Customer Reviews

Alfred Hitchcock and The Three Investigators in The Mystery of the Flaming Footprints

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When I was in third grade, I bought "Alfred Hitchcock andthe Three Investigators in the Mystery of the Flaming Footprints"solely because I liked the cover. The neon green flaming footprints "walking" up a flight of stairs intrigued me. But once I picked up the book, I was addicted for life. I bought every Three Investigators book I could lay my hands on and would not let them out of my sight - not even to loan them to my best friend. I am almost 27 years old and still have nearly every book in the series. Unfortunately, I am faced with a new dilemma: my niece loves mysteries and I want to share the Three Investigators with her, but they are out of print and I do not want to let go of my copies. They should be reprinted!!! The series was loaded with positive messages for young readers: young people can be just as smart as adults, it is good to be well-rounded, it is "cool" to be smart, it is O.K. for athletic jocks (Pete) to hang out with handicapped introverts (Bob) and overweight geniuses (Jupiter), etc. Young people need to hear these messages today more than ever before. Someone please help bring them back in print!!! I'm begging!!!

...as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers... REV 2:27

The Three Investigators get two strange foreign visitors to the Jone's Junkyard one day. The eccentric potter "Mr. Potter" who lives nearby speaks to them briefly and then flees the novel until the climatic end. The potter's long lost beautiful daughter...unknown to anyone... appears suddenly and insists in living in the potter's abandoned house. The strangers keep close watch over the potter's house as Jupiter Jones unravels elusive clues and uncovers facts leading back to a forgotten land with a bloody past. A land cursed with the legend of a ghost who leaves flaming footprints!

This M.V.Carey written THREE INVESTIGATORS story is a notch below the THREE INVESTIGATOR'S books authored by Robert Arthur. A coffee table book left conveniently in front of the young detectives in the junkyard helps Jupiter solve one lead. The other leads are conveniently explained in the Three Investigator's report to Alfred Hitchcock at the very end of the book which leaves the story simple and hard to solve.

The pot in this case is not broken to shivers but opened to reveal the secret of the tale! Worth reading...an O.K. read for a bored train commuter.

This was the first book in the Three Investigators series written by M(ary) V(irginia) Carey, one of the authors chosen to continue the series after the death of series creator Robert Arthur.

Carey is a capable writer. She has a very comfortable style. Her characters (and characterizations) are first rate. Certain recurring characters came to life more in this book than any of the previous ones, Chief Reynolds being one example. Jupiter's Aunt Mathilda plays a larger role here than in any previous book. There also seem to be more female characters in this book as well.

The plot was interesting but not up to the standard of the best in the series to this point. The book seems a bit unbalanced; Jupiter seems to be onstage much more than Bob and Pete. Also, our heroes don't seem to force the action; they really don't seem to be the heroes of the piece. But the most glaring weakness is the lack of a villain of any real depth.

All in all, Three Investigator fans shouldn't be disappointed too much. Carey shows promise and indeed would go on to write more Three Investigator books than any other author but this isn't one of the better books in the series.