The Mystery of the Dead Man's Riddle

Alfred Hitchcock and The Three Investigators #22

by William Arden

Three young detectives go on a high-stakes treasure hunt in order to restore a fortune to the rightful heirs.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Childrens, Young Adult, Adventure, Audiobook, Detective

Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Real name: Dennis Lynds.
Beginning in 1968 with The Mystery of the Moaning Cave and ending in 1989 with Hot Wheels, Dennis Lynds wrote fourteen novels under the pen name William Arden for the juvenile detective series The Three Investigators, which was originated by Robert Arthur, Jr.. Under this same name, he also wrote five novels featuring private eye Kane Jackson, a former military policeman who has become an industrial security specialist after leaving the military. The first Jackson novel, A Dark Power, appeared in 1968. As Arden, Lynds also wrote the highly-regarded espionage short story, "Success of a Mission," which was a finalist for the 1968 Edgar Award for best short fiction.

Reviews

[FlySirius · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this case! The riddle is quite difficult. I admit that I can't solved the riddle, but I can guess the real culprit in the middle part (that's my achievement lol). I love Pete and I'm really happy he got into action so many times, especially in the end. No spoiler, please read it later.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

original 2010 review - Dingo Towne, a local character, has died and instead of a regular will, he’s set a series of riddles, with the winner taking his fortune. Hired by Dingo’s daughter-in-law to try and solve the riddles, the boys have to compete with nasty English relatives, Skinny Norris and treasure hunters. A very sturdy mystery, well constructed with clever clues, this is a cracking adventure, with good action, nifty set pieces (the river boat and climax especially) and a lot of different locations in and around Rocky Beach. It also has a very winning character in Billy Towne, Dingo’s 8 year old grandson, who is well written and good fun. One of the series highlights, very much recommended.
2014 update - I stand by the original review and would add that it has a great pace (I read the first half in one sitting), a nice sense of humour (especially with Pete’s appetite), another appearance of the Ghost-to-Ghost hook-up (which Billy also uses) and nice use of rhyming slang (which, when I originally read this, as a kid, I wasn’t aware of). With some smart touches - the book opens with Bob writing up their last case (where they found Mrs Hester’s ring), we see the boys at school (and find out Jupe is president of the science club) and the reveal that the entrance to Tunnel Two is under Jupe’s workbench, this is a great book and very highly recommended.
2019 update - A great read, with some nice character work, an inventive mystery and a denouement that makes full use of its location (a grand ocean liner). Well worth a read, I highly recommend it.
2023 update - I’d forgotten how well paced this is (and how quickly the key set piece on the boat is over, bearing in mind it’s the focus of all the cover art I’ve ever seen). Great mystery and solid character work.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

take a shot every time justus being fat is mentioned and you won’t make it through half of the book alive

[Nadja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eine rätselhafte Schnitzeljagd durch Rocky Beach mit vielen undurchsichtigen Gegnern. Und die Buchvorlage ist noch einiges dramatischer als das Hörspiel! Holger Mahlich macht seine Sache gut, aber es gab schon bessere Sprecher in dieser Reihe.

[MaggyGray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eine Folge, die ich gestern abend zum Einschlafen gehört habe, und eine meiner Kann-ich-immer-und-immer-wieder-hören-Folgen der Drei ???.
Das war noch die Zeit, in der es nicht in gefühlt jeder Folge einen Schatz zu heben galt, wobei man vorher einen Rätseltext auseinanderklamüsern musste. Hier gab es noch gute Detektivarbeit gepaart mit Spannung (Skinny und der Stausee), ein bisschen Grusel (an der Bord der Queen of Irgendwas), ein bisschen Action (Boomerang). Und natürlich ein Justus Jonas, der alle in die Tasche steckt.
Hach, schön!

[Nadja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meine Lieblingsdetektive gibt es jetzt auch auf spotify, da freut sich mein Herz! Die gefährliche Erbschaft ist eine super Folge voller Rätsel, bei deren Auflösung die Jungs ihr Können schön vorzeigen.

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Three Investigators are hired to find the treasure an crackpot millionaire left in his will. To find the treasure, they have to solve seven riddles. Treasure hunters from all over, as well as rival heirs are all looking for it. Some are more ruthless than others.

What probably seemed outre at the time, seems more topical, because of the old crackpot millionaire who hid a treasure out in New Mexico recently, and several people died looking for it.

I was struck how how much freedom kids had back in those days. The Three Investigators go gallivanting all over town and country. Kids today really aren't allowed to do that much anymore.

[Niki · Rating 5 out of 5]

EDIT About a year later: I'm bumping this up to a 5. Memorable and enjoyable enough to do so. Original review below.
___________________

I'm gonna be honest, the cover'd turned me off from reading this book, it makes the story look like some ludicrous (considering this series is three kids on bikes solving mysteries) Indiana Jones style adventure in a jungle waterfall. Don't lie, you're seeing that too. I don't know why I believed that because I KNOW the covers on this series are highly misleading 80% of the time.

I should've known better, because the story was nothing like that. It's of the 'Solve a bunch of little riddles that have to be solved in order and can essentially be solved by anyone, all around the little town, but they're highly tricky' variety, a la some of the best entries in the series, like The Stuttering Parrot or The Screaming Clock. The scene on the cover does take place, but it's on a dam, not a jungle waterfall lol.

If the book had had any kind of weird or 'paranormal' twist, it'd have shot up high on my list of favourites for sure. As is, it was VERY clever and fun (I especially loved that there were people figuring out the riddles just as fast as the boys were), but lacking that 'wow' factor other books in the series have, at least for me. Not to mention that I hate Skinny Noris as an antagonist (he's just eavesdropping all the time, he's got nothing else going for him, and you'd think that the boys would've learned their lesson not to shout all their findings out loud on their 22nd adventure) and I'd figured out a few of the mysteries ahead of time, which always makes me disappointed; I like having my mind blown by the reveals.

P.S. I loved loved loved that final reveal right at the end about the riddle "shortcut".

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read 10 or so of this series when I was a kid and at a book sale a few years ago I was about to pick up another 10-15 of them (for nostalgia sake). When I'm between books, want something light, want something quick then I'll pick one up and give it a read.

This was better than average.
Kooky old rich guy dies - leaves a note with a riddle that will lead whoever is smart enough to the place where he buried all his money - enter The Three Investigators! Of course they teach us that three boy detectives are smarter than adults and have the coolest HQ/fort in the world. Makes me jealous of their childhood (many a day I wanted to be one of them when I was younger).

I've always been partial to Brains Benton but The Three Investigators hit the spot when the mood strikes.

[Anna Catharina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eine klassiche Schnippseljagd mit neuen und alten Feinden, einem durchtriebenen Bösewicht und vielen kniffligen Rätseln. Die Handlung ist sehr geradlinig und ohne große Überraschungen, dafür aber durchaus unterhaltsam. Trotzdem merkt man dem Buch sein Alter in Sprache und Inhalt deutlich an (Bsp.: dem Ehemann gehört nach kalifornischen Recht automatisch die Hälfte des Vermögens der Ehefrau). Immer wieder nett zu lesen.

[Immie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Der Fall, bei dem die anderen immer etwas schneller als Justus Jonas und seine Kollegen kombinieren und am Ende die drei Detektive doch noch den Fall lösen.

[Nadja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eine tolle Folge von Anfang bis Ende. Ich freue mich schon darauf, wenn ich es in Buchform lesen werde, dann werde ich mich noch mehr auf die Rätsel konzentrieren können. :)

[Sebastian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Der 17. Fall der Hörspielreihe beginnt vergleichsweise originell: der Vater von Bob Andrews wird auf einen Zeitungsartikel aufmerksam, in welchem ein Verstorbener in seinem Testament zu einer ungewöhnlichen Schatzsuche aufruft. Der Tote verspricht sein gesamtes Vermögen demjenigen, der seinen geheimnisvollen Rätseltext entschlüsseln und dadurch das Versteck seiner Erbschaft ausfindig machen kann. Natürlich fühlen sich die drei Detektive von der Herausforderung sofort angesprochen und werden wenig später sogar von den Hinterbliebenen des Mannes engagiert, die um ihr vermeintlich rechtmäßiges Erbe fürchten. Allerdings sind Justus, Peter und Bob natürlich nicht die einzigen, die das Rätsel lösen und sich den Schatz sichern wollen...

Der Einstieg in den Fall mag diesmal etwas ungewöhnlich sein, allerdings wird die Geschichte danach schnell zum Prototypen einer typischen "Die drei ???"-Folge. Ein mehrteiliger Rätseltext muss entschlüsselt werden und so jagen die Detektive von Hinweis zu Hinweis, immer im Wettstreit mit anderen, die es auf den Schatz abgesehen haben. Bei so einem Fall darf natürlich dann auch Erzfeind Skinny Norris nicht fehlen, ein Highlight ist zudem auch der Auftritt eines zur Abwechslung mal äußerst ungehaltenen Alfred Hitchcocks. Die einzelnen Rätsel sind dabei durchaus spannend und auch weitestgehend schlüssig, allerdings beruhen einige Hinweise doch sehr auf visuellen Erkenntnissen, was das Miträtseln meistens schwierig bis unmöglich macht. Dennoch ist "Die gefährliche Erbschaft" eine gute, wenn auch bis auf die Ausgangsidee nicht unbedingt originelle Folge.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

original 2010 review - Dingo Towne, a local character, has died and instead of a regular will, he’s set a series of riddles, with the winner taking his fortune. Hired by Dingo’s daughter-in-law to try and solve the riddles, the boys have to compete with nasty English relatives, Skinny Norris and treasure hunters. A very sturdy mystery, well constructed with clever clues, this is a cracking adventure, with good action, nifty set pieces (the river boat and climax especially) and a lot of different locations in and around Rocky Beach. It also has a very winning character in Billy Towne, Dingo’s 8 year old nephew, who is well written and good fun. One of the series highlights, very much recommended.
2014 update - I stand by the original review and would add that it has a great pace (I read the first half in one sitting), a nice sense of humour (especially with Pete’s appetite), another appearance of the Ghost-to-Ghost hook-up (which Billy also uses) and nice use of rhyming slang (which, when I originally read this, as a kid, I wasn’t aware of). With some smart touches - the book opens with Bob writing up their last case (where they found Mrs Hester’s ring), we see the boys at school (and find out Jupe is president of the science club) and the reveal that the entrance to Tunnel Two is under Jupe’s workbench, this is a great book and very highly recommended.

[Robert Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Along with Moaning Cave, this was William Arden's finest hour as a 3I writer. We have the old favourites (Hitchcock and Skinny) and some interesting new characters. Winfired and Cecil Percival provide some comedy but are also menacing. Mr. Savo and his thick-headed henchman, Turk, are also exciting. The plot is fast and thrilling, with the clues in the form of rhyming slang. A brilliant story and one of the best in the series.

[LobsterQuadrille · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Mystery of the Dead Man's Riddle may not be among my all-time favorites, but it's still a lot of fun to follow Jupe, Pete, and Bob on their cryptic treasure hunt. There were some good twists as well, that made the mystery a bit more unpredictable. Another fun and relaxing light mystery book!

[Redwan Hasan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fool me once shame on you,
Fool me twice shame on me?

How about fool me more than that? By the 22th book you would want investigators to have some common sense right?

[Pi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Relectura para el club de juvenil. Ha envejecido bastante mejor que Los 5, igual porque aquí directamente no hay chicas

[Jeff Stephenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

AH&T3I Update: 22 read, 6 hardbacks (and 15 paperbacks) to go!

Dennis Lynds, aka William Arden, continues to hit the mark with T3I books with The Mystery of the Dead Man's Riddle. The boys were trying to solve the riddles and the overall mystery from page 1 until basically the end of the book in this one. That is a good thing and made for an enjoyable read. My only complaint, if complaint is the correct term, is that the reader could not really play along with these riddles. The riddles were just too involved--too involved in terms of the multiple types of structures used with the riddles, too involved in the particulars of the setting of the story, and too involved in the details of the riddle maker's life such as the riddle maker's friends and what not--for a reader to really have any sort of chance of trying to solve the riddles before Jupiter cracks the code. That is not really a bad thing--it just took a small bit of potential audience participation away from the book. Most T3I books do not even hint at a "Solve-It-Yourself" aspect. Still, the book was enjoyable to read. All, or almost all, of the normal T3I elements were in place for this tale. All three boys make contributions to the story, the Salvage Yard and Headquarters figure into the story at points, and almost all of the normal series supporting characters reappear for a cameo at some point in this tale. Even Skinny Norris and the Ghost-to-Ghost Network have a part in this tale. And of course, Alfred Hitchcock introduces, and later helps conclude, the story. So all of the normal Three Investigators aspects are present in the book. Also present is a good mystery story involving lots of Sherlock Holmes-style deduction-type detective work. When there is danger in the book, and it does happen in a couple places, the boys quickly and realistically find a way to safety and freedom. There are a limited number of bad guys, and the main bad guy is relatively easy to spot if a reader is paying attention to the story. It all adds up to what makes the Three Investigators book series such a great book series for kids to read. Bravo, Dennis Lynds--you created a wonderful addition to the T3I series!

[Cliff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rather enjoyed this particular case. Although, there is clearly a growing pattern wherein more action is warranted than in the past. Many earlier cases were resolved through clever thinking, but there's a definite uptick in physical actions here. Otherwise, the case seems to center on another posthumous word puzzle leading to a hidden treasure, which seems to be a common plot in multiple books.

One issue is the competition (Skinny Norris and the Percivals) seem to have an astoundingly good ability to learn what the Three Investigators have surmised. While Arden does explain some of this away, there were certain cases where it seems that they shifted from a wrong direction to immediately jumping 2 steps ahead of the trio.

One would have expected Skinny Norris to given up his rivalry after the numerous mishaps that have occurred. But I guess we are to believe he's too stubborn to yield.

[Irwan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recall this as one of my favourites. The riddle was exciting. They have to solve some riddles to find hidden treasure or something. This story makes me enjoy simple cryptography, riddles and treasure hunting game. I remember that I created such game for a farewell weekend-get-together in High School. Our class spent a weekend in a villa out of town. The place was large and had dark and "spooky" corners, even spookier at night. As part of the activity committees, I created riddles for us to play treasure hunting game. I loved to see my friends running around in groups to find the places for the next clues, frowning and "cursing" me at times when they were fooled by a simple riddle. O yeah, it was at night!

[SmokingMirror · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brimful of goodness. Hitch appears outside of the last chapter and Aunt Mathilda saves the day unexpectedly at a particular point in the plot. The story is dense with action throughout. The illustrations depict the action excellently, without giving away plot points. It's so good on its own terms that I won't concern myself with any criticisms. If you like AH + 3I then this title is crucial. And so much better than anything else I have read lately.

[Dion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read my favourite Three Investigators book, introducing it to my child.

[sonofabook · Rating 4 out of 5]

In einer Zeitung announciert ein Verstorbener, dass er sein gesamtes Vermögen versteckt hätte und legt ein Rätsel bei und derjenige oder diejenige der/die das Rätsel löst, kriegt das Vermögen.
Als Bob dies von seinem Vater vorgelesen bekommt, stellt er es seinen Kollegen Peter und Justus vor.
Die werden im nächsten Zug, nachdem er sich grantig gegen das Rätsel geäußert hat, von Alfred Hitchcock weitervermittelt.
Die drei Detektive werden von der Tochter des Verstorbenen engagiert.
So beginnt eine Schnitzeljagd durch die gesamte Stadt. Doch nicht nur die drei sind unterwegs. Viele andere, unter anderem auch Skinny Norris, wollen ebenfalls den Schatz.
Schaffen es die drei noch bevor jemand ihnen zuvorkommt.

Ich muss sagen es war schön mal einen anderen Aufbau, eine Schnitzeljagd, zu hören.
Man wusste nicht was genau kommt und das Duell mit Skinny Norris intensiviert sich.
Das Ende war vorhersehbar, aber nichtsdestotrotz gelungen.

Eine abwechslungsreiche Folge.
Empfehlung!

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was a kid, girls usually read Nancy Drew and the boys usually read the Hardy Boys. I read The Three Investigators. If you haven’t heard of them, that’s ok - most people haven’t at this point. I absolutely loved them and I think I had almost the whole series. Still have them in a box in my parents basement I think.

Anyways, I held onto this specific one because it was my favourite as I recall. I re-read it to see if my son would enjoy it (and I think he will!) If you ever stumble upon any of the series, give them a read - the books are quick and enjoyable and have fun and interesting mysteries for the younger set, but i enjoyed it as an adult - quite a fun trip down nostalgia lane for me!

[Roger · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved this series when I was a boy. I don’t think our library had this one. I really like the illustration on the cover and I would have remembered it.

This one sets the record for the most kidnappings or attempted kidnappings, with 8, I think (the Three Investigators twice, a new character, and even Skinner Norris). It was unbelievable they just seemed to shrug it off and not call the police. Also, I can’t believe anyone would remember what stateroom they were in on a trip decades before. The story started out strong, but the ending and villain were completely unsatisfying. Like the author just wanted to be done with it.

[Virginia Boylan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure how this ended up on my shelf, but I finally decided to read it. It's not the kind of book I'd have sought out as a youngster, but I would have enjoyed it as much as I did Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys. Jupiter is too much of a know-it-all, even for a brilliant kid, and the other two in the trio are less filled out, but it was fun to relax in a story like this. The bad guys are too one-dimensional and the boys are too trusting. I would have thought them foolish even if I'd been a kid reading it. It's an okay story.

[Paritosh Vyas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one involves a dead man who sets a riddle in order to find his treasure which is needed by his daughter-in-law and his grandson.

Who comes to the rescue? Of course the three investigators.

This time the grandson who is 8 year old Billi also does some excellent detective work to help the three investigators.

I read the 1982 edition.

This is the 22nd story of the three investigators.

[Nectar Terzian · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Mystery of the Dead Man's Riddle

[Joe Stevens · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rather different 3I book as the guys get involved in a brain-teasing riddle and a treasure hunt. Kind of reminded me of watching Mad, Mad, et all World. I guess I prefer more traditional mysteries than adventures, kidnappings, and riddles.