a new oil rig being built, and it just so happens that the head of the protest, Mr. Crowe, is a famed mystery writer the boys adore. When Crowe shares his concerns about his protest potentially being sabotaged, the three investigators are on the case.

This series is in the show more vein of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys; it has that same sort of stock characters and action-filled mysteries that are somewhat sanitized in terms of lacking in gore. Previously I had only read one book from this series and as far as I can tell, there is no need to read them in order. Over the years, it appeared that authors for the series changed; this book had a different author from the other title I read and it showed. The pacing was a little slower on this book, even despite the liberal use of exclamation points. While the other book had limited female characters, this one had none at all. (Likewise, it showed its age with some less-than-stellar depictions of/references to non-white characters.) One of the characters is described as being overweight and is continually fat shamed throughout the book with unnecessary references to his girth. And, finally, my biggest gripe with this book was that as so much of it takes places on various boats and ports, it was necessary to include a lot of jargon, which bogged down the pacing somewhat.

All that being said, however, I did enjoy this book for its mystery. It kept me guessing and went in surprising directions. It was a quick enough read and I might try hunting down some more copies of this old series to see what other adventures the three investigators get into and the mysteries they solve. show less

Friends of Pete Crenshaw’s father, the Daltons, have recently purchased the Crooked Y Ranch. When a mountain cave on the property begins to moan mysteriously & strange accidents begin plaguing the ranch and its workers, Pete, Jupiter & Bob head out to investigate.

Almost everyone believes the secret of the moaning cave has something to do with the presence of El Diablo—a legendary desperado who disappeared into the mountain almost a century ago. The Three Investigators are positive that show more the eerie happenings are the result of nefarious human agency rather than the supernatural. There is no shortage of potential suspects as the boys begin their investigation: a gruff ranch foreman, a bookish professor of California History, a suspicious man sporting an eye patch & a facial scar, two incredibly crusty & eccentric old prospectors, & a ranch full of scared ranch hands. As the investigation progresses, our intrepid investigators uncover secret naval maneuvers, undercover agents, sneaky claim jumpers, & a cunning international jewel thief.

This is certainly not an example of one of the best entries in the Three Investigators series of mysteries, but it is an entertaining read nonetheless. show less

The Three Investigators are on the job once again, this time staying on a California ranch where The Moaning Cave has once again found its voice. The cave's legend says that it used to moan all the time after a El Diablo, famous 19th century Mexican outlaw, disappeared into the cave while being pursued by the law and was never found. Fifty years ago the cave abruptly stopped making noise. This renewed creepiness coincides with a series of minor accidents to ranch hands, who are convinced show more that it's the spirit of El Diablo causing both. Can Jupiter, Pete and Bob figure out the true cause before the ranch owner loses all his workers and is forced to sell the property?

This is the 10th book in this middle-grade mystery series, and the first written by William Arden. (Many juvenile mystery series were written by a series of authors, sometimes under a shared name and sometimes not.) The ebook version I have is apparently the British one, as the word "licence" is misspelled :) and Alfred Hitchcock, who introduces the boys' adventures in each book, is back to being a famous film director. Thanks to Liz and Steve, who are also reading along in this series, for spotting the differences in previous books.

The mystery here is ... fine? It felt a little flat to me, with the various plot lines being held together by the thinnest of threads. But it's still a fun read and is good inspiration for youngsters of the value of applying logic and observation to everyday problems. Hopefully those problems don't include haunted caves and staged accidents, though! show less