The Mystery of the Silver Spider

Classic Three Investigators #8

by Robert Arthur

The prince of Varania must find the royal badge of office, a jeweled silver spider, in order to be crowned. There's just one problem--the silver spider has been stolen! It's up to the Three Investigators to find the spider and save the prince from his deadly political enemies!

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

176 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1967

About the author

Robert Arthur (1909-1969) was a versatile mystery writer born November 10, 1909, on Corregidor Island, where his father served as a U.S. Army officer. He is best known as the creator of The Three Investigators, a mystery book series for young people, but he began his career writing for the pulps, and later worked in both radio and television. He studied at William and Mary College for two years before earning a B.A. in English and an M.A. in Journalism from the University of Michigan. In 1931, he moved to New York City, where he wrote mysteries, fantasies, and horror stories for magazines like Weird Tales, Amazing Stories, Detective Fiction Weekly, and Black Mask throughout the 1930s.

Later, with David Kogan, he co-created and produced The Mysterious Traveler radio show (1944-1952), earning a 1953 Edgar Award. He and Kogan also won an Edgar, in 1950, for Murder By Experts. In 1959, Arthur relocated to Hollywood, scripting for The Twilight Zone and serving as story editor and writer for Alfred Hitchcock Presents, while ghost-editing numerous "Alfred Hitchcock" anthologies for adults and children.

In 1963, Arthur settled in Cape May, New Jersey, where he created The Three Investigators series with The Secret of Terror Castle (1964). He wrote ten novels in the series before his death in Philadelphia on May 2, 1969. The 43-title series, continued after his death by writers-for-hire working for Random House, was published in over twenty-five languages and thirty countries. (Originally branded as "Alfred Hitchcock and The Three Investigators", Random House dropped the Hitchcock name from the series after Hitchcock's death.)

In June of 2024, Hollow Tree Press reissued Robert Arthur's original ten novels as a sixtieth anniversary edition. Those editions have end notes written by his daughter and son-in-law, Elizabeth Arthur and Steven Bauer, and Hollow Tree Press is also publishing a twenty-six book New Three Investigators series written by Arthur and Bauer.

Reviews

[♡ Sonja Rosa Lisa ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Justus, Peter und Bob werden nach Magnusstad in Texas eingeladen. Hier sollen sie Lars Holmqvist helfen, sein Erbe zu retten. Er soll die Leitung einer Firma übernehmen, doch jemand scheint etwas dagegen zu haben. Eine kleine silberne Spinne, eine Art Glücksbringer mit besonderer Bedeutung für ganz Magnusstad, wird gestohlen.
***
Wieder sehr action- und temporeich, zum Teil auch unrealistisch, trotzdem aber irgendwie unterhaltsam.

[Niki · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd have liked this a lot more if I'd read it as a kid. As an adult, I figured out the answer to the spider mystery pretty much immediately (and then had to wait patiently for the characters to catch up) and I disliked that the boys didn't really do anything except get dragged from one hiding place to another while the "rebels" took the reins. Even the climax happened offscreen and had to be narrated to the boys later. Yawn.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this volume, we do get to see a new twist. As I've stated in previous reviews, one of the tropes of the series is to always introduce a boy from another country in each mystery. Well, in this one we actually got to meet a European prince! And not only that, but the majority of this novel took place in Europe. It did add a little bit of flavor to a series that needed something different.

The plot was different as well, as this was more of a political coup scandal than a straight up mystery. There was even some spy action. Overall, this was a very entertaining volume, and I'm looking forward to the next! I don't remember which volumes I read when I was a child, but I'm having a lot of run re-reading these gems.

[Nadja · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hat mir leider nicht wirklich gefallen. Fand das Geschehen recht langweilig und der Sprecher hat keine wirklichen Charakter herausgearbeitet. Da gefällt mir das Hörspiel einiges besser.

[Shreyas · Rating 5 out of 5]

'The Mystery of the Silver Spider' (The Three Investigators #8) by Robert Arthur.

“They think so,” Jupiter answered. “They plan to recruit some more Minstrels to help them, I think. We’ve got to get out of here so we can get that tape I gave you to the American Embassy. It’s important evidence.”

“I’d feel a lot better if I was James Bond,” Pete grumbled. “He can get out of anything. But I’m not James Bond and neither are you. I’ve got a funny feeling things aren’t going to go as smoothly as Rudy hopes.”

Rating: 4.75/5.




Review:
The Three Investigators Go International!

This book is unique in the sense that it isn't limited to California and its surrounding regions. Most of the story takes place in the quaint European country of Varania, where the three young sleuths find themselves embroiled in a sinister plot featuring petty theft and high treason. The mystery format also takes a step back from the traditional mystery format. Instead, in a very unexpected yet brilliantly done manner, we are showered with international espionage featuring our favourite protagonists.

The plot isn't convoluted – it is pretty much straightforward. One knows who the antagonists are quite early in the book, but that isn't a major drawback. How the Three Investigators and their allies escape their predicament is what makes the entire journey so worthwhile. The plot is fast-paced and action-packed, filled with thrilling chase sequences, Jupiter and Bob's ingenious schemes, and a wonderful cast of supporting characters that belong to a secret society.

I must also credit the author for keeping me guessing about the hiding place of the "Silver Spider of Varania" almost until the last few pages. Sure, they had to employ the amnesia trope on Bob to maintain the mystery regarding the place where he hid it, but the book succeeded in waking up the amateur detective within me. I kept making one wrong guess after another (I was quite sure it was hidden inside Jupiter's camera at first), but it turned out to be one of those rare occasions where I couldn't crack the code. When the revelation hit me, I was mighty impressed with Bob's quick thinking. It was such a genius move to keep the Silver Spider hidden there! I shall refrain from spoiling this particular mystery. If you are curious, read and find out!

Overall, I had a lot of fun while reading this book. If you aren't acquainted with the T3I series, don't go into it expecting sheer brilliance, though. It is a straightforward story appealing to a different demographic of readers. Perhaps my love for this book can be explained by my yearning for the "good old days" as well as for some favourite reads from my school days. As a long-time fan of the T3I series, this was my first time reading this book, and I ended up enjoying every bit of it.

[Lea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Total abstruser Inhalt, sowohl im Original mit dem ausgedachten europäischen Königsstaat in dem
Noch in einer Folterkammer gefoltert wird, Als auch die deutsche Version in einer schwedischen Stadt in Texas. Ich kann den Kniff wirklich, gerade für europäische Leser, verstehen, Aber dadurch ergeben sicher dann wieder plotholes und Logikfehler.

Und trotzdem mochte ich das Buch. Einmal weil es einigermaßen spannend ist aber vor allem Aus Nostalgie. Ich hab als Kunde hol keine Folge öfter gehört und das obwohl (oder weil ?) ich einige nie so richtig verstanden habe- im Nachhinein auch nicht verwunderlich. Für mich ist und bleibt es DER Bob Ohnmacht Fall und der, in dem er so schön schreit (im Buch natürlich nur im Kopf zu hören ).
Kopf zu hören )

[Nadja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Auch wenn diese Folge sehr abstrus ist, gefällt sie mir sehr! Diese Magnusstadt ist einfach so unrealistisch, dass es wieder witzig wird.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following a near accident, the boys are invited to the principality of Varania, to help Prince Djaro discover the location of the fabled Silver Spider, which has been stolen. Bert Young, a secret service agent, also recruits them as it’s feared the Price Regent is plotting to overthrow Djaro and make Varania a crooks paradise. Told at breakneck pace, this has high adventure, mystery, daring escapes, a couple of bumps on the head for Bob and a thrilling climax. Superb stuff.

Merged review:

2009 review - Following a near accident, the boys are invited to the principality of Varania, to help Prince Djaro discover the location of the fabled Silver Spider, which has been stolen. Bert Young, a secret service agent, also recruits them as it’s feared the Prince Regent is plotting to overthrow Djaro and make Varania a crooks paradise. Told at breakneck pace, this has high adventure, mystery, daring escapes, a couple of bumps on the head for Bob and a thrilling climax. Superb stuff.
2013 update - I’d stand by most of the original review except to add that the boys are generally relegated to supporting players for a good portion of this, as Rudy and Elena (‘minstrels’ loyal to the prince) organise their escape (and this leads to a couple of sequences that aren’t from the boys POV, which is as jarring as the other books Robert Arthur did it in). Also, because it’s such a huge canvas, some of the action does come across as exposition. That aside though, still a good book.
2018 update - I’d agree with all the above, though this time around I was more forgiving relating to the comments I made in 2013. There’s some nice character work in this - Jupiter at the start admits “I don’t suppose you can call me exactly typical because some people think I’m conceited and use too many long words and sometimes get myself pretty well disliked. But I can’t seem to change” and Bob’s leg gives him some trouble during the lengthy chase sequence that leads into Act 3. Also, at the near accident, the boys had “just been to Hollywood to call on Alfred Hitchcock and give him the facts of their latest adventure”, so does this happen directly after Fiery Eye? I liked this a lot.
2021 update - In agreement with 2009 and 2018 (I must have been having an off-day in 2013), this is a great read and highly recommended.

[Ririn Aziz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Terjemahan kali ni agak lancar dan lebih teratur. Tak terasa bercelaru akibat banyak adegan lompat2 macam kebanyakan buku. Malahan, penyiasatan kali ini agak mendebarkan dengan aksi-aksi menarik. Kena cari siapa penulis untuk kisah thrill macam ni.

Ps - besar betul gambar L emas kat kulit buku. Saya terpaksa guna book cover (nasib baik beli) kalau tak, takut nak pegang buku 😅😅.

[Bubu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bis jetzt einer der besten Fälle, die ich gehört habe

[Ellie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Amerikanisches Original vs. deutsche Übersetzung: Ein 'spezialgelagerter Sonderfall', in den Worten der Übersetzerin, aber diesmal auf der Meta-Ebene. Während die Handlung des Originals größtenteils in einem fiktiven Staat in Europa spielt, findet die Handlung in der Übersetzung in einer schwedischen Enklave in Texas statt. Es ist somit eigentlich keine Übersetzung, sondern vielmehr eine Bearbeitung, die zu sehr schrägen und teils unlogischen Begebenheiten führt. Zwischen Originaltreue und den Bemühungen, die Geschichte für die deutschen Leser*innen nicht allzu absurd erscheinen zu lassen, verliert sich die deutsche Version. Die originale Vorlage gibt allerdings als klischeegefüllte Geschichte auch nicht viel her – beides hat nicht wirklich Spaß gemacht zu lesen.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

The boys are off to Europe to go undercover. It's as ridiculous as you might expect.

Lame plot about Jupe, Bob, and Pete who inexplicably make friends with a young Prince in a near-miss fender bender. They bond immediately and are invited to the coronation festivities, compliments of our dues ex machina, Mr. Hitchcock. Lots of silliness, climbing up and down the sides of buildings, hiding out, and silver spiders. Throw in a dose of 1970's amnesia as a plot device and you've got a hot mess of a stew going, baby.

I usually love these books but this one misses the mark for me. I'll continue reading through the series so you don't have to. Only 2 stars but I still love you, boys.

[Sebastian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Insgesamt eine eher mittelmäßige Folge der drei ???, was zu einem Großteil daran liegt, dass die 42 Minuten der Hörspiel-Episode für die recht komplex angelegte Geschichte nicht ausreichend sind. So wirkt bereits der Einstieg in den Fall mit der Zufallsbegegnung von Justus, Peter und Bob mit dem Unternehmenserben Lars Holmqvist und der sich daraus entwickelnden "Blitz-Freundschaft" sehr willkürlich und dieser holprige rote Faden zieht sich dann auch durch den Rest der Geschichte.

Dabei ist der in einer schwedischen Kolonie in Texas angesiedelte Fall grundsätzlich interessant, die vielen involvierten Figuren machen die Handlung aber manchmal schwer nachvollziehbar – gerade für ein jüngeres Publikum dürfte die Geschichte um die Machtkämpfe in einem Wirtschaftsimperium kaum zu verstehen sein. Auch die titelgebende silberne Spinne wirkt als Aufhänger etwas aufgezwungen. Alles in allem wurde hier viel zu viel in die kurze Laufzeit gepresst, wodurch die ganze Folge sehr hektisch und sprunghaft erscheint. Ein wenig mehr Spieldauer hätte dieser Episode ohne Frage gutgetan.

[Mimi ☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 STARS

[Zíem · Rating 3 out of 5]

He sentido en algún momento que los Tres Investigadores no tenían un papel activo en la historia, solo les sucedían cosas sin que pudieran hacer nada. Me alegro de que hayan metido al primer personaje femenino relevante para el desenlace de toda la saga, aunque no he llegado a entender del todo el comportamiento de algunas personas de la saga. El final tampoco me ha parecido muy impresionante, era tan obvio que no perdí la esperanza de que le dieran un último giro a la trama hasta la última página.

[Hal Astell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't remember the eighth 'Three Investigators' book with much fondness and re-reading four decades on underlines that. It's not a bad book, but it's not really a 'Three Investigators' book at all, whisking our heroes away from Rocky Beach once more and throwing them into what's less of a mystery and more of a spy story in a fictional European country, Varania, much further away for the boys than the east coast they visited in 'The Secret of Skeleton Island'.

The trigger for all this is a near miss on the road, because Worthington's skill behind the wheel of the gold Rolls Royce avoids an accident with the arrogant driver of a limousine. It's not a pretty encounter until Prince Djaro Montestan, a couple of months away from his coronation as Prince of Varania, climbs out and apologises on behalf of his men, even asking these local boys to show him around Disneyland. They have a ripe old time.

Beyond connecting the Three Investigators to Prince Djaro, naturally the latest in a long string of foreign boys to flavour a story, this scene sets two things into motion. One is the disconnect that's increasingly obvious as the book runs on between the young prince, who intends to run a country as a ruler should, with every one of his people in mind, and the people around him, who aren't as honest, generous or well-meaning. This escalates, of course, once we meet Duke Stefan, who's the regent of Varania until Djaro comes of age. He has his own plans for the country and I'm sure you can guess both what those are and how benevolent they aren't.

So far so good, but the other thing is Robert Arthur stretching credulity and that's far less good. Now, this series is about a trio of teenage detectives solving weird and wonderful mysteries from a base of operations hidden within a junk yard, travelling from location to location in a gold Rolls Royce and reporting their results to famed film director Alfred Hitchcock, so it's fair to say that he has been stretching our credulity from moment one, but this is the least believable story yet.

So we start out with the sort of unlikely encounter that my ten-year-old self believed happened in California every single day and then escalate from there. Hitch calls the boys to let them know to of an imminent visitor, who turns out to be Bert Young, who works for the U.S. government. Djaro, who had a wonderful time at Disneyland, has apparently invited them to his coronation in Varania and Young wants them to go so much that the government will foot the travel bill and pay pocket money. In fact, he wants them to act as junior agents, because something's stirring in Varania and they don't trust Duke Stefan. Who better to figure out what's going on than three tourist kids?

Of course, he gives them each a camera with a built-in walkie talkie and a tiny tape recorders with impressive range, so they're basically being recruited as spies at this point and he's both M and Q. All they need now is a briefing, but Bob takes care of that, telling both us and his colleagues that Varania is a fift- square-mile neutral country founded in 1335 that has been at peace since 1675. It also sits only a helicopter ride away from Paris, so it's Luxembourg and Switzerland wrapped into one. As we soon find, there's some Scotland in there too.

That's because Djaro's news when they get there is that the Silver Spider has been stolen. This is the national symbol of Varania, manifested in a piece of jewellery that every ruler must wear as they're crowned. With it gone, mysteriously replaced by a believable replica within the past week, doubt is cast on whether the people will buy into Djaro being crowned at all. The reason that it's a silver spider dates back to Prince Paul being saved by a spiderweb during the revolution, just like Robert the Bruce. It's worth saying that Scotland won its independence in 1328, only seven years before Varania.

Back to the modern-day story and naturally Djaro wants the Three Investigators to find the Silver Spider so that he can be crowned and all can be right again with Varania, an approach that would have been a worthy one for our heroes. However, while you're probably imagining that mystery in your heads already, that really isn't where we go. It soon becomes clear that the Silver Spider is a pawn in a game of chess that aims to trap our heroes into being seen as villains, foreign ones too.

And so the mystery diffuses and the intrigue bulks up, as this turns into a spy story, with the boys on the run within a huge palace built on a castle, with three hundred mostly unused rooms and a whole swathe of mostly forgotten secret entrances and stairways that Djaro knows from growing up there as a rather lonely but inquisitive child. It's a fantastic location for this sort of intrigue, a gift for a writer like Arthur who can fashion showcase scene after showcase scene.

The catch is that the Three Investigators are exactly that: investigators. They're not spies, secret agents or action heroes. What they do is to solve mysteries and they don't get to do much of that here at all, because the mystery is effectively solved for them. There is a secondary mystery when the Silver Spider, so carefully planted on the boys, can't be found where the bad guys left it, but it proves to be another odd mystery because Bob knows exactly where it is on the grounds and can't tell anyone.

That's because he hid it, so well that nobody can find it, and because he gets a rather convenient bump on the head that gives him short term amnesia. I've always hated that gimmick, especially when it's so blatantly done as here, when Bob can remember everything from any point in his life and especially this particular trip to Europe, except the one solitary detail he needs to remember right now. It's a cheap gimmick and this book is the worse for it. It doesn't help that it's not tough to figure out where it is, though I vaguely remember not grasping that on my first read way back in the day. Maybe this is a book that simply needs to be read by children, who, after all, were the target audience.

However, I don't think that's entirely fair because the biggest problem with this book for me isn't the lack of a primary mystery and the weakness of the secondary one. It's the fact that the Three Investigators are rarely the people who make anything happen. They're caught up by the intrigue and swept along by it, meaning that characters like Rudy and Elena, who I haven't even said word one about yet, are often the real protagonists. It reads rather like watching Jack Burton fighting the good fight in 'Big Trouble in Little China' and realising that he's just the sidekick, even if Kurt Russell is the obvious star. Wang Chi is the protagonist there and Rudy and Elena are here, along with Djaro, of course.

And so I should explain who they are. Rudy is Djaro's driver in Varania and one of the few people he knows he can absolutely trust. Elena is his sister, who sells balloons in the park. However, both are also part of the Minstrel Party, a party for the people who are good and honest and loyal and proud to be descended from those who helped Prince Paul during the revolution, not only because that exempts them from having to pay tax. They're the ones fighting for the future of Varania and our regular heroes are just caught up in the ride.

That means that how well this works for you is how well you get caught up in the ride. Arthur has fun with the intrigue, weaving modern day events into historical antecedents and setting up cool setpieces. While Rudy and Elena are relatively vanilla as characters, there are far more colourful ones too, like Anton the Ancient, a gypsy who may well be able to see the future, even if he talks about it in inevitably cryptic terms. That's as far as Arthur gets to the supernatural here, though the castle is a neat gothic location, especially once we get to visit the torture chamber.

I enjoyed it, but I'm also going to be happy next month to get back to Rocky Beach to unwrap 'The Mystery of the Screaming Clock', one that I remember very fondly indeed.

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

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

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

2009 review - Following a near accident, the boys are invited to the principality of Varania, to help Prince Djaro discover the location of the fabled Silver Spider, which has been stolen. Bert Young, a secret service agent, also recruits them as it’s feared the Prince Regent is plotting to overthrow Djaro and make Varania a crooks paradise. Told at breakneck pace, this has high adventure, mystery, daring escapes, a couple of bumps on the head for Bob and a thrilling climax. Superb stuff.
2013 update - I’d stand by most of the original review except to add that the boys are generally relegated to supporting players for a good portion of this, as Rudy and Elena (‘minstrels’ loyal to the prince) organise their escape (and this leads to a couple of sequences that aren’t from the boys POV, which is as jarring as the other books Robert Arthur did it in). Also, because it’s such a huge canvas, some of the action does come across as exposition. That aside though, still a good book.
2018 update - I’d agree with all the above, though this time around I was more forgiving relating to the comments I made in 2013. There’s some nice character work in this - Jupiter at the start admits “I don’t suppose you can call me exactly typical because some people think I’m conceited and use too many long words and sometimes get myself pretty well disliked. But I can’t seem to change” and Bob’s leg gives him some trouble during the lengthy chase sequence that leads into Act 3. Also, at the near accident, the boys had “just been to Hollywood to call on Alfred Hitchcock and give him the facts of their latest adventure”, so does this happen directly after Fiery Eye? I liked this a lot.
2021 update - In agreement with 2009 and 2018 (I must have been having an off-day in 2013), this is a great read and highly recommended.
2025 update - Still in agreement with earlier (other than 2013) and, reading the format b paperback, I noticed an editing/typesetting glitch on p96 that I can’t believe I haven’t mentioned before!

[Soňa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ako obvykle sa chlapci pripletú k záhade, ktorá sa však tentokrát odohráva v Európskej krajine Varania na bližšie neidentifikovanom mieste a budúci následník trónu Djaro na to aby sa mohol stať korunovaným následníkom potrebuje na korunováciu prívesok so strieborným pavúkom..... a áno, ten pavúk zmizne :)

Aj keď som asi tak od polovice tušila, kde je samotný pavúk, priznám, že naháňačky hore hradom a dole hradom boli príjemné. Kedže som si ich nepamätala z predchádzajúceho čítania, bolo to ako čítať knihu prvý raz. Príjemným osviežením bola zmena prostredia aj keď občas bola mierne stereotypná.

Celkovo to bolo príjemné čítanie do kabelky.

[Kevin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not one of the better Three Investigators books. The boys spend much of this book in a foreign country, and they don't actually solve much of a mystery. The "bad guy" is known from the beginning; there's one question to be resolved and its answer is obvious, and the solution at the climax of the book was entirely predictable. In addition, the boys don't really do much on their own initiative, instead running about as other people or circumstances dictate. I love the Three Investigators series, but this installment was particularly disappointing.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of the Three Investigators series. While not the worst book in the series, this is the worst one by it's original author Robert Arthur.

The plot, the story line and just everything about it are too far fetched, even for a Three Investigators book. The only real mystery in the book is hands down the easiest to solve beforehand of any of the books in the series and is just disappointing.

While the setting of the book is nice, and the action can be fun to follow, overall this book is a letdown in comparison to the rest of the series.

[Idea Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not one of the better 3 Investigators stories. Set in a fictitious European country called Varania, the boys uncover a political coup plot and help find the national heirloom, a silver spider. Varania sounds like a very limited fantasy of a European country full of cliched words and imagery ('quaint', 'picturesque', peerage and carnivals). The Prince of Varania barely enters the plot, despite being central to it. The only 3 Investigators worthy bit is when, outwitting the adults, they realize where the silver spider actually is.

[Anna Catharina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Für mich persönlich eines der schwächsten drei ???-Bücher. Die Story ist mir einfach zu sehr kinderbuchartig und unglaubwürdig. Ich bin zwar froh, dass die Übersetzerin die Handlung in eine "schwedische" Stadt in Texas übertragen hat, denn das Original (Handlungsort: kleines europäisches Fürstentum) wäre für mich noch abstruser gewesen, doch auch dieser Kniff konnte die wenig überzeugende Geschichte nicht retten.

[H · Rating 1 out of 5]

Worst Three Investigators book of the first 8. Mystery nigh nonexistent, just the location of the SS - everything else was more action, though the politics was a bit nonsensical, and a lot of things dont make full sense imo - like how easily the boys are framed or people rising to the prince's aid but not doing it before the bell.

[Bev · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Three Investigators go from a near-miss car accident with a European prince to being invited to Prince Djaro's home country for his upcoming coronation.

Jupiter Jones, Bob Andrews, and Pete Crenshaw are being driven home in the Rolls Royce Jupe won free trips in when Worthington, the chauffeur, has to do some fancy driving to avoid an accident with a limousine that doesn't pay attention to a stop sign. As the two drivers hash out their differences over who was in the wrong, a young man exits the limo and his air of authority puts an end to the dispute. Prince Djaro tells his chauffeur that he was absolutely in the wrong and must obey the traffic laws. He compliments the boys' driver and soon the four young men are on their way to becoming friends. Jupe gives the prince one of their cards, not thinking that Prince Djaro will need to call on the services of the Three Investigators.

But it isn't long before they receive an invitation to visit Prince Djaro at his home in Varania. Ostensibly, they have been invited for the prince's coronation as king, but in truth the prince needs their help. When the next ruler is crowned in Varania, they must wear the Silver Spider, a valuable jewelled representation of the country's emblem. The spider was adopted because of a legend that says a spider saved the life of the first king of Varania. And now...the Silver Spider is missing and Prince Djaro wants the Investigators to help track it down in time for the ceremony. Meanwhile, the boys have also been contacted by the U.S. Secret Service. There are rumors of unrest in this normally placid little country and they want the boys to keep their eyes and ears open while they pose as typical young tourists. Both assignments will put the boys in danger and they'll be locked in a dungeon before they can find the Spider and save the day.

So, this was a bit different. Usually, the young people from different countries are in the United States and wind up in the middle of a mystery with the Investigators. This time, the boys travel to another country and get involved in mysterious adventures there. It was a lot of fun to see them out of their element and watch how they adjust to the new surroundings. Not a whole lot of mystery here--we definitely know who the bad guys are from the beginning. The real mystery is what happened to the Silver Spider after the boys found it the first time. It takes a meeting with a mystic to make Jupiter realize just where the Spider is. A good, fun adventure in the fictional little country of Varania.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.

[cauldronofevil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not only was I lucky enough to find another Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators (Hitchcock not included) novels, it’s a wonderful thin and small paperback. I would DEFINITELY collect these if I could get them all in this space saving format!!!

Of course, it looks like this was printed in England. In 1969. A quick search on eBay tells me that they are worth their weight in gold.

”Are you typical American boys?”
”Bob and Pete are quite typical of American boys,” he said. “I don’t suppose you can call me exactly typical because some people think I’m conceited and use too many long words and sometimes get myself pretty well disliked. But I can’t seem to change.”

So somehow, a government agent calls Alfred Hitchcock about the Three Investigators? How’d he make that connection? Is there something in the contract that says Alfred Hitchcock must make an appearance in every book?

Man remember the good old days? When the only underhanded thing the government did was send kids to spy on foreign nations and possibly get killed by assassins?

”I think Freddie sent us on a wild goose chase. If those three kids are investigators I’ll eat my hat.”

”Why, if I ever saw a stupid-looking kid, it’s that fat one.”

So the Three Investigators (???) meet a foreign prince in a vehicular accident. Nothing comes of it until the Prince invites them to his coronation.

The CIA get the three to keep an eye out for American interests while they are there.

The Prince also asks them to investigate the current regent who is running the country until the princes’ coronation. The prince worries that some shenanigans will prevent him from being crowned King and the Duke will stay in power.

Turns out he’s right when the three are framed for stealing the national symbol of Varania - the Silver Spider. It’s planted in their hotel room and then police come to bust down the door and catch them in possession of the jewel.

They amscray and Bob somehow loses the jewel. He gets conked on the head and forgets exactly what happened….

After hiding out for a while they come back to search for it. Actually I think I know where it is!

“Sometimes if one bump gives you amnesia, another bump will bring back your memory.”

Will someone please snopes this?

Turns out I had guessed right about where the McGuffin was. Since that puts me right up there with Jupiter Jones I’ll take it!

“Alfred Hitchcock” does a short and pointless epilogue. I don’t remember that being a regular feature.

All in all, another fun case to read about.

I’ll give it 4 stars at least and keep this one. I hope I find more!

[Inga · Rating 4 out of 5]

In ihrem Fall um die silberne Spinne werden die drei Fragezeichen nach Magnusstad eingeladen. Der junge Lars Holmqvist soll in Kürze die Führung der Magnuswerke übernehmen, aber der jetzige Geschäftsführer will dies verhindern. Magnusstad, obwohl in Texas gelegen, wurde im skandinavischen Stil von Magnus Vater errichtet. Teil dieses Mythos ist auch eine silberne Spinne, die als Symbol für den Führungsanspruch der Holmqvists steht. Justus, Peter und Bob wollen Lars unterstützen, gleichzeitig sind sie im Kontakt mit einem Agenten, der davon ausgeht, dass noch andere Kriminelle beteiligt sind, um die Magnuswerke zu übernehmen. So werden die drei zu einem Spielball von Lars' Gegnern. Ihnen soll der Diebstahl der Spinne in die Schuhe geschoben werden - der Werksschutz verfolgt sie und will sie verhaften. Doch auch Lars hat seine Gefolgsleute, die die drei Fragezeichen unterstützen.
Die drei Fragezeichen und die silberne Spinne ist geprägt von Verfolgungsjagden an Gebäudefassaden, durch den Magnuspalast und die Kanalisation. Die silberne Spinne ist dabei eine Art McGuffin, ein typisches Stilmittel wie in den Filmen von Alfred Hitchcock: Ohne dass die Spinne eine tatasächliche Funktion im realen Leben hat, dreht sich ein Großteil der Handlung um sie und ihren Verbleib. Bob erlebt hier den ersten seiner Gedächtnisverluste und kann sich deshalb nicht mehr erinnern, wo er sie versteckt hat. Das kommt sehr gelegen, als sie auf psychodelische Weise mit Drogeneinsatz verhört werden und er sich wirklich nicht erinnern kann. Da es noch einer der ersten Fälle der Reihe ist, die noch zu den US-amerikanischen Originalen gehören (dort erschienen 1967!), sind auch noch die bekannten Hitchcock-Einschübe vorhanden, die die Lesenden auf die offensichtlichen Zusammenhänge hinweisen und zum Mitraten bzw. zum "Besserwissen" auffordern.
Der Band ist actionreich und durchaus spannend, allerdings sind die drei Fragezeichen eher Mitläufer der Handlung, als dass sie diese selbst groß beeinflussen. Sie sind loyal und ausdauernd gegenüber Lars und tragen dadurch schließlich zu einem gerechten, wenn auch logisch nicht ganz befriedigendem Ende bei.
Im Vergleich zur Hörspielfolge ist die Buchvorlage ausführlicher und komplexer.

[Ian Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Mystery of the Silver Spider” by Alfred Hitchcock (1969)

Overall Rating 9/10 Silver Service!

Plot
The Three Investigators are invited to Varania to witness the crowning of their new friend, Prince Djaro. While there, they find themselves in the middle of a plot to usurp the Prince and are accused of stealing the national treasure—the Silver Spider! Can the trio escape and unravel the mystery that now envelops them?

Writing Style
Easy, flowing, short sentences. Very juvenile, with virtually no flowering at all. Pretty basic script that, just now and again, shows its age.

Point of View/Voice
Written in the 3rd Person / Past Tense (standard convention)

Critique
I loved this series of books as a youngster. Reading these now brings back a huge amount of nostalgia, and I have relived some of the feelings and sensations I experienced when I first read them. For a boy setting out on his life voyage of reading books, this is absolutely perfect. It is a wonderful world of basic script with a not-too-difficult plot wrapped in simple adventure. As an adult of 58 years, I was catapulted back in time, and I was once more 12 years old. I never want these books to end.

This book has been my favourite so far. It didn’t really show any of its age and could almost have been written today. It was filled with the stuff of modern thrillers you see in Hollywood films (simplified, of course), such as castles, secret passages, and sewers, as well as people loyal to the Crown and people who were not.

Brilliantly written and an utter joy to read.

[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 Mystery of the Silver Spider is #8 in the series. The boys befriend a young prince of a fictitious country and get invited to visit him before his coronation. Of course there is a conspiracy there for the boys to deal with. Is it strange that the most unbelievable part of this book is the way the CIA seems to want to enlist the boys to help them with spying? Overall I didn't like this book a great deal. It was more of an adventure than a mystery. I think I prefer the books where the boys stay in southern California. I read an online ebook version of this since most of these books are out of print.

[sonofabook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Die drei Detektive wären beinhe, wenn ihr Fahrer nicht rechtzeitig gebremst hätte, Teilnehmer eines Autounfalls geworden.
Im anderen Wagen saß der Lars, bekannter Erbe der Magnus-Werke in Magnusstadt, einer schwedischen Kolonie im Süden der USA.
Sie tauschen die Karten aus und kurze Zeit später meldet sich ein Vertrauter von Lars bei den Dreien, dass sie eineladen wären an einem Fest teilzunehmen.
Dies ist allerdings mur ein Vorwand, da die silberne Spinne, das Wahrzeichen der Magnusstadt verschwunden ist und ohne sie die Übernahme der Magnuswerke für Lars großes Unglück bedeuten würde.
So machen sich die drei auf die Suche und merken nicht nur schnell, dass sie verfolgt werden, sondern auch, dass der Interimspräsident der Firma dahintersteckt, da er einen hinterhältigen Plan ausheckt.

Ich muss gestehen, ich war am Ende der Folge etwas verwirrt, dass sie schon zu Ende war, da gar nicht allzu viel meiner Meinung nach passiert ist.
Aber eine durchaus solide Folge. Viel mehr lässt sich dazu tatsächlich nicht sagen.
Für ein Nebenbei-Hörerlebnis gut.

[Demian Katz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This adventure steps pretty far outside of the Three Investigators' comfort zone of vaguely supernatural mysteries, instead aiming for the international intrigue genre. While I often like formula-breaking entries in series, this one didn't work for me, though even a lesser Three Investigators adventure is still fun. The premise here is that the boys befriend a prince from a fictional European country, then end up acting as unofficial secret agents of the American government to support a peaceful transition of power. It's an even more implausible setup than usual, and raising the stakes doesn't actually make the story more interesting. The use of some tired tropes like head-injury-induced amnesia doesn't help. The book's very simplistic politics and hurried conclusion also play particularly poorly for a contemporary reader. There are still some entertaining moments, but this is one for the completists, not the casual fans.