The Secret of the Crooked Cat

Alfred Hitchcock and The Three Investigators #13

by William Arden

Using a clue provided by an unusual stuffed cat, three young detectives investigate the mysterious troubles of an accident-prone carnival.

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

182 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1970

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 4 out of 5]

Justus, Peter und Bob freuen sich über den Wanderzirkus, der zurzeit im Ort gastiert. Doch es kommt zu einigen seltsamen Vorfällen. Zudem ist eine Stoffkatze plötzlich von großer Bedeutung; ein Mann sucht sogar mit einer Zeitungsanzeige nach ihr und bietet eine Menge Geld. Warum?
✨Ich mochte diesen Fall. Ich habe das Hörspiel gehört, und diese besondere Zirkusatmosphäre kam gut bei mir an. Zudem war auch der eigentliche Fall durchaus spannend und unterhaltsam.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great mystery! This one had carnivals, clowns, strongmen, and of a course a bank robber! What is it about abandoned carnivals that make them so eerie?

This featured several twists and turns and more than lived up the series. I have yet to read one of the books in this series that wasn't entertaining. As I've stated in previous reviews, I'm sure a lot of it is nostalgia, but these are still very well done. By the way, the crooked cat is a stuffed animal in case anyone was wondering.

If you enjoy this series, you'll probably enjoy this volume!

[Lea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ich habe ewig - über einen Monat - gebraucht, um dieses Buch zu beenden. Ich habe die Vermutung, dass es an mehreren Dingen liegt:

- William Ardens Stil ist oft sehr zäh & die Gespräche ziemlich steif

- Ich habe die Geschichte als Hörspiel als Kind viel zu oft gehört. Ich konnte den Dialog teilweise über mehre Seiten mitsprechen (das könnte ja eigentlich ganz lustig sein, aber ich fand es eher nervig).

- Zoo-Fälle fand ich noch nie so richtig gelungen. Wahrscheinlich weil mir schon immer die Tiere so leid taten und ich es schwer fand, mir vorzustellen, dass die Jungs nicht kapieren, dass da was nicht stimmt, wenn einen Tiger oder einen Löwen in einem ganz kleinen Käfig gefangen hält und sie dressiert irgendwelche Kunststücke vorführen zu lassen.

Die letzten 50 Seiten fand ich dafür überraschend spannend.

[Elizabeth Periale · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I was 8 my dad gave me my first Nancy Drew (The Spider Sapphire Mystery), and I sped through them, mostly through the local library or our bookmobile in the summertime, which is also where I discovered a few years later the Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators series.

Similar in style to Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, the illustrated mysteries follow three teenage boys as the solve mysteries, mostly with a supernatural angle. I didn’t realize it at the time I was reading them as a kid, but the plots share a lot of similarities to Scooby Doo. As I breezed through The Secret of the Crooked Cat there was even a line at the end,

“The robber snarled, ‘Go to the devil, Carson! All of you! I’d have gotten away except for those stupid kids!’”

Oh well. Not exactly high literature, but they were fun to read (and re-visit). I liked the hero, Jupiter Jones, and his friends, who were basically a bunch of misfits who happened to be super smart. Talk about revenge of the nerds.

My full review:

When I was 8 my dad gave me my first Nancy Drew (The Spider Sapphire Mystery), and I sped through them, mostly through the local library or our bookmobile in the summertime, which is also where I discovered a few years later the Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators series.

Similar in style to Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, the illustrated mysteries follow three teenage boys as the solve mysteries, mostly with a supernatural angle. I didn’t realize it at the time I was reading them as a kid, but the plots share a lot of similarities to Scooby Doo. As I breezed through The Secret of the Crooked Cat there was even a line at the end,

“The robber snarled, ‘Go to the devil, Carson! All of you! I’d have gotten away except for those stupid kids!’”

Oh well. Not exactly high literature, but they were fun to read (and re-visit). I liked the hero, Jupiter Jones, and his friends, who were basically a bunch of misfits who happened to be super smart. Talk about revenge of the nerds.

[Nadja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ein interessanter Fall, der spannend bis zum Ende bleibt. Die Atmosphäre hat mir sehr gefallen. Axel Prahls Dialekte hat mich nicht so sehr gestört, es gab aber schon bessere Vorleser.

[Nadja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interessant, wie die ganze Geisterbahn-Szenen gar nicht vorkommen im Hörspiel. Anscheinend ist das Special/Remake von 2019 einiges länger - muss ich mir in diesem Fall bald auch mal anhören.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A superb entry in the series, this has a deceptively simple plot but works in some really good set pieces, detection and intrigue along the way. The lads are in the right place at the right time to witness a dispute at a local carnival and things quickly escalate from there - bad luck, a human fly, a robbery, this has it all. There’s an underlying pathos to it - similar to the freeways in “Talking Skull” - about the waning carival life and people wanting something for nothing and, coupled with some great imagery - the human fly, the rotting fairground - elevates this into something quite special. This also marks the introduction of the tracking devices and features several characters saying “The Jones Salvage Yard has everything!”, which I thought was cool. Highly recommended.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suposo que és més nostàlgia que una altra cosa, però a mi m’ha encantat. La Carla de deu anys (my inner child) ha estat molt feliç llegint aquest llibre. Té algun gir inesperat i malgrat ser un llibre infantil encara és entretingut:)

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

2009 review - A superb entry in the series, this has a deceptively simple plot but works in some really good set pieces, detection and intrigue along the way. The lads are in the right place at the right time to witness a dispute at a local carnival and things quickly escalate from there - bad luck, a human fly, a robbery, this has it all. There’s an underlying pathos to it - similar to the freeways in “Talking Skull” - about the waning carnival life and people wanting something for nothing and, coupled with some great imagery - the human fly, the rotting fairground - elevates this into something quite special. This also marks the introduction of the tracking devices and features several characters saying “The Jones Salvage Yard has everything!”, which I thought was cool. Highly recommended.
2014 update - There’s not much I can add to my original review except to say that there’s great use of the abandoned fairground location - both its desolation and spookiness - and it features a cleverly written moonlit pursuit that’s tense and full of suspense. If the ending is perhaps a little simplistic (though it does have the villain say “I’d have got away except for those stupid kids!” - this was published in 1970, Scooby Doo started in 1969), it still works and doesn’t detract from a strong entry in the series. Great fun and highly recommended.
2019 update - Agree with the previous reviews, this is great fun with some nice pieces of detection, well-written set pieces and good character work. Thoroughly enjoyable.
2023 update - great fun and I completely agree with the prior reviews, it’s a cracking little mystery chock full of great set pieces.

[Robert Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

I reread Crooked Cat yesterday for the first time in years and years and had mixed feelings about it. The carnival and carnival atmosphere in general were fun and it was nice to see Pete getting a chance to put his physical prowess to good use when he and Jupiter are cast adrift on the old boat and he has to get them home again. But the plot in general was weak and so was the bad guy. When you think back to Huganay, Laslo Schmidt, Professor Freeman, Rawley and the Black Moustache Gang, you realize that these were crooks that really made an impression on the reader. But in this case, the red herrings are more fun than the crook himself. Worst of all, once again we see William Arden and his penchant for rubber masks. This time it’s a clown who wears his make-up on top of a rubber mask! The solution to the mystery is pretty weak too, and the ending could have been lifted right out of Scooby Doo, with the mask being pulled off and the clown complaining about “those stupid kids”. It wouldn’t have surprised me if he had said “meddling kids”. And, of course, he said it “with a snarl”! In this book, Jupiter is at his pushiest and haughtiest, making giant leaps of logic and overindulging in his flair for the dramatic. However, he also adds a new gadget to the firm, the famous directional finder. All in all, not a bad story by William Arden, but also a bit disappointing. I would say that the lack of a really strong and memorable villain put a damper on this one.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s a lot of great elements in this story. I absolutely love the carnival details, and the carefully crafted atmosphere making them vaguely ominous. I am disappointed that a lot of ominous detail was provided about the old wooden roller coaster, but it didn’t get to feature in the climactic chase and showdown. Also, the kids didn’t seem quite as sharp, nor was their dialogue quite as natural. William Arden is no Robert Arthur.

That said, the ending did fill my Scooby-heart with joy. After catching the robber they peeled off one disguise. And then, no shit, they peeled off a second mask to reveal a Chekov’s criminal mentioned throughout the story. After this bump and set, they spike it with this:

The robber snarled, “Go to the devil, Carson! All of you! I’d have got away except for those stupid kids!”

So, generally, three stars. But I put one back on for that *chef kiss* ending.

[Michelle Leavell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I pulled this book off our bookshelf. It was a hand me down book from someone else. It was a bedtime book for my elementary age kids. They loved it.

[Lydia Willcock · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I never liked the William Arden Three Investigators as much as the Robert Arthur ones (especially now that I'm older, I think, which is kind of a pity), I do think that their mysteries are even more brilliant than the originals. This one was no exception. I did figure out who the culprit was, although I was definitely on the wrong track for a long time, but I was definitely not expecting all those twists and turns. Certainly not a straightforward solution here! :D It took me a bit to get into it, because of struggling with the writing style, but the story became so good I got pretty invested. :D The setting was the best part, I think. Especially towards the end, with that creepy abandoned amusement park. ;) The suspense was great too!
Despite thinking it was going to be one of the weaker books, it actually ended up being a really good one, and I really liked it after all! I wish I'd had it when I was younger and reading all the other Three Investigators - it might have ended up a favourite at that time.

[Nectar Terzian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ο Άλφρεντ Χίτσκοκ και οι Τρείς Ντετέκτιβ στο Μυστήριο της Ψεύτικης Γάτας

[Anno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Die DDF-Geschichte meiner Kindheit, immer wieder toll

[Esther_Schumann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wieder ein sehr spannender und gut geschriebener drei ??? Band. Sehr zu empfehlen! :)

[Hal Astell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book thirteen in the 'Three Investigators' series changes the byline once more. Eleven of the first twelve were credited to Robert Arthur, even though William Arden wrote one of them. One more was credited appropriately to William Arden, even though that was a pseudonym. This third goes for "Text by William Arden based on characters created by Robert Arthur." Maybe the publishers weren't entirely sure if they could continue on after Arthur died but Arden's earliest books in the series were successful enough to make them feel safer about that.

I can understand why, because this is another good one from Arden and arguably the closest of his three thus far to the feel that Arthur generated in his books. Dennis Lynds, the author behind the pseudonym of William Arden, was really finding his feet here, nailing the horror adjacent mindset that Arthur favoured, telling a good story with a good hook and introducing worthy new details to the series mythology, all without losing his own voice. That's a seriously good balancing act to find and that's especially appropriate in a story set primarily at a carnival.

We open with a highly unusual way for the Three Investigators to be drawn in to the mystery, with Jupiter Jones's Uncle Titus asking them to paint two big tubs with red, white and blue stripes. The tubs turn out to be for Rajah, a lion at Carson's Colossal Carnival, which is in town. The Great Ivan has trained him well enough that he can apparently ride a trapeze. The boys deliver the tubs, but soon find themselves much closer to Rajah than they ever expected, given that someone lets him loose and Pete ends up being the one who saves the day by getting him under control. It's good to see the Second Investigator getting some spotlight moments.

Now, that's the second mystery. The first, mere moments before it, is that a man, clearly in some sort of disguise, steals a plush toy from a game booth at the carnival, right after it opens. He runs off with it but bumps into Jupe, loses his knife and eventually loses the toy too, after vanishing in fantastic fashion from a very tight corner, an alleyway with no exits except the way in that he can't have taken because those chasing were right behind him. He either went over an unfeasibly large wall without any apparent effort or he went through it. Either way, it's a mystery and all the more so, given what happened before that with the theft and after it with Rajah.

Of course, that plush toy is the crooked cat of the title, or at least one of them. There are six that served as prizes in the shooting game run by Andy Carson, conveniently the carnival owner's son. It's about three feet long, with red and black stripes, but its legs are twisted and its body crooked like the letter Z. It has one wild red eye and an ear hanging lower than the other. It's characterful and I wish I had one. Pete wins one, by shooting five ducks in a row, but loses it again quickly, when Rajah is loosed and someone apparently stole it from the tent.

Lynds sets the background well, giving us some of the flavour of the carnival without allowing the descriptions to take over. It's a backdrop, after all. Through Andy, he does explain some jargon to help add to that flavour, so we learn what a barker is and a punk and a roughneck. Andy turns out to be a natural spieler. He uses the background of regular characters in the same way, Pete the hero with Rajah because he'd experienced animals on his dad's film sets. Jupe, of course, used to be Baby Fatso, sparking his acting ability. Now we learn that Uncle Titus used to work in a circus.

Where Arden varies the formula is in using Andy as the token fourth young character for the book, given that he's an all-American boy, presumably white, though that's never called out, but surely of no obvious other ancestry. The fourth boys Arthur used to introduce tended to be from abroad, whether they're Mexicans living in California or Libyans, Brits or Varanians visiting for one reason or another. At least he's not a regular all-American boy, given that he ran away from home to join his dad's carnival after his mother died, instead of staying with his grandmother, who had custody for some reason. Those relationships do play a part here but only in a positive way.

Unlike many of the preceding books in the series, I didn't think I remembered anything about this one before diving in afresh. I'd read it, of course, but forty years ago, and it didn't seem to include any of the key details that had stayed with me from the series across the decades. However, when the crooked cat was described, I suddenly remembered why it was important. I didn't recall every detail, but I did remember that much and I spotted the important clue that's revealed early, just as I did with the equivalent clue in 'The Mystery of the Silver Spider'. Apparently, I remembered a bit more than I thought.

While the reason for the mystery turns out to be rather prosaic, very much standard crime fare, I mentioned that Lynds had embraced the horror adjacent mindset for this one and I should explain that. The carnival setting is one part of that, as is the fact that there's an abandoned amusement park next door to where Carson sets up. The explanation behind the thief vanishing into thin air is another, very much something we might expect in a classic horror movie. Most obviously, though, there's a chase scene through the carnival at night, encompassing shut-down rides and featuring a Hall of Mirrors, an upside down room and the Tunnel of Love, the latter of which leads into Jupe and Pete being set adrift on the ocean in a rowboat with no oars.

Other details worth mentioning include the fact that they wash up on Anapamu Island, one of the Channel Islands of California, which we visited in 'The Mystery of the Moaning Cave', also Arden's, and the new gadgetry that Lynds introduces. I'd forgotten the directional signals and emergency alarms that Jupe invents, but the See-All is a series staple, another invention of Jupe's, this one a periscope sticking up from the boys' headquarters but disguised as a stovepipe.

Oh, and there's the villain's reveal, which I won't spoil, of course, but which is noteworthy. This is a story that involves many disguises, including layers of disguises on occasion, which Lynds handles well. However, when the villain is unmasked, literally given that he's wearing an actual mask, he delivers a very telling line: "I'd have got away except for those stupid kids!" Now, this novel came out in 1970 and was the first of two that year, so I presume it was written in 1969, the year when a certain Hanna-Barbera cartoon dog made his first appearance, in September. The timing suggests that that line is pure coincidence with neither franchise borrowing from or paying homage to the other, but it is a very telling line nonetheless. I'll be looking forward to more of those.

Next up, 'The Mystery of the Coughing Dragon', the first of two instalments by Nick West, another pseudonym, this one for Kin Platt. I don't remember anything, as far as I'm aware, about this one, so I'm eager to see how much memory sparks during the early chapters.

Originally posted at the Nameless Zine in August 2024:
https://www.thenamelesszine.org/Nana-...

Index of all my Nameless Zine reviews:
https://books.apocalypselaterempire.com/

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

2009 review - A superb entry in the series, this has a deceptively simple plot but works in some really good set pieces, detection and intrigue along the way. The lads are in the right place at the right time to witness a dispute at a local carnival and things quickly escalate from there - bad luck, a human fly, a robbery, this has it all. There’s an underlying pathos to it - similar to the freeways in “Talking Skull” - about the waning carnival life and people wanting something for nothing and, coupled with some great imagery - the human fly, the rotting fairground - elevates this into something quite special. This also marks the introduction of the tracking devices and features several characters saying “The Jones Salvage Yard has everything!”, which I thought was cool. Highly recommended.
2014 update - There’s not much I can add to my original review except to say that there’s great use of the abandoned fairground location - both its desolation and spookiness - and it features a cleverly written moonlit pursuit that’s tense and full of suspense. If the ending is perhaps a little simplistic (though it does have the villain say “I’d have got away except for those stupid kids!” - this was published in 1970, Scooby Doo started in 1969), it still works and doesn’t detract from a strong entry in the series. Great fun and highly recommended.
2019 update - Agree with the previous reviews, this is great fun with some nice pieces of detection, well-written set pieces and good character work. Thoroughly enjoyable.

[Fonch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ladies and, Gentlemen Ladies and, Gentlemen Already exhausted I intend to write the last review of the day. This book is the fourth book in the saga of the three investigators https://www.goodreads.com/series/4220... compiled by Sir Alfred Hitchcock https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... and this has been the second one that I liked the most. Sir Alfred Hitchcock could have been on Joseph Pearce's list of Converted Writers https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... written by Joseph Pearce https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... (yes, he got Sir Alec Guinness https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... Why not also the wizard of suspense who, moreover, was Catholic) @palabraes (the most important non-fiction book I've ever read second only to the Bible). By the way, my always admired Don Juan Manuel de Prada https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... despite some differences, dedicated a wonderful article to Sir. Alfred Hitchcock in the XL supplement. Weekly in its Companion Animals section. I highly recommend it.
This adventure is co-written with Robert Arthur, and his adventures are more entertaining than other detective novels with more pretensions that have been read following the model of the Detection Club but, adapting it in a juvenile key to California. In this case, the three investigators Jupiter Jones, Pete Crenshaw (number 2), and Bob Andrews (son of a real freelance journalist, not like those who are now sold out to power or, as the editors of newspapers in the service of their sponsors want) (number three) investigate a police case in a circus. I must admit that I have never been in a circus and that I would have liked to go. When I was on vacation at the beach, I don't know if it was in Calabardina, a circus was going to come, but we didn't stay to see it anymore, my family and I left a few days before they came. I also really liked to see Emilio Aragón Sr. in the last years of his career with his daughter Rita Irasema. The first novel I read to me, always admiring Don @juan_manuel_de_prada, was "The Seventh Veil", part of the plot took place in a circus, I will never forget Jules Thillon and the adorable Lucia Estrada who looked like Miriam Hopkins and, I will not forget the sensual Olga Kutnesova. I saw mythical films like Trapeze and, very recently, I saw that marvel "The Greatest Show on Earth" in which there were a lot of Hollywood stars but which brought together two titans of the screen such as Charlton Heston and James Stewart (although the latter is not seen except in a photograph). In fact, this novel has things in common with the greatest show on earth.
Jupiter Jones, Pete Crenshaw, and Bob Andrews after painting some cubes that are to be used so that a tamer named Ivan can do the number with his lion Rajah are rewarded by Jupiter's uncle Jones (Titus) with permission to go to the circus. But everything happens to them in the circus. In fact, they are very unlucky for much of the story. One of the good things about this novel is that it immerses us in the atmosphere of the circus and uses the jargon of the circus world. As a troublemaker (the one who sometimes misleadingly promotes the shows). The roe deer, or bitten rib that are the apprentices of fairgrounds. More things are beginning to be known about Jupiter Jones' past, such as that he worked in the circus and that he was a child prodigy in Hollywood (child actor). Everything gets complicated when in a scam an old man tries to steal a prize from a jiboso, one-eyed cat (in Spanish this novel is titled "The Case of the Rag Cat") Jupiter Jones rescues the object, but fails to stop the criminal. Then they meet the son of the owner of the Circus named Andy Carson (who is the one who called for help against the thief) who has been robbed and he is going to play the role of guest investigator as there is usually in other novels of the three investigators. They compete and, it's Pete Crenshaw (the one who wins the jibby cat) but, an accident occurs as someone frees Rajah and, he has to be stopped and, then, Pete Crenshaw steals the cat. Then, talking to the owner of the circus, Mr. Carson, they discover that there have been other accidents before, poisoned horses, fires and, since they are superstitious people, if there are many accidents (three) the members of the circus will stop performing, the circus will go bankrupt and, Mr. Carson will lose custody of his son. Because the maternal grandmother doesn't consider her grandson's (Andy) life in the circus to be the best thing for him. Grandma doesn't like the circus because her daughter died in a circus act. Any incident could cause you to lose custody of your child. The problem is that Mr. Carson is very proud and doesn't want help. In other cases, the three investigators were confronted with a neurotic mother, and in another with a jealous suitor (the flaming footsteps, the mystery of the lake). The questions of how they let children get involved are answered since Jupiter is a collaborator of the Chief of Police (Reynolds). Thanks to Bob Andrews, who joins them, they discover the accidents (something they suspected from the conversation of the circus owner with the strongman Kahn). They do this by pulling from newspaper archives, they also discover that Kahn is not registered in any circus. It is at this moment that Andy joins them and they have free access to the attractions (they could already go because Carson was very grateful to them for having solved the lion's escape). The three investigators (finally together) helped by Andy (the guest who is almost always a boy of the age of the three investigators). They discover that there is someone who is trying to gather all the jib cats for a reason and that almost all of them are already given and that this is related to a criminal incident (it reminded me of Davis Grubb's "hunter's night" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... see the wonderful movie directed by Charles Laughton with a demonic Robert Mitchum playing the evil preacher). As it is a novel for a younger audience, there will be no murders here. But yes, other crimes. The criminal is not trying to kill the three investigators at the moment (although he could have tried). More than a detective novel, it is a problem novel, and more than a detective novel, it is an enigma or mystery. The German servant of the Konrad family (who is the chauffeur) is going to be decisive in this plot, as well as a signal system invented by Jupiter Jones. Billy Mota's intrigue is interesting, giving us a glimpse of who the criminal may be. This novel reminded me in detail of "The Night of the Hunter" and another film "The Sanghai Lady" by Sherwood King https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... because of a mythical scene with some mirrors. I admit that I had the criminal, but I allowed myself to be deceived. This confirms Louis XIV's expression https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... that the first is the one that counts. I'm going to give you another hint before I talked about a movie, The Greatest Show on Earth by Cecil B. De Mille. If you take this factor into account, you will be able to find out who the criminal is. I figured it out, but I was wrong because I messed up at the end. The novel gets better when you get the wrong criminal. Incidentally, the new Baldur's Gates III https://www.goodreads.com/series/4190... @larianstudios also introduces a plot similar to this one. To get free, the criminal uses a ruse similar to that of Aunt Ethel with Mayryna. This was the second case that I liked the most of the three researchers. It doesn't take long to read it and, I've enjoyed it as a dwarf and, if Hitchcock will also make a cameo in this novel. My final grade is (4'25/5). P.S. I highly recommend this book to my friend Jaime Blanch. PD II. I'm sure the book "The Sexton's Shadow" by ECR Lorac Black Beadle (my new read) isn't going to be as entertaining https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... (turns out it was in the end. He took the opportunity to wish Goodreads users a happy All Hallow Eve or, All Saints' Day, which is when this review is posted.

[David Phipps · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Three Investigators is a juvenile detective series published in the 60s, 70s, and 80s that spans about 43 books. They feature three teenage boys who mostly investigate paranormal type stuff that they debunk (somewhat like Scooby-Doo) or other abnormal crimes that the police do not handle. They report their cases to Alfred Hitchcock or a fake director depending on which versions you read. Their base of operations is hidden away in the depths of a junkyard and it has multiple hidden entrances. I discovered these books in the library during middle school and promptly read them all. As such, I have a lot of nostalgia for these books.

The Secret of the Crooked Cat is #13 in the series. The boys are investigating attempted thefts of stuffed cat prizes and other strange events at a local carnival. Much like the James Bond movies you can be sure that if the protagonist(s) gets a new tool or gizmo then it will immediately be useful. Nothing here that really stands out to me as compared to prior books in this series. If you like the prior books then you'll probably like this one. I read an online ebook version of this since most of these books are out of print.

[Anna Catharina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ich mag dieses Buch und den Fall um die schwarzen Katzen sehr gerne, ich bekomme da ein ganz nostalgisches Gefühl. Jedes Jahr, wenn der Rummel vor meiner Arbeitsstelle aufgebaut wird und ich die Buden und Bahnen sehe, hab ich den Wunsch nach einem Reread. Das Zirkus-Rummel-Setting finde ich sehr schön beschrieben und die Atmosphäre gefällt mir sehr. Der Fall ist kurzweilig und wendungsreich, eigentlich hat der Leser aber keine Chance, auf die richtige Lösung zu kommen.

[Joe Stevens · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember reading the world's finest author as he created a fictional author who came up with a great mystery title and then didn't know what to do with the title. This feels very much like the crooked cat and the idea of a carnival came first and then a story had to be worked around it. While not a bad mystery, the boys don't quite seem themselves and the whole plot seems rather write by numbers.

[Cliff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was a lot of fun, but not necessarily for the right reasons. Perhaps the most amusing aspect was the sheer Scooby-Doo-ish nature of the book. From the Carnival setting next to an abandoned amusement park, to the eventual exclamation of the criminal that he would have gotten away with it, but for the meddling of kids. It practically emulates the end of the show.

[Nissa Nissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I lOve this one most since Jupe brings out his capabilities more to seen.

[Ron Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this back in the 8th grade - I loved this youth-oriented series.

[Sebastian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Im vierten Fall der deutschen Hörspielreihe ermitteln Justus Jonas, Peter Shaw und Bob Andrews im Umfeld eines Wanderzirkus, der sich mit einer Reihe unerklärlicher Unglücksfälle konfrontiert sieht. Bei einem davon sind die drei ??? sogar mit vor Ort, als der Löwe des Zirkus von einem Unbekannten freigelassen wird und das Tier gerade noch rechtzeitig eingefangen werden kann, bevor es zu einer Katastrophe kommt. Vieles deutet darauf hin, dass die Vorkommnisse in Verbindung mit den schwarzen Stoffkatzen stehen, die als Hauptgewinne der Schießbude ausgegeben werden. Was ist das Geheimnis der schwarzen Katzen?

Diese Hörspielfolge bringt durch das Zirkus-Setting fast automatisch eine interessante Atmosphäre mit sich, die von der Produktion auch gut umgesetzt wird. Im Vergleich zu den vorherigen drei Episoden wirkt die Geschichte trotz der annähernd gleichen Länge (knapp 45 Minuten) auch nicht so gehetzt und sprunghaft, sondern ist logisch nachvollziehbar – auch wenn die ein oder andere naheliegende Schlussfolgerung erst spät gezogen wird, damit der Story nicht schon früh die Luft ausgeht. Trotzdem ist die Folge abwechslungsreich und unterhaltsam und kann auch technisch überzeugen, wenngleich diesmal nicht alle Sprecher auf gleichem Niveau sind – so wirkt die Rolle des Andy Carson, Sohn des Zirkusdirektors, vergleichsweise etwas hölzern. Insgesamt bietet das Hörspiel keine großen Überraschungen, lässt sich aber dennoch gut hören.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed these tales as a kid and I have a few of them remaining on my shelves in the (vain) hope of my 7 year old eventually picking the up.

This is a very simple story that starts when Bob, Pete and Jupiter visit a carnival and a mystery man nabs a 'crooked' cat (the first prize) from a shooting gallery stall. Despite being chased down a bling alley the man mysteriously escapes.

Bob, Pete and Jupiter befriend the stall owner, a boy called Andy and learn that the carnival is being beseiged by bad-luck bringing the owner (Andy's father) under pressure from the performers.

The 3 Investigators learn about a bank robber in the last town the carnival visited and conclude the culprit must work for the carnival.

An advert in the paper appears from somebody looking for other crooked cats, obviously something was hidden inside one of them.

Not the most thrilling of conclusions I must say and not as good as i remember some of the series but another book on my goodreads challenge ticked-off!!

[Simona Moschini · Rating 2 out of 5]

E' già il secondo giallo per ragazzi che mi capita fra le mani ultimamente. Anche qui c'è un felino nel titolo, ma scopriremo ben presto trattarsi di pelouche. Delusione, questa, che sarebbe anche superabile, se non si scoprisse dai dati all'interno del libro che non Hitchcock, ma tale Robert Arthur lo diede alle stampe nel 1962. E allora cosa c'entra il regista? Uno specchietto per giovani allodole? Non proprio: compare due o tre volte, nei panni di sé stesso, come cameo con cui i protagonisti e i loro genitori, residenti nei sobborghi di LA, hanno a che fare per lavoro. Nonché come "titolare" della collana, che dovrebbe renderla raccomandabile ai lettori... come infatti è puntualmente successo a me. Non aspettiamoci altro che una garbata storiella per ragazzi, ragazzi degli anni 50-70 al massimo, s'intende. E' una sorta di isola del tesoro senza il genio di Stevenson, ma con molti elementi mitici e avventurosi (il circo, il leone, il ladro Mosca Umana, il Castello delle Streghe abbandonato, la zattera costruita in pochi minuti...) che possono renderlo avvincente.

[Anna-Lena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ich habe doch etwas länger gebraucht das Buch zu Ende zu lesen, was vielleicht damit zusammenhängt, dass ich die Geschichte durch das Hörspiel natürlich schon kenne. Muss aber dazu sagen, dass ich mich an das Ende nicht mehr erinnert habe (weil ich vorher immer einschlafe 😂). Deswegen fand ich gerade die letzten Seiten ganz spannend.
Insgesamt fand ich aber das Buch doch etwas zäh, was vermutlich auch am Schreibstil liegt, durch den es mir schwerfiel, mich zu konzentrieren - was dann ja glücklicherweise nicht allzu dramatisch war, dadurch, dass ich die Geschichte in ihren Grundzügen kannte. Aber die Dialoge waren teilweise ziemlich steif.
Ansich war es trotzdem ganz interessant, zusätzliche Details zu lesen, die es nicht in das Hörspiel geschafft haben. Gerade alles rund um diesen Vergnügungspark fand ich super spannend.

[Idea Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second favorite (right after The Three Investigators and the Mystery of the Stuttering Parrot). This book doesn't have as much code-breaking and problem-solving as some of the others. It's also missing Three Investigators artefacts like secret entrances into Headquarters, obscure instructions ("Red Rover, come over"), an explanation of the three question marks ("We investigate anything") and the Ghost-to-Ghost Hookup. But it is full of carnival terms and jargon like 'barker' and the human fly. There are escaped tigers, suspicious strong men, broken carousels, abandoned amusement parks and creepy funhouses so it more than makes up for those missing things.

As always, the Three Investigators serve up a fun read.