The Mystery of the Moaning Cave (Three Investigators Classics #10) [Paperback]

William Arden (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

Many years ago, the young bandit El Diablo disappeared into a cave, never to be seen again.  Now an eerie moaning sound is coming from his old hideout, and the ranchers who live nearby think he may still be alive.

The Three Investigators set out to explore the moaning cave--and soon wish they had come armed with more than a flashlight!

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Many years ago, the young bandit El Diablo disappeared into a cave, never to be seen again.  Now an eerie moaning sound is coming from his old hideout, and the ranchers who live nearby think he may still be alive.

The Three Investigators set out to explore the moaning cave--and soon wish they had come armed with more than a flashlight!

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

The young detectives wanted to take their minds off the troubles at the Crooked-Y Ranch--the mysterious accidents, the strange moaning cave, and the fears that the legendary outlaw El Diablo might have returned.  So the boys set off on a leisurely stroll into town.

Suddenly they heard thundering hoofbeats behind them.  They whirled to see a sinister horseman galloping down the highway.  The glowering rider was dressed entirely in black--and he was aiming his ancient pistol right at the boys!

The Three Investigators couldn't believe their eyes.  It was the terrible El Diable--in person!

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (May 21, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679811729
• ISBN-13: 978-0679811725
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 4.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #204,427 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Shaky start but strong finish, August 28, 2001

By 

Daniel Jolley "darkgenius" (Shelby, North Carolina USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Mystery of the Moaning Cave (Three Investigators Classics #10) (Paperback)

First and foremost, it must be said that William Arden is not Robert Arthur, and that is a pretty severe handicap. Arden wrote a dozen Three Investigators books, even more than Arthur, but this first book has a few weaknesses, which is understandable. The book starts out somewhat slowly. The author seems to be a little wordy, particularly in his descriptions of things, early on, and this makes the pace and rhythm of the story a little choppy in places. As the story progresses, there also seem to be a few events and characters who don't seem to belong in this story--Arden fits them in, but their appearances just seem weird to me. One character, who seems to be a bad guy but who ends up being a good guy, backs away from helping the boys in a dire situation, and the reasoning he later gives makes little sense to me. Having said all that, I must say that the story does pick up the pace about halfway through and becomes worthy of the Three Investigators milieu. I wasn't that wild about a lot of activity occurring in caves (having had my fill of caves in The Mystery of the Green Ghost), but the nature and inherent danger of the caves does contribute to the suspense of the tale. Arden proves that he has come to know our trio very well when he has Jupiter alone solve the final piece of the puzzle, to the amazement of the adults involved. All in all, this is a satisfying, interesting story and hopefully a harbinger of good things to come in Arden's later contributions to the Three Investigators series.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Mystery of the Moaning Cave, May 9, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Mystery of the Moaning Cave (Three Investigators Classics #10) (Paperback)

This was one of the first of many Three Investigators booksthat I have read. This book has many twists, and many differntpuzzles than only the inquizative Jupiter Jones could think of. This book was a very interesting and on - your seat book that I would recomend to any person looking for a great book on a hot summer night.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Neat Story in the Series!, May 9, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Mystery of the Moaning Cave (Three Investigators Classics #10) (Paperback)

This was William Arden's first entry in the Three Investigators series, and he does an admirable job. The boys solve this mystery away from their headqarters at a ranch location, and it has all the elements that kids love to read about...secret tunnels, caves, etc. Plus the mystery requires some genuine puzzle-solving skills. For anyone who hasn't read a 3I book in a few years or for those trying to start their collection, this is a good one to get.