The Mystery of the Purple Pirate

Alfred Hitchcock and The Three Investigators #33

by William Arden

Searching for a legendary pirate treasure, the three investigators find a band of modern day pirates.

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

181 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

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

[Sonja Rosa Lisa ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ich mag diese Reihe sehr. Diesen Band würde ich irgendwo im Mittelfeld einordnen.
Es geht wieder um einen Schatz, und ich mag an dieser Reihe und an diesem Band das Rätselhafte. Wer oder was steckt hinter dem roten Piraten, und worum geht es hier wirklich?
Natürlich lösen Justus, Bob und Peter auch diesen Fall :)
Keine umwerfende Folge, aber unterhaltsam.

[Robert Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read Purple Pirate for the first time today, despite the many warnings about it. It has several of the traits that readers have come to expect from a William Arden title. The characterization is very good, with the gang of crooks being formed by quite a heterogeneous bunch. Major Karnes, the peppery leader, provides the criminal brain and also the comedy. However, his giant henchman Hubert is a little too similar to Turk in Dead Man’s Riddle, another Arden story. More comedy is provided in the form of a boat excursion that is meant to convey the thrill of being a genuine pirate but is a miserable failure. Some readers seem to have been upset by this maritime adventure, which takes up most of chapters 4 and 6, but I found it highly amusing. The story is a page turner with a couple of red herrings. However, when the solution is given and the story comes to an end, you can see that some of the mysteries were simply meaningless, with holes in the plot a mile wide. Another problem is that the theme of the title, the pirate, is not really central to the story. But to call it The Mystery of Why People are Hauling Bags of Dirt Around Rocky Beach wouldn’t have been very catchy. It’s a passable story, much better in the reading than in the conclusion. And at least there was no crook in a rubber mask "snarling" at “them darn kids”, the Scooby Doo style plot device that had plagued some of Arden’s previous 3I books. I’d give it the following grades out of five:

Villains 4
Humour 5
Mystery 2
Characterization 4
Solution 3

[Lea · Rating 1 out of 5]

Auch in Buchform ist es eine sehr langweilige Folge.

[Nadja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Auch nach dem x-ten Hören finde ich die Folge immer noch recht verwirrend. Der Beginn ist immer sehr vielversprechend und dann verläuft es sich ein bisschen im Sand.

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Baca ulang buku buku seri trio detektif mengingatkan saya lagi kenapa seri ini salah satu favorit zaman saya kecil.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't a bad story, but wasn't especially good either. It deals with a missing pirate treasure from years ago, which is cool enough on its own, the execution wasn't anything new.

There's an old ramshackle pirate amusement park on land that was once really owned by pirates. A hidden treasure is suspected, some criminals with a plan show up, and the Three Investigators end up right in the middle.

This was a very typical three investigators mystery. I've never read one I didn't like, it's just that some are better than others. I'm also really into pirate stories, so that kept this one enjoyable as well. Not a bad read for fans of the series.

[Niki · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5 stars, rounded up. It was fine, neither spectacular nor disappointing. I like the way the mystery unfolded in the beginning, the story kept me guessing but it ended up a pretty straightforward let's catch the treasure hunters/ bank robbers!, lacking the creepy atmosphere that I enjoy the most about (some of) the Three Investigators books.

It most probably won't be very memorable, but still not as bad as, let's say, the Silver Spider.

[Beyondiego · Rating 2 out of 5]

Da ich mit den Hörspielen eingestiegen bin, würde ich diese auch weiterhin bevorzugen.

[Raja99 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why I (Re?)read this book: I'm on a Three Investigators kick.

This strikes me as one of the weaker books in the series. Bits of it reminded me of bits from earlier, better, books, and the mystery seemed awfully thin. Perhaps I could see through the mystery so easily because (I think) I read this book before, though it feels like that would have been a decade or more ago.

Two things I enjoyed: early on, the investigators make references to the mysteries of the Moaning Cave and Headless Horse—both of which were written by the author of this book. Also I enjoyed the (rather broad) humor in the final chapter referring to Hector Sebastian's houseman, whose enthusiasm for cooking exceeds his skill.

Spoiler-y notes:

For instance, the whole business with the Major and co. setting up the interviews about "Buccaneers, Brigands, and Bandits!" reminded me of the Red-Headed League from Sherlock Holmes; it seemed an awfully convoluted setup to defraud a single person (well, a single person and his son Jeremy). Also, I was disappointed that although Jeremy was the same age as the investigators, and even known to them, they didn't get to interact with him much.

(Finished 2013-02-16 18:31:14.3 EST. Approximately ;-)

[Elizabeth S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, but not the best three investigators mystery. The major plot of the first half of the book was basically straight out of a Sir Arthur Conan Doyle story. (The short story is "The Adventure of the Red-Headed League" found in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.) As I've read Conan Doyle's story many times, it wasn't much of a mystery for me.

The second half keeps you jumping and is a little confusing as things are wrapped up, then not wrapped up, then switch over... etc. Overall, still a fun juvenile mystery.

[Paul Street · Rating 4 out of 5]

Purple Pirate doesn't get much praise from other reviewers but I enjoyed it. One of the better post-Hitchcock stories. Very visual with its setting in a decrepit pirate adventure tourist attraction. Some sympathy for the owner when competing in California with Disneyland! The rogues seem pretty clear from the start but the plot takes some neat twists and turns as the boys try to work out what's going on.
PS The solution to the mystery calls upon some knowledge Jupiter displayed way back in chapter 15 of #14 Coughing Dragon.

[dexqa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got hooked with The Three Investigators during my teen.
Well, not many goodreads that time but this series was
among my favorite reading along with The Famous Five and
The Secret Seven.

This one was about unmasking the truth of Purple Pirate
existence, a guard castle with hidden rooms and an impostor
who running after the pirate legacy.

[Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the first book I ever read outside of school that I chose on my own to pick up and read as a kiddo. :-)

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of the first books I recall reading as a young adult. It was a good mystery and hooked me on mysteries and pirates.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Three Investigators get mixed up in a mysterious case that is connected with the buccaneering days of the past. Then old legend comes terrifyingly to life…
According to my spreadsheet, it’s been more than twenty years since I’ve read this title (basically because, to my mind, the series ends with the death of Hitchcock) and since it was published over here in 1985 (when I was sixteen), I’d moved on from the series a little so the story didn’t connect. Coming back to it again, as a 53 year old, I could admire the writing and the humour but the story felt very slight. The lads are drawn into the mystery of William Evans, the Purple Pirate, whose land is currently being used for a rundown Pirate adventure park and Arden paints this very well as a somewhat sad and pathetic enterprise. Modern day thieves seem to be out to find Evans’ long-lost treasure but, as ever, all is not what it seems. The mystery feels a little contrived but the interplay between the lads is very well done and there are some lovely touches of humour (and Jupe at one point comments he might “decide to return to acting when I grow up instead of becoming a great detective”). The location is used very well too and Arden creates an excellent atmosphere. I’m not sure I’d say this stood up in comparison to the bulk of the 1-30 books in the series, but it’s a valid effort and I did enjoy this long overdue re-read so I’d recommend it.

[Inga · Rating 3 out of 5]

Die drei Fragezeichen und der rote Pirat ist noch eine der Originalfolgen (#33, 1982), die von William Arden (alias Michael Collins) auf Englisch verfasst wurden. Die Erzählung wird von Einwürfen eines fiktiven Alfred Hitchcock unterbrochen, der ein großes Interesse an den Abenteuern von Justus, Peter und Bob hat.

Um sich ein bisschen Geld für die Detektivkasse zu verdienen, folgen die drei Freunde einem Aufruf, bei einem Verein etwas über die Geschichte lokaler Piraten zu erzählen. Sie werden aber ohne Bezahlung weggeschickt und die Tonbandaufnahme mit ihrem Beitrag wird sogar wieder gelöscht! Sie wittern Betrug und kommen schnell dahinter, dass es den Interviewern nur um die Anwesenheit bestimmter Personen geht.
Sie folgen der Spur zu einer heruntergekommenen Show um den roten Piraten, in dessen alten Turm ein Nachfahre des Piraten wohnt. Doch wie hängt das alles zusammen?

Tatsächlich ist dieser Fall ein etwas komplexerer und durchläuft mehrere Wendungen, bei denen die Charaktere nicht immer sind wie sie scheinen. Es gibt einige unterhaltesame Szenen, bei denen die Charakterzüge der drei Fragezeichen gut herauskommen, andere, wie die Schilderung der Piratenshow, haben definitiv Längen. Insgesamt ein solider Fall, vielleicht ein bisschen wirrer als andere.

[sonofabook · Rating 4 out of 5]

In der Stadt wird von einem Major Kanes ein Interview ausgeschrieben:
Jeder der etwas zu der Piratengeschichte der Stadt Rocky Beach beitragen kann erhält 25 Dollar.
Natürlich melde sich auch die drei Detektive an. Sie erhalten das Interview auch, stellen dann aber im Nachinein fest, dass ihre Aufnahme wieder gelöscht wird.
So beobachten sie weiter, dass die Aufnahme von Kapitän Joy nicht gelöscht wird.
Dem gehen Justus, Peter und Bob auf den Grund und stoßen dabei auf einen roter Piraten, welcher sie angreift, einen Nachfahren, welcher auf sie schießt ubd auf eine Gier nach einem Schatz, welche sie täuscht.

Eine wirklich unterhaltsame Folge!
Die Wendung am Ende sieht man nicht kommen. Es sind spannende Charaktere enthalten und auch die Geschichte an sich ist dieses Mal stimmig.

[Rabea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ich denke ich bin bei der Bewertung des Buches ein wenig befangen.
Seitdem ich klein bin, bin ich großer Fan der drei Fragezeichen - als Hörspiel.
Der Fall des roten Piraten gehört aber auch in Hörspielform nicht zu meinen Favoriten.

Die Geschichte des roten Piraten war mir also schon im voraus bekannt und die Handlung beim lesen nur wenig überraschend. Das einzige interessante waren die kleinen Unterschiede zwischen Buch und Hörspiel.

Kein Buch für mich, aber für Kinder sicherlich spannend. Ich bevorzuge allerdings weiterhin die Hörspiele.

[Vintagebooklvr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pirates, treasure and a bottle of rum (well, no rum). This was a lot of fun and a good story, plus a surprise twist at the end. It may not be as full of death-defying adventures as a Hardy Boys but in many ways the story is tighter and not everything but the kitchen sink thrown into it which can be a bit annoying with the Hardy Boys. It is a little bit more realistic which I enjoy.

[Vincent T. Ciaramella · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was a kid, this was my favorite one. Now, 30 + years later, reading it to my son, I still love it. Its really not their best but there is just something about this story that is my childhood. I mentioned to my mom that I was reading it to my son and she quoted the title of the charter "The Purple Pirate Strikes Again". I guess I was fond of saying it...lol.

[Charley Schnuff · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Die drei ??? und der Rote Pirat" hat mich gut unterhalten, auch wenn auch dieser Teil nicht an die ersten Teile der Reihe herankommt. Dennoch fand ich sowohl den plot als auch die handelnden Nebencharaktere gut erzählt. Spannung kam bei mir nicht so sehr auf, da ich zu schnell auf den Twist kam, aber das muss nicht jedem Lesenden so ergehen.

[Cliff · Rating 3 out of 5]

As seems to be traditional now, the adults in the story are not to be trusted. Overall, it's a fairly good story, but is sorely lacking in any sense of paranormal. That is to say that the case is overall fairly mundane.

[Joe Stevens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, not overly interesting. Just another juvenile mystery as I read through this series reliving and filling in the blanks of my youth. The series seems deep into cruise control by this point. The enjoyable three investigators who are well characterized here are the only selling point.

[Bearcatgary · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Three Investigators look into the mysterious happenings at a local pirate themed amusement park. This one of the later books in the series and probably not as much effort was put into writing the book as was done in earlier books. Always enjoyable.

[Birte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kenne sowohl das Buch als auch das Hörbuch und mag beides :)

[nona ★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eine nette Geschichte, allerdings nicht allzu spannend!

[JBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ein schöner Fall :)
3,5 Sterne

Die Jungs können auch einfach mal ohne spektakulären Verfolgsungjagd einen guten Fall haben ;)

[N Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reasonable story, but not as much fun or with the same quality of plot twists and clues as the Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books. Good humour throughout though.

[Smultrona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kann man die drei ??? an der Nase herumführen? Ein ausgeklügelter Fall

[Lenja · Rating 4 out of 5]

habs als hörspiel gehört aber muss jetzt hier reingezählt werden fürs leseziel hupsi