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The Secret of Terror Castle by Robert Arthur

Hi! I thought it would be kind of fun to recap the first book of The Three Investigators series right in time for Spoopoween!

So, we start off our adventure with a foreword from (not really) Alfred Hitchcock.

Hitchcock is upset because he was basically tricked into introducing T3I. So, he introduces Bob as scholarly, and Jupe as um, well I'm just gonna quote because it's A Lot ™

Jupiter Jones is ——well, I shall refrain from giving You my own personal opinion of Jupiter Jones. You will have to decide about him for yourself after reading the pages that follow. I shall simply stick to the facts. Therefore, though I would be surely tempted to call Jupiter Jones fat, I will simply say, as his friends do, that he is stocky. As a very small child, Jupiter Jones appeared in a television series about a group of comical children—a series I am happy to say I never encountered. However, it appears that as an infant he was so fat and comical in appearance, he was known as Baby Fatso and made millions laugh at the way he kept falling over things. This gave him a deep aversion to being laughed at. In order to get himself taken seriously, he studied furiously. From the time he could read, he read everything he could get his hands on—science, psychology, criminology, and many other subjects. Having a good memory, he retained much of what he read, so that in school his teachers found it best to avoid getting into arguments with him about questions of fact. They found themselves proved wrong too often. If at this point Jupiter Jones sounds rather insufferable, I can only agree with you heartily. However, I am told he has many loyal friends. But then, there is no accounting for the tastes of the young.

Yeah. Wowsers.

Alfred Hitchcock? More like Alfred Bitchcock!

Chapter One

Anywhoodle, we are then introduced to Robert Andrews (Bob) who has just gotten done with his shift at the library and comes home to his mother telling him he has a message from Jupe.

Bob's mom then talks about the car that Jupiter won and Bob explains that he studied a jar for three days to figure out what was in it and Bob's mom starts talking about how Jupe found her ring and poor Bob is just like 😟

Bob's mom finally tells him the message which is

‘Green Gate One. The presses are rolling’.”

Bob's mom tries to get the meaning of the message but poor beleaguered Bob manages to get away to the salvage yard.

Turns out Green Gate One is how Jupe hides his workshop in order to avoid working for his aunt and uncle. Bob sees his boyos. Pete is fiddling with a printing press that Jupe managed to get working and Jupe is sitting in Deep Thought™

Bob asks what the heck is going on and Jupe says that since they talked about opening a detective agency he decided to print cards. At the oldest the boys are 14, btw.

Jupe will be the First Investigator, Pete will be the Second, and since Bob is stuck with his brace, he will be the Third.

Bob asked about the three question marks and Jupiter says:

“The question marks,”Jupiter said impressively, “is the universal symbol of something unknown. We are prepared to solve any puzzle, riddle, mystery, enigma or conundrum which may be brought to us. Hence the question mark will be our trade-mark. Three question marks will stand for The Three Investigators.”Bob thought Jupiter was finished, but he should have known better. Jupiter was just warming up. “In addition,”Jupiter said, “the question marks will provoke interest. They will make people ask us what they mean, just as you did. They will help people remember us. They will be good publicity. Every business needs publicity in order to attract potential customers.

Keep in mind that at the oldest, Jupiter is fourteen or so. Oh, to be that Extra™

 Pete bemoans the fact that they have no cases and Jupiter brings up the fact  that Alfred Hitchcock is looking for an actual haunted house to film his next movie in.

Just had planned on marching up to Hitchcock in his freshly won car, but when he called the secretary threatened him with being arrested. So, naturally Jupe is determined to go to Hollywood the next day.

Bob points out that he has to work and Jupe tells him to research all he can on Terror Castle and to not forget the new business cards at all times.


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