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Classic Three Investigators #2
The Mystery of the Stuttering Parrot
In searching for a lost parrot who recites Shakespeare with a stutter, Jupiter Jones' firm of young detectives becomes involved with a missing masterpiece.
174 pages, Paperback
First published September 12, 1964
58 people are currently reading
1716 people want to read
About the author
Robert Arthur
346 books298 followersRobert Arthur (1909-1969) was a versatile mystery writer born November 10, 1909, on Corregidor Island, where his father served as a U.S. Army officer. He is best known as the creator of The Three Investigators, a mystery book series for young people, but he began his career writing for the pulps, and later worked in both radio and television. He studied at William and Mary College for two years before earning a B.A. in English and an M.A. in Journalism from the University of Michigan. In 1931, he moved to New York City, where he wrote mysteries, fantasies, and horror stories for magazines like Weird Tales, Amazing Stories, Detective Fiction Weekly, and Black Mask throughout the 1930s.
Later, with David Kogan, he co-created and produced The Mysterious Traveler radio show (1944-1952), earning a 1953 Edgar Award. He and Kogan also won an Edgar, in 1950, for Murder By Experts. In 1959, Arthur relocated to Hollywood, scripting for The Twilight Zone and serving as story editor and writer for Alfred Hitchcock Presents, while ghost-editing numerous "Alfred Hitchcock" anthologies for adults and children.
In 1963, Arthur settled in Cape May, New Jersey, where he created The Three Investigators series with The Secret of Terror Castle (1964). He wrote ten novels in the series before his death in Philadelphia on May 2, 1969. The 43-title series, continued after his death by writers-for-hire working for Random House, was published in over twenty-five languages and thirty countries. (Originally branded as "Alfred Hitchcock and The Three Investigators", Random House dropped the Hitchcock name from the series after Hitchcock's death.)
In June of 2024, Hollow Tree Press reissued Robert Arthur's original ten novels as a sixtieth anniversary edition. Those editions have end notes written by his daughter and son-in-law, Elizabeth Arthur and Steven Bauer, and Hollow Tree Press is also publishing a twenty-six book New Three Investigators series written by Arthur and Bauer.
Later, with David Kogan, he co-created and produced The Mysterious Traveler radio show (1944-1952), earning a 1953 Edgar Award. He and Kogan also won an Edgar, in 1950, for Murder By Experts. In 1959, Arthur relocated to Hollywood, scripting for The Twilight Zone and serving as story editor and writer for Alfred Hitchcock Presents, while ghost-editing numerous "Alfred Hitchcock" anthologies for adults and children.
In 1963, Arthur settled in Cape May, New Jersey, where he created The Three Investigators series with The Secret of Terror Castle (1964). He wrote ten novels in the series before his death in Philadelphia on May 2, 1969. The 43-title series, continued after his death by writers-for-hire working for Random House, was published in over twenty-five languages and thirty countries. (Originally branded as "Alfred Hitchcock and The Three Investigators", Random House dropped the Hitchcock name from the series after Hitchcock's death.)
In June of 2024, Hollow Tree Press reissued Robert Arthur's original ten novels as a sixtieth anniversary edition. Those editions have end notes written by his daughter and son-in-law, Elizabeth Arthur and Steven Bauer, and Hollow Tree Press is also publishing a twenty-six book New Three Investigators series written by Arthur and Bauer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 302 reviews
July 29, 2024
4,5 Sterne
Dieser Band der Drei ??? ist einer meiner Lieblingsbände. Ich mag das Rätselhafte und Geheimnisvolle, und dass man hier wirklich gut mitraten kann.
Es geht eigentlich erst einmal nur um einen vermissten Papagei, doch der Fall entwickelt sich bald zu etwas viel Größerem.
Für Jung ein Alt ein Lesevergnügen, auch als Hörbuch kann ich es empfehlen.
Dieser Band der Drei ??? ist einer meiner Lieblingsbände. Ich mag das Rätselhafte und Geheimnisvolle, und dass man hier wirklich gut mitraten kann.
Es geht eigentlich erst einmal nur um einen vermissten Papagei, doch der Fall entwickelt sich bald zu etwas viel Größerem.
Für Jung ein Alt ein Lesevergnügen, auch als Hörbuch kann ich es empfehlen.
February 26, 2022
This book erupted out of its pages and held my attention as I read each word leading to the solution of a labyrinthine adventure. Books like these ought to burn in Mesopotamia. By this I mean, that the clay records of that age got cooked in a blaze and thus were preserved for modern archeologists, pardon the contradiction, to discover.
I have recently been aware of the fact that following a good review with another one in the same vein is useless. Thus I am forewarned, and so are you. So, this book deserves a very high score and much respect. It was the masterpiece of this underrated writer, Robert Arthur.
There is something sad about this book. Not everything is tied up in a neat bow. The seller of parrots had to go back to Mexico to recover his health. He did not have a happy time in the land of opportunity. Living in poverty, he lost his vitality and was ill for many days. The book does not tell us if he had a better time in his native country.
There is also something sad about one of the creators of this mystery. He died without knowing who would inherit his will, and his treasure. I think his will passed into the body of Barbenoire the mynah. The word mynah in french translates to mainate, which is almost a familiar phonetic exact copy of mai'nant, which means 'now' in English. This may be a coincidence, but it adds to the foggy thrill of discovery to the book.
Reading a book is its own reward. A book written by a no name writer that provokes the reader into exaltation and admiration is rare but it happens from time to time. In the 70s, it was more difficult to break through in the type of writing that leaks its spirit to show business. So many authors have come and gone, without becoming famous. This book's author must have written countless of other books that have been allowed to rot until the cold verdict of 'out of print' is given.
But there is a small group of fans that have stood out from the silence of reading, a group in which each individual knows there must exist others, but does not know who, or how many. Nevertheless, the book deserves more notoriety. It does not exist as an e-book, which officially categorises said book as an endangered species.
There is a continuity of events and of logic that forces the admiration of the reader. The presence of the lighter shaped like a gun, the reasons why the Mexican duo had to sell the parrots, the recipient of the 1000 dollars, all restore a logical continuum that gains the respect of the adult, and delights the mind of the child. In this chaotic world, order of ideas is in cruel want even in the most imaginative of books. This book, Le Perroquet Qui Begayait, is a reminder of how a simple adventure book, which has no sex and no gore, which has no murder and no revenge, which has no heroine and no savior, can stand firm under the glare of time, and last.
I have recently been aware of the fact that following a good review with another one in the same vein is useless. Thus I am forewarned, and so are you. So, this book deserves a very high score and much respect. It was the masterpiece of this underrated writer, Robert Arthur.
There is something sad about this book. Not everything is tied up in a neat bow. The seller of parrots had to go back to Mexico to recover his health. He did not have a happy time in the land of opportunity. Living in poverty, he lost his vitality and was ill for many days. The book does not tell us if he had a better time in his native country.
There is also something sad about one of the creators of this mystery. He died without knowing who would inherit his will, and his treasure. I think his will passed into the body of Barbenoire the mynah. The word mynah in french translates to mainate, which is almost a familiar phonetic exact copy of mai'nant, which means 'now' in English. This may be a coincidence, but it adds to the foggy thrill of discovery to the book.
Reading a book is its own reward. A book written by a no name writer that provokes the reader into exaltation and admiration is rare but it happens from time to time. In the 70s, it was more difficult to break through in the type of writing that leaks its spirit to show business. So many authors have come and gone, without becoming famous. This book's author must have written countless of other books that have been allowed to rot until the cold verdict of 'out of print' is given.
But there is a small group of fans that have stood out from the silence of reading, a group in which each individual knows there must exist others, but does not know who, or how many. Nevertheless, the book deserves more notoriety. It does not exist as an e-book, which officially categorises said book as an endangered species.
There is a continuity of events and of logic that forces the admiration of the reader. The presence of the lighter shaped like a gun, the reasons why the Mexican duo had to sell the parrots, the recipient of the 1000 dollars, all restore a logical continuum that gains the respect of the adult, and delights the mind of the child. In this chaotic world, order of ideas is in cruel want even in the most imaginative of books. This book, Le Perroquet Qui Begayait, is a reminder of how a simple adventure book, which has no sex and no gore, which has no murder and no revenge, which has no heroine and no savior, can stand firm under the glare of time, and last.
March 20, 2008
This, not Nancy Drew, was my favorite mystery series when I was a kid. Sure, I read Nancy, but she was an independently wealthy titian-headed paragon who I could never live up to. Why didn't she get a job, or go to college? Was she just killing time solving mysteries until Ned graduated from college and married her?
Now, the Three Investigators, they were kids like me, without a car, without much money, and with very human failings. I could totally relate. And they had a cool secret clubhouse, too. But I am skeptical that the introductions were actually written by Alfred Hitchcock himself.
The Investigators solved mystery puzzles kind of like Scooby-Doo but without the lame endings: something supernatural seems to be going on, and the boys uncover the real, human agents behind the phenomena. Except for this one, no supernatural here. Unless you think parrots are spooky.
In this episode: If a parrot stutters, pay attention! It could be a clue to a hidden treasure.
This series was reissued about 10-15 years ago, and they stripped Hitchcock from the books, replacing him with some fictional Sebastian Barth guy. Sacrilege!
Now, the Three Investigators, they were kids like me, without a car, without much money, and with very human failings. I could totally relate. And they had a cool secret clubhouse, too. But I am skeptical that the introductions were actually written by Alfred Hitchcock himself.
The Investigators solved mystery puzzles kind of like Scooby-Doo but without the lame endings: something supernatural seems to be going on, and the boys uncover the real, human agents behind the phenomena. Except for this one, no supernatural here. Unless you think parrots are spooky.
In this episode: If a parrot stutters, pay attention! It could be a clue to a hidden treasure.
This series was reissued about 10-15 years ago, and they stripped Hitchcock from the books, replacing him with some fictional Sebastian Barth guy. Sacrilege!
February 9, 2018
"To-to-be or not to-to-be? That is the question." said the stuttering parrot. But can a parrot stutter?
This is the best of the Three Investigators, according to me. The trail to a treasure, hidden in the cryptic sentences taught to seven parrots. Jupiter and team must decode each to lead them to a magnificent booty in priceless paintings, before international art thieves get there.
All the clues were perfect, as well as the twist in the tail. Jupiter outdoes himself.
I still remember some of them:
"Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep and don't know where to find them. Call on Sherlock Holmes!"
"To-to-be or not to-to-be? That is the question."
"You know my methods, Watson. Three sevens lead to thirteen."
And the last one:
"Never give a sucker an even break, and that is a lead pipe cinch!"
This is the best of the Three Investigators, according to me. The trail to a treasure, hidden in the cryptic sentences taught to seven parrots. Jupiter and team must decode each to lead them to a magnificent booty in priceless paintings, before international art thieves get there.
All the clues were perfect, as well as the twist in the tail. Jupiter outdoes himself.
I still remember some of them:
"Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep and don't know where to find them. Call on Sherlock Holmes!"
"To-to-be or not to-to-be? That is the question."
"You know my methods, Watson. Three sevens lead to thirteen."
And the last one:
"Never give a sucker an even break, and that is a lead pipe cinch!"
March 28, 2013
I recently finished reading The Mystery of The Stuttering Parrot by: Robert Arthur. My dad introduced me to this fast paced mystery book series that he loved when he was a kid. As soon as I opened this book I was immedatly hooked. This book is about three young dectives who promise to find a famous actors missing parrot. When they start on this case they find that it is part of a bigger mystery of a lost priceless art piece! I can relate to the charactors in the book because they always help people when they need it and I feel like I do the same. This fast pace book is a pleaser to any audience.
January 3, 2025
* Please do not leave “like button” clicks, until you are accompanying them with remarks. *
In 1964, Philippine Robert A. Arthur started an exceptional mystery series. It featured 14 year-old heroes who are younger than Nancy Drew & the Hardys but more mature. Each book is modern, smart, wholly original, and gratifyingly eerie. Unlike the false action of the old series that I dub “crash-boom-bang”, realistic predicaments make us nervous and the denouements are intellectually divine. To be visible amid the 30 year-old Stratemeyer series, they are called “Alfred Hitchcock & The Three Investigators”.
Robert graduated from journalism, publishing speculative radio and magazine stories. He went to Hollywood in 1959. I guess Alfred consented to the title but wonder if he wrote the wry introductions. I bet “Three Investigators” fans (“???”) know. I am a fan but borrowing from a library was a mistake. Old books were not on school sale lists. There were 43 volumes until 1987. Robert wrote 10 and died in 1969. Despite outstanding material and fans, only Germans know this series now.
My favourite is “The Mystery Of The Stuttering Parrot”, which I had not seen since I was around 12. I scored “The Secret Of Terror Castle” in 2013 and felt enthralled with every page. I found several other volumes but am a bit like Sheldon Cooper. I would not budge until I had volume 2... which my dear Kerri found this year, 2022, in New Zealand!
Well, this book is as exceptional as I recalled! When it came in the mail, I read it as soon as I finished the book I had going! If you want real mysteries using your brains, memory skills, and creativity to solve colourful clues with Jupiter, Pete, and Bob; jump aboard. Besides wanting the graveyard bookcover that I knew, Kerri has freed me to read the next several adventures that grace our shelves.
In 1964, Philippine Robert A. Arthur started an exceptional mystery series. It featured 14 year-old heroes who are younger than Nancy Drew & the Hardys but more mature. Each book is modern, smart, wholly original, and gratifyingly eerie. Unlike the false action of the old series that I dub “crash-boom-bang”, realistic predicaments make us nervous and the denouements are intellectually divine. To be visible amid the 30 year-old Stratemeyer series, they are called “Alfred Hitchcock & The Three Investigators”.
Robert graduated from journalism, publishing speculative radio and magazine stories. He went to Hollywood in 1959. I guess Alfred consented to the title but wonder if he wrote the wry introductions. I bet “Three Investigators” fans (“???”) know. I am a fan but borrowing from a library was a mistake. Old books were not on school sale lists. There were 43 volumes until 1987. Robert wrote 10 and died in 1969. Despite outstanding material and fans, only Germans know this series now.
My favourite is “The Mystery Of The Stuttering Parrot”, which I had not seen since I was around 12. I scored “The Secret Of Terror Castle” in 2013 and felt enthralled with every page. I found several other volumes but am a bit like Sheldon Cooper. I would not budge until I had volume 2... which my dear Kerri found this year, 2022, in New Zealand!
Well, this book is as exceptional as I recalled! When it came in the mail, I read it as soon as I finished the book I had going! If you want real mysteries using your brains, memory skills, and creativity to solve colourful clues with Jupiter, Pete, and Bob; jump aboard. Besides wanting the graveyard bookcover that I knew, Kerri has freed me to read the next several adventures that grace our shelves.
February 7, 2018
Three Investigators is my favourite childhood series. Not one of the favourites, is is THE favourite series. I can't quite love any other series so much and even though I read all the books long ago, yet I try to revise all the nook every year.
This year, I decided to try audiobook and this is the first audiobook I tried. What can I say, the audio version was 10 times better than the printed version. I could hear each character speaking in a different voice and I could FEEL the story more than ever. The moment I heard the voices I realized that these are the voices of Jupiter, Pete and Bob ( Bob is almost missing in this story btw)!!!
Sadly, only two books are available as audio books. But if you are a fan of the Three Investigators, you must give it a try in YouTube.
This year, I decided to try audiobook and this is the first audiobook I tried. What can I say, the audio version was 10 times better than the printed version. I could hear each character speaking in a different voice and I could FEEL the story more than ever. The moment I heard the voices I realized that these are the voices of Jupiter, Pete and Bob ( Bob is almost missing in this story btw)!!!
Sadly, only two books are available as audio books. But if you are a fan of the Three Investigators, you must give it a try in YouTube.
January 5, 2021
Mala som osem alebo deväť rokov a na Vianoce som dostala Záhadu zajakavého papagája, pre mňa prvú zo série kníh o Troch pátračoch, ktorá sa nadlho stala mojou obľúbenou. Do noci som ešte ležala v obývačke na koberci a odmietala prestať čítať a ísť spať. Už len kvôli týmto jedinečným okamihom si kniha zaslúži v mojej knižnici svoje čestné miesto.
Aj po rokoch však pri čítaní stále funguje dobre. Záhada založená na odkazoch z literatúry, ukradnuté umelecké dielo, napínavá naháňačka, perfektný tajný Hlavný stan... pre mňa navždy najoblubenejsia záhada, celkovo však tiež určite jedna z najlepších.
Aj po rokoch však pri čítaní stále funguje dobre. Záhada založená na odkazoch z literatúry, ukradnuté umelecké dielo, napínavá naháňačka, perfektný tajný Hlavný stan... pre mňa navždy najoblubenejsia záhada, celkovo však tiež určite jedna z najlepších.
March 14, 2020
Second reading. Still pretty good after all these years! There's still a bit of a stretch that the Three Investigators have an enormous stroke of lick in the end, that wraps the case up... fortuitously.
http://www.threeinvestigatorsbooks.co...
Using as a "book set in high school", although it appears to be summer vacation just now.
http://www.threeinvestigatorsbooks.co...
Using as a "book set in high school", although it appears to be summer vacation just now.
May 18, 2018
I did not read this edition. I read the silver covered 1973 edition. I know that Hardy Boys were edited after the 1950's quite a bit, I am not sure if the same is true for this series.
These books just hit me when I was a kid. It's EVERYTHING to a little boy in the late 1970's early 1980's. Three boys, a junkyard full of, well, junk that any boy can do anything with.
Alfred Hitchcock, mysteries, spooky houses, it's all there!
I much prefer the older editions. Nostalgia I guess, but the pages themselves (for a book lover) are perfect.
This had a great mystery and riddle to it. The Stuttering Parrot certainly holds up, but maybe I'm biased.
Everything is so serious anymore. I read serious books. Watch serious shows. Don't get me started on social media.
It was great to go back to boyhood imagination and fun.
These books just hit me when I was a kid. It's EVERYTHING to a little boy in the late 1970's early 1980's. Three boys, a junkyard full of, well, junk that any boy can do anything with.
Alfred Hitchcock, mysteries, spooky houses, it's all there!
I much prefer the older editions. Nostalgia I guess, but the pages themselves (for a book lover) are perfect.
This had a great mystery and riddle to it. The Stuttering Parrot certainly holds up, but maybe I'm biased.
Everything is so serious anymore. I read serious books. Watch serious shows. Don't get me started on social media.
It was great to go back to boyhood imagination and fun.
December 20, 2016
Jedna z najkrajsich z detstva, ktoru si rada precitam aj dnes.
Zamotany pribeh o papagajoch, z ktorych kazdy vie rozpravat zdanlivo uplne nezmyselne veci z klasikov vedie k neuveritelnemu pripadu, kde mame tajomne poklady, zahranicnych zlocincov a znamu trojicu patracov, ktori aj teraz vsetkemu pridu na koren.
Carovne namixovany detektivny pribeh pre mladych citatelov je mozno dnes uz trosku staromodny, ale napriek tomu ma nezamenitelne caro.
A pre zasvatenych - "to je iste ako olovena rura" :-)
Zamotany pribeh o papagajoch, z ktorych kazdy vie rozpravat zdanlivo uplne nezmyselne veci z klasikov vedie k neuveritelnemu pripadu, kde mame tajomne poklady, zahranicnych zlocincov a znamu trojicu patracov, ktori aj teraz vsetkemu pridu na koren.
Carovne namixovany detektivny pribeh pre mladych citatelov je mozno dnes uz trosku staromodny, ale napriek tomu ma nezamenitelne caro.
A pre zasvatenych - "to je iste ako olovena rura" :-)
June 27, 2019
One of those in the series I haven't read in childhood. This time, it's about treasure hunting with seven parrots as clues holders, and one of them stuttered. Successfully met up my nostalgic moment!
August 18, 2024
potrebovala som prečítať niečo rýchle, čo by trosku dobehlo tie knihy čo som behind, takze znova čítam troch patracov😭
March 25, 2022
Passend zum Auftakt des Bobcast starte ich wieder mal in die Hörbuch-Reihe.
Brilliant wie immer.
Brilliant wie immer.
July 1, 2017
Toto bolo strašne super :D! Ako tak pozerám... opäť ma zrejme začína chytať mánia Troch pátračov. Kedysi som na tom riadne fičala, nuž uvidíme ako ďalej O:).
October 18, 2021
My one unfulfilled childhood dream was to be a real detective or private investigator. The closest I got was investigating some ultra-minor crimes in my area, as well as looking for some missing pets, dressed in my trench-coat and dark glasses, to no success whatsoever!
So it goes without saying that I have always loved reading crime/mystery books, of which my all-time favourite series is The Three Investigators mysteries. Sure, the Hardy Boys were more popular at my school, but then I have always favoured brains over brawn. This book is actually the second of a long-running series featuring The Three Investigators, and it is also one of the best pure mysteries they encounter in my opinion.
For the uninitiated, the boys who make up The Three Investigators are: Jupiter Jones, first investigator; Pete Crenshaw, second investigator; Bob Andrews, records and research. They operate out of a salvage yard owned by Jupiter’s aunt and uncle, in the fictional town of Rocky Beach, California.
Their HQ is inside an old caravan/trailer now surrounded by junk and kitted out with all their investigative needs such as a telephone, filing cabinets for cases and a dark room.
The boys are hired by the famed film director Alfred Hitchcock to locate his friend’s missing parrot. Hitchcock appeared in the first book when the boys solved the Secret of Terror Castle, and now respects the abilities of the boys after a difficult start to their relationship. It transpires that the missing parrot was actually one of seven birds, who were all trained by their deceased owner Jim Silver to repeat a specific message.
The fact that the birds have all been sold really complicates the mystery. We follow the boys as they hotfoot it around the Rocky Beach and Hollywood areas, piecing the clues together and trying to locate the missing birds, while also staying one step ahead of crooks who include the famous art-thief (and re-appearing character in the series) Hugenay.
It is in this book that the characters of Bob and Pete really step out of Jupiter’s admittedly large shadow, and we get a head-scratcher of a riddle which requires a lot of investigation and research to solve, as well as some instinct in the face of danger. The limitations of being a kid and trying to solve crimes is still relevant, for example not being able to drive themselves anywhere, as well as adults always doubting the ability of the trio. The age-old satisfaction of triumphing over someone older or apparently more experienced, is a theme prevalent throughout the series.
I have read all of The Three Investigators mysteries, enjoying them all, but this one along with 4-5 others are a class above the others in terms of the mystery at hand. It was only in adulthood I finally completed and read the complete collection of the series, through exhaustive trawls of second-hand book stores and internet sites, as well as having the means to get those last few rare books.
Each book now only takes me about an hour to read (I’m a fast reader) but it is a magical way to spend an hour, transporting me back to my childhood again. I still picture the salvage yard in my head when I read the books, transposing the image onto a place special to me in my own hometown, and imagine myself entering the investigators HQ and assisting them on a case.
Maybe I could have used their help with my own “cases” in my short PI career….
So it goes without saying that I have always loved reading crime/mystery books, of which my all-time favourite series is The Three Investigators mysteries. Sure, the Hardy Boys were more popular at my school, but then I have always favoured brains over brawn. This book is actually the second of a long-running series featuring The Three Investigators, and it is also one of the best pure mysteries they encounter in my opinion.
For the uninitiated, the boys who make up The Three Investigators are: Jupiter Jones, first investigator; Pete Crenshaw, second investigator; Bob Andrews, records and research. They operate out of a salvage yard owned by Jupiter’s aunt and uncle, in the fictional town of Rocky Beach, California.
Their HQ is inside an old caravan/trailer now surrounded by junk and kitted out with all their investigative needs such as a telephone, filing cabinets for cases and a dark room.
The boys are hired by the famed film director Alfred Hitchcock to locate his friend’s missing parrot. Hitchcock appeared in the first book when the boys solved the Secret of Terror Castle, and now respects the abilities of the boys after a difficult start to their relationship. It transpires that the missing parrot was actually one of seven birds, who were all trained by their deceased owner Jim Silver to repeat a specific message.
The fact that the birds have all been sold really complicates the mystery. We follow the boys as they hotfoot it around the Rocky Beach and Hollywood areas, piecing the clues together and trying to locate the missing birds, while also staying one step ahead of crooks who include the famous art-thief (and re-appearing character in the series) Hugenay.
It is in this book that the characters of Bob and Pete really step out of Jupiter’s admittedly large shadow, and we get a head-scratcher of a riddle which requires a lot of investigation and research to solve, as well as some instinct in the face of danger. The limitations of being a kid and trying to solve crimes is still relevant, for example not being able to drive themselves anywhere, as well as adults always doubting the ability of the trio. The age-old satisfaction of triumphing over someone older or apparently more experienced, is a theme prevalent throughout the series.
I have read all of The Three Investigators mysteries, enjoying them all, but this one along with 4-5 others are a class above the others in terms of the mystery at hand. It was only in adulthood I finally completed and read the complete collection of the series, through exhaustive trawls of second-hand book stores and internet sites, as well as having the means to get those last few rare books.
Each book now only takes me about an hour to read (I’m a fast reader) but it is a magical way to spend an hour, transporting me back to my childhood again. I still picture the salvage yard in my head when I read the books, transposing the image onto a place special to me in my own hometown, and imagine myself entering the investigators HQ and assisting them on a case.
Maybe I could have used their help with my own “cases” in my short PI career….
July 31, 2024
2008 original review - For some reason, I’ve never pressed to re-read this book and, having just done so, I can’t understand why. It’s quick, tightly-written, has some nice action sequences and well-drawn characters and is a lot of fun. I enjoyed the interplay and the deductions and the willingness of Arthur to look at the less-well-off, but the treasure was found a little easily for my liking and where, exactly, does Carlos go after this book? Very entertaining, a good, solid TTI mystery.
2013 update - Once again, I was a little dubious about starting this and, once again, when I’d started I thoroughly enjoyed it. It has a terrific, extended opening that works brilliantly and includes this fantastic quote: “That isn’t a house I want to approach,” Pete told him. “It looks like a house full of locked rooms that shouldn’t be opened.” With this taking up so much space, Bob doesn’t actually appear until a quarter of the way through and misses the ending altogether, which is a shame (especially since it’s revealed that The Ghost-to-Ghost hook-up was his initial idea). The ending itself - which I won’t reveal - uses a great location that, filled with coastal fog, is incredibly atmospheric. The salvage yard and headquarters are key locations and this not only reveals the secret code to get into HQ but uses descriptions for the entrances which I don’t think are ever used again. A couple of small points though - I think Blackbeard the bird appears in “The Whispering Mummy” and then disappears and whatever happens to Carlos? Otherwise this has great pacing, well realised characters - plus the Arthur touch of focussing on change and societal differences - and a great plot and is very much recommended.
(nb - I think my issue with the book is that the audio version has a lot of Carlos material, clouding the story to an extent and I think I’ve got the tape and the book meshed in my head).
2017 update - I’m in agreement with my previous comments - it’s a tightly told story that, although it does leave some loose ends (and has the peculiar ‘Alfred Hitchcock speaking’ final page), is well written, well paced and packed with vivid characters and set pieces.
2013 update - Once again, I was a little dubious about starting this and, once again, when I’d started I thoroughly enjoyed it. It has a terrific, extended opening that works brilliantly and includes this fantastic quote: “That isn’t a house I want to approach,” Pete told him. “It looks like a house full of locked rooms that shouldn’t be opened.” With this taking up so much space, Bob doesn’t actually appear until a quarter of the way through and misses the ending altogether, which is a shame (especially since it’s revealed that The Ghost-to-Ghost hook-up was his initial idea). The ending itself - which I won’t reveal - uses a great location that, filled with coastal fog, is incredibly atmospheric. The salvage yard and headquarters are key locations and this not only reveals the secret code to get into HQ but uses descriptions for the entrances which I don’t think are ever used again. A couple of small points though - I think Blackbeard the bird appears in “The Whispering Mummy” and then disappears and whatever happens to Carlos? Otherwise this has great pacing, well realised characters - plus the Arthur touch of focussing on change and societal differences - and a great plot and is very much recommended.
(nb - I think my issue with the book is that the audio version has a lot of Carlos material, clouding the story to an extent and I think I’ve got the tape and the book meshed in my head).
2017 update - I’m in agreement with my previous comments - it’s a tightly told story that, although it does leave some loose ends (and has the peculiar ‘Alfred Hitchcock speaking’ final page), is well written, well paced and packed with vivid characters and set pieces.
February 2, 2024
'The Mystery of the Stuttering Parrot' (The Three Investigators #2) by Robert Arthur.
Rating: 4.75/5.
Review:
I had an absolute blast rereading this book. It has been over a decade and a half since I last read this book, and I have nothing but praise for this book. Don't get me wrong; it isn't peak mystery fiction, but it is a great mystery once you consider its target audience and the period it was written in. It can be argued that my favorable experience while rereading this book is colored by nostalgia, but I still struggle to find any flaws or plot holes.
The central mystery is intriguing. It starts as a simple mystery involving the retrieval of a stolen parrot, but it gets more and more complex as another layer of intrigue is added to it. The premise of a single riddle scattered into seven parts that serve as a key to recovering a valuable possession made the story even more compelling. The mystery even ends on a good note with the three pals donating the prize money to someone who needed it the most. Darn, I didn't know how much I was missing these stories from the earlier times that attempted to inculcate good values in children while delivering an enthralling story.
Oh, I do need to add. While I appreciate Jupiter's intelligence and Bob's resourcefulness, I think the standout member of the Three Investigators so far, for me, has been Pete Crenshaw. His fear of the supernatural and criminals does remind me somewhat of Shaggy (although the initial books of this series were published years before the first episode of the Scooby-Doo cartoon was aired), and despite his cowardice, he is always there to help his friends at the time of need. I also found his clever jibes and witty remarks to be a fantastic addition to the story.
So, that's it then! I had a great time rereading this book. I do hope I end up having a similar experience as I move ahead with my reread of the subsequent books in this series.
Rating: 4.75/5.
Review:
I had an absolute blast rereading this book. It has been over a decade and a half since I last read this book, and I have nothing but praise for this book. Don't get me wrong; it isn't peak mystery fiction, but it is a great mystery once you consider its target audience and the period it was written in. It can be argued that my favorable experience while rereading this book is colored by nostalgia, but I still struggle to find any flaws or plot holes.
The central mystery is intriguing. It starts as a simple mystery involving the retrieval of a stolen parrot, but it gets more and more complex as another layer of intrigue is added to it. The premise of a single riddle scattered into seven parts that serve as a key to recovering a valuable possession made the story even more compelling. The mystery even ends on a good note with the three pals donating the prize money to someone who needed it the most. Darn, I didn't know how much I was missing these stories from the earlier times that attempted to inculcate good values in children while delivering an enthralling story.
Oh, I do need to add. While I appreciate Jupiter's intelligence and Bob's resourcefulness, I think the standout member of the Three Investigators so far, for me, has been Pete Crenshaw. His fear of the supernatural and criminals does remind me somewhat of Shaggy (although the initial books of this series were published years before the first episode of the Scooby-Doo cartoon was aired), and despite his cowardice, he is always there to help his friends at the time of need. I also found his clever jibes and witty remarks to be a fantastic addition to the story.
So, that's it then! I had a great time rereading this book. I do hope I end up having a similar experience as I move ahead with my reread of the subsequent books in this series.
November 11, 2024
2019
This was the first Three Investigators book that I had ever read; the first book that made me fall in love with the stories of the three friends who had started a business together. The Three Investigators. With their own business cards, their own logo (a question mark), and each with their own role in the investigations.
This book, however, always remained my favorite of their investigations.
It begins (as many of the best mysteries do) with someone calling for help. And not one, but two parrots mysteriously disappearing. Then its a race to find the rest of the parrots (seven in all!) and trace the route to the hidden treasure described as "a piece off the end of the rainbow with a pot of gold at the end of it."
"That isn't a house I want to approach," Pete told him. "It looks like a house full of locked rooms that shouldn't be open."
...
Mostly what he had bought was ordinary junk, but perched up at the back end of the truck was an iron deer. It was life-size, with huge antlers.
"Hmph!" Mrs. Jones said. Well, we can sell it to a collector, I suppose, but I'll bet you paid too much money for it."
"I didn't buy it to sell," Titus said. "I'm going to set it up outside the gate." He hopped down off the truck and gave his wife a squeeze around the waist. "Now I'll have two dears," he said.
It was a pretty terrible pun, but Mrs. Jones giggled.
2015
This was the first Three Investigators book that I had ever read; the first book that made me fall in love with the stories of the three friends who had started a business together. The Three Investigators. With their own business cards, their own logo (a question mark), and each with their own role in the investigations.
This book, however, always remained my favorite of their investigations.
It begins (as many of the best mysteries do) with someone calling for help. And not one, but two parrots mysteriously disappearing. Then its a race to find the rest of the parrots (seven in all!) and trace the route to the hidden treasure described as "a piece off the end of the rainbow with a pot of gold at the end of it."
"That isn't a house I want to approach," Pete told him. "It looks like a house full of locked rooms that shouldn't be open."
...
Mostly what he had bought was ordinary junk, but perched up at the back end of the truck was an iron deer. It was life-size, with huge antlers.
"Hmph!" Mrs. Jones said. Well, we can sell it to a collector, I suppose, but I'll bet you paid too much money for it."
"I didn't buy it to sell," Titus said. "I'm going to set it up outside the gate." He hopped down off the truck and gave his wife a squeeze around the waist. "Now I'll have two dears," he said.
It was a pretty terrible pun, but Mrs. Jones giggled.
2015
April 26, 2007
This is a book I found in a carton in the dorms, in a place where old things are usually left for any one who would like to take. It looked familiar and when I looked at it I realized it was part of the 'Alfred Hitchcock' series which I used to read in elemetary school. So I picked it up and took it for the nostalgia.
Basically, it reminded me a bit of Enid Blyton's detective novel's for kids, just without the warm, British feeling, and the food. The reading was fun and smooth, the only thing that bothered me was the dozens of typos in the book, but I was highly amused by the number of the psychometry words which were there (a test I had to take a year ago).
I finished it in two hours. Had fun.
6.3.07
Basically, it reminded me a bit of Enid Blyton's detective novel's for kids, just without the warm, British feeling, and the food. The reading was fun and smooth, the only thing that bothered me was the dozens of typos in the book, but I was highly amused by the number of the psychometry words which were there (a test I had to take a year ago).
I finished it in two hours. Had fun.
6.3.07
March 31, 2020
Als Erzähler hat Oliver Rohrbeck natürlich nichts falsch gemacht, hingegen dem Fall richtig Leben eingehaucht. Vom Buch selbst bin ich nicht so begeistert wie bei den beiden anderen. Irgendwie weniger Atmosphäre und zum Teil ein bisschen langatmig. Dennoch gute vier Sterne, weil es halt schon ein Klassiker ist.
January 23, 2017
Το ξετρύπωσα σε μια παλιά οικογενειακή βιβλιοθήκη. Θυμάμαι ότι μικρός το είχα λατρέψει. Σαν ενήλικας, μου φάνηκε αρκετά πιο αδιάφορο. Μάλλον 3 με 3,5 να αξίζει πραγματικά, αλλά λόγω... προϊστορίας θα πάρει το 4ρι του!
December 8, 2022
Als Hörbuch gehört. Habs gemocht, wie fast immer bei den drei Fragezeichen :)
August 7, 2025
Ein toller Band, den ich sehr geliebt habe. Spannend, überraschend und voller Rätsel, die den Leser zum miträtseln einladen.
February 7, 2017
This was loads of fun. The riddle of the parrots and the real threat and stakes of the book made this a lead pipe cinch!
I probably knew this before but had forgotten how delightful the old hardcover art is. While some details could be more accurate (like the parrot should have been yellow-headed not red) there are so many of them tucked away that I can look past that. Also the nice Hitch cameos on each cover are an excellent touch. I’ll keep an eye out for how long that is maintained.
I probably knew this before but had forgotten how delightful the old hardcover art is. While some details could be more accurate (like the parrot should have been yellow-headed not red) there are so many of them tucked away that I can look past that. Also the nice Hitch cameos on each cover are an excellent touch. I’ll keep an eye out for how long that is maintained.
May 28, 2024
A classic and for good reason. So well-written and with so much heart. This was one of my two favorite Three Invesitgators books as a kid and it still holds up so well.
December 7, 2018
two two two be or not two two to be that is the question
Famous wisdom :P
February 6, 2017
So, nun habe ich den zweiten drei Fragezeichen Band überhaupt durch (Nr. 8 in den deutschen Ausgaben, aber 2. bei den Originalen). Ich fand das Buch gut und konnte mich, ganz ehrlich, nicht daran erinnern, es letzten Februar bereits gelesen zu haben - das spricht allerdings irgendwie wiederum gegen das Buch. So richtig spannend fand ich den Fall nicht, aber das liegt natürlich auch daran, dass ich das Hörspiel inn und auswendig kenne.
Ich war ein wenig überrascht, wie Hugenay beschrieben wird. Das ist doch Meilen entfernt vom Gentlemen Meisterdieb, wie Marx ihn zB beschreibt. Das ist einfach nur ein fieser französischer Kunsträuber.
Insgesamt ein schönes Buch mit hohem Nostalgiefaktor, aber die Darstellung der Mexikaner und das langsame Tempo ziehen es ein wenig hinunter.
Ich war ein wenig überrascht, wie Hugenay beschrieben wird. Das ist doch Meilen entfernt vom Gentlemen Meisterdieb, wie Marx ihn zB beschreibt. Das ist einfach nur ein fieser französischer Kunsträuber.
Insgesamt ein schönes Buch mit hohem Nostalgiefaktor, aber die Darstellung der Mexikaner und das langsame Tempo ziehen es ein wenig hinunter.
February 9, 2017
Éste libro ya lo leí cuando era adolescente y a pesar del paso de los años sigue haciendo que me meta en la historia y viva la aventura igual que la viven estos jóvenes investigadores.
"Misterio del loro tartamudo" de Robert Arthur
"Misterio del loro tartamudo" de Robert Arthur
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