Customer Reviews

The Mystery of the Coughing Dragon (Three Investigators)

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

 

 

I've been reading this series for over 15 years now and I've been collecting them for nearly as long. This particular one wasn't my favorite -- it has a great story and plenty of adventure, but I think I prefer the writing style of some of the other author's of the series over Nick West's. The beginning felt a little rocky and awkward, but by the middle it began to get into the rhythm of the typical T3I mystery. As always, the boys find more than they bargained for and end up putting themselves in several dangerous situations. I know I'm a good bit older than the target audience for this series, but it is never more evident than when I catch myself wondering "What are these boys' parents thinking letting them run around all over California at all hours of the day and night?" While I did enjoy this volume, my favorite of the series so far is still the first one I ever read, The Mystery of the Green Ghost.

Recommend?: Of course! I may be a bit biased. I never got into the Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys series, but they sound similar, so I imagine if you enjoyed those then you would likely enjoy the T3I series as well. This one was a bit shorter than most, but they're all great for a quick, fun read.

I bought this book for a trip down memory lane. I also enjoy reading extremely light fiction when I get stressed. As expected I did enjoy reading this and it did remind me of enjoyable reading experiences from my youth. So it helped reduce my stress, gave me a few hours of enjoyment, with a pleasant nostalgic side trip as a bonus.

I've been a fan of The Three Investigators since I was a kid in the '70's. A missed a few of the books and this was one of them. It was a refreshing trip down memory lane like visiting old friends. If you like the series, you'll like this one.

This is the first Three Investigators book by author Nick West. He was to write only one more in the series.

West is a skilled writer. He captures the essence of Robert Arthur's characters. He builds interest and creates suspense quite well.

Unfortunately, his plot, when resolved at the end, is very weak. The reader has to accept a number of simply unbelievable premises in order for the plot to work at all. Now, it is not unusual for a mystery, especially a juvenile mystery, to have one or two points that beg the indulgence of the reader. But here, for the first time in the Three Investigators series, I found myself saying "No, I can't buy that" and "That's really grasping" and such. I think the problem was that his plot was a little overambitious as a glance at the cover suggests.

The book is well worth reading and a child might not be bothered by the far-fetched plot. But hitherto the series has held up well even by adult standards. Recommended but a weaker book in the series.

Item shiped in a timely manner and arrived in the described condition. Would use this seller again.